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Consider CBD Tattoo Cream For Fresh Ink Aftercare

Teagan McMurtry

By Teagan McMurtry

February 15, 2023

You’ve just spent hours sitting in a chair, watching a buzzing needle get stabbed in and out of your skin, and there’s no going back now. The feeling of getting a new tattoo is thrilling and exciting, but it can also be nerve wracking. Whether it’s your first tattoo, or your hundredth — there can be a bit of anxiety around the healing process. Skin infections could be on the horizon if you aren’t aware of the best ways to take care of your new masterpiece.

There are countless products on the market targeted towards tattoo aftercare, but have you heard about

tattoo cream? This article is going to break down why choosing CBD tattoo cream could be a good option for your tattoo aftercare. We’ll also give you some of our favorite product recommendations. 

Tattoo Aftercare Best Practices

Did you know that in the U.S. tattoo aftercare isn’t regulated the same way in every state? Currently in the United States,

require tattoo artists to provide aftercare instructions to their clients. This means that in 43 states, tattoo artists aren’t required to provide clients with set instructions on how to properly care for their new tattoos. This is problematic, especially for tattoo first-timers, as getting tattooed poses the risk of major skin infections without proper care. 

Artist Tattooing woman’s shoulder in tattoo studio
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So, you’ve just got home after getting your new tattoo… now what? Depending on the tattoo studio where you get your ink, you should have been given trusted instructions for aftercare, which can vary from artist to artist. But what if you can’t remember what your tattoo artist said to do? Did they even say anything at all? Don’t panic — we’ve got you covered with some guidance that errs on the side of caution. 

Ensure Your Tattoo is Covered

To prevent foreign particles entering your tattoo, many tattoo artists recommend covering your tattoo before leaving the shop. This should be with some sort of sanitary bandage. Your artist should also have applied a thin layer of petroleum jelly underneath to keep it moisturized and to prevent infection.

Remove Tattoo Cover After 24 Hours

After 24 hours have passed since the completion of your new tattoo, it is safe to take off the seal. There may be some ink build-up, blood or ooziness underneath the bandage. This is normal; don’t panic. Simply wash the area off with water and mild antibacterial soap if you have any. Pat the area dry after gently cleaning the area.

Apply a Thin Layer of Antibacterial Ointment 

Twice a day, apply a thin layer of antibacterial ointment to the area. Leave the fresh tattoo uncovered to prevent the growth of bacteria. 

Keep Tattoo Moisturized

Apply and reapply tattoo healing lotion or tattoo healing cream to the area to keep the skin from drying up and scabbing over. This is likely to happen, but will be kept at bay with continued use of moisturising lotion, cream or balm. 

Pro Tip: Avoid contact with pools, hot tubs and oceans for around two weeks after tattoo completion. It is also recommended that you keep the fresh tattoo away from any clothing to avoid irritation from the fabric. 

Woman applying body mosture in the bathroom at home
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Is CBD Tattoo Cream safe for fresh tattoos? 

When thinking about products that would be safe to apply to a fresh tattoo, you would want to consider the products that you could safely apply to an open or healing wound — because that is essentially what a new tattoo is when it is first healing up. Your body will identify the tattoo ink as a foreign substance, which triggers the body’s immune system to respond to the invasion. This is why new tattoos will likely puss, swell and scab throughout the healing process. 

If you’re new to the world of CBD, you may not be aware of the potential medicinal benefits of using it. Research has started exploring the ways in which CBD can help aid the body in several different ways.

Two of the highly researched medicinal benefits of CBD has been its

and properties. These properties make CBD a welcomed addition to lotions, balms, salves and creams to apply over your healing tattoo. Many companies have already started creating tattoo aftercare products that contain CBD, and lucky for you, we have curated a list of our absolute favorites for you to try out! 

Best CBD Tattoo Products

Courtesy of H2Ocean

Black Label Edition CBD Tattoo Salve 600mg

The

is the best of the best! It is made with 82 trace sea minerals and 600mg of CBD to reduce swelling, pain, bleeding and discomfort of new tattoos. If you are looking for a vegan, natural and organic hemp CBD tattoo cream, this will be your new best friend. If you’re a tattoo artist, you should also consider using this CBD tattoo cream, because it is also safe to use during the tattoo process. H2Ocean claims that when this cream is used during the tattoo process, it results in less redness, swelling, bleeding and overall messiness. 

Courtesy of MedTerra

MedTerra Manuka Honey Healing Cream

We absolutely love the

. This body cream contains CBD and Manuka honey that come together to create a luxurious and soothing lotion that can be applied topically to your tattoos. This CBD tattoo cream can be ordered in either 125mg or 250mg of CBD depending on your needs. Apply this tattoo CBD cream twice a day to reduce swelling, redness and discomfort. 

Courtesy of Sana Sans

Sana Sana 500mg CBD Healing Balm

The

was specifically developed to help aid the tattoo healing process. With carefully selected ingredients that are meant for soothing and healing the skin, you can guarantee that this hemp CBD tattoo healing cream will minimize pain and swelling of your new tattoo. Some of the key ingredients include cannabidiol (CBD) to hydrate your skin and combat irritation, shea butter to moisturize, aloe leaf extract to soothe and rosemary leaf extract to reduce puffiness and irritation. 

Courtesy of Recovery

Recovery Tattoo Glide +CBD

The

balm is a skin lubricant and protectant developed for use during and after the tattoo process. This product is vegan, cruelty free, and it’s manufactured with ingredients that are beneficial to your skin. The Recovery Tattoo Glide +CBD product is soothing, moisturizing and calms irritation. Tattoo artists can use this during the tattoo process, and clients can use it for aftercare as well. This CBD tattoo healing lotion shares that it can also enhance the color vibrancy of your tattoos with continued use. 

Courtesy of Pure Hemp

Pure Hemp CBD Tattoo Aftercare Cream – 20mg 

The

is made to help moisturize and bring vibrancy back to older tattoos. It can be used on fresh tattoos with approval from your tattoo artist. This hemp CBD tattoo cream is known for reducing itchiness of healing tattoos, as well as reducing any redness or irritation during the first week after the completion of your tattoo. This product should be a staple in your bathroom cabinet if you have tattoos as it contains natural sunblock from the avocado oil ingredient. If you have tattoos, you should always put some form of sunscreen on them before spending time in the sun, to protect them and keep them looking fresh. 

Courtesy of CBDfx

CBDfx Balm Stick – Calming & Moisturizing 

The

is a unique and fun CBD tattoo balm. The stick form of it is easy to apply, even in funny areas of the body. This product contains either 750mg or 3,000mg of broad spectrum CBD depending on your needs. Key ingredients of the product are shea butter and roman chamomile oil, which are known for their moisturizing and calming properties, respectively. You can apply this CBD tattoo balm during the aftercare process of a healing tattoo, or integrate it into your skincare regime for continued use. 

Key Takeaways

Hopefully you’ve learned a bit more about the tattoo aftercare process, as well as gotten some stellar product recommendations for CBD tattoo healing creams or lotions. Remember to always consult your tattoo artist or dermatologist if you are having any abnormal irritations or symptoms after getting a tattoo done. To learn more about CBD, check out more of our articles

Teagan McMurtry

About The Author

Teagan McMurtry

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