Into the thick of it !
- Sabrina Robinson
- a few seconds ago
- 8 min read
Tattoo ointments, lotion, second skin products and the healing process.
For years, I’ve been providing aftercare advice and instruction while my clients, friends and family have trusted my guidance without question. I recite the standard information. I push well known products that I’ve used in the past and those that have been recommended to me by my peers and industry advertising. Though I stand by my advice and personal preferences, I figured it would be fun and helpful to devise a casual experiment in which we test the four most commonly used/mentioned aftercare products in the shop: Saniderm, Redemption, Aquaphor, and Lubriderm.
Over the course of 10 days, subjects 2 and 1(me) diligently cared for our tattoos using a different method for each. We recorded changes in the skin's appearance, any physical sensations, and ease of after care process. The notes from this experiment are also a great reference point for what a low trauma tattoo healing track should look like. What is normal to expect from day 3 of healing using aquaphor? What is normal to expect from day 10 of using Lubriderm?
(For this project I did not test dry healing. It’s not a commonly recommended aftercare process at my shop and I would personally never recommend it. I have tried it myself.)
Each of the tattoos were black and grey, and less than 2 inches in diameter. Subject 1 received their tattoos on their thigh. Subject 2 received their tattoos on their forearm. Pictures below:
From left: Redemption, Saniderm, Aquaphor, Lubriderm
The subjects skin is pale with red undertones. The skin in this area is relatively thick compared to other areas like the inner thigh or inner forearm. The tissue in this area is fatty and the skin is not as taught as a more muscular area like the calf.
My predictions for healing were as follows: The Redemption tattoo will heal the smoothest and will be the least irritated throughout the process because of the natural soothing ingredients. The Lubriderm tattoo would remain red the longest because it has the most ingredients to potentially irritate, and soaks in the quickest leaving no barrier to prevent dryness. The epidermis will heal over the quickest using Saniderm but the Saniderm may irritate the skin outside of the tattooed area. The aquaphor would heal the slowest because the ointment is the thickest and does not breathe as well as the others. (I was excited to be proven wrong, and so surprised by the actual results. See those at the bottom of the post!)
From top: Redemption, Saniderm, Lubriderm, Aquaphor
Subject two also has pale skin, with a more olive undertone and only slightly more melanin and pigment than subject one. The skin in this area is taught but thin.
During application, each subject received the same treatment and supplies.
brand of needles(KWADRON) size 25.3 RL and 35.3 RL
ointment(AQUAPHOR)
green soap(COSCO)
paper towels(BOUNTY)
Ink(DYNAMIC BLACK).
Once the tattoos were completed, they were each wrapped separately with their respective treatments. Each subject kept their initial wraps on for the same amount of time.
Saniderm- 24 hours
Redemption- 2 hours
Aquaphor- 2 hours
Lubriderm- 2 hours
Below is a list of the products and their ingredients:
REDEMPTION ointment Ingredients:
Organic Castor Oil, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Arrowroot Powder, Organic Calendula Oil, Organic Arnica, Organic Chamomile Extract, Organic Rosemary Extract, Mixed Tocopherols
LUBRIDERM fragrance free lotion ingredients:
Water, Mineral Oil, Glycerin, Carbomer, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Sodium Hydroxide, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Disodium EDTA, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Oil, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Copper Gluconate.
AQUAPHOR ointment ingredients:
Active Ingredients: Purpose Petrolatum (41%)...Skin Protectant (Ointment
Inactive Ingredients: Mineral Oil, Ceresin, Lanolin Alcohol, Panthenol, Glycerin, Bisabolol
SANIDERM: polyurethane acrylic adhesive medical bandage
NOTES from test subject 2
Day 1 immediately after the tattoo
. all 4 were red, slightly swollen, and only tender to the touch.
DAY 224 hours after tattoo
. Redemption tattoo has redness around some of the line work (we believe this is due to the location of the tattoo being closest to the elbow, and a generally higher motion area than the others. But it could also be an indication of sensitivity to one of the many natural ingredients in that ointment).
. Still on the 1st piece of saniderm. No irritation due to the treatment (only redness present was directly around the tattoos. When using saniderm it’s important to keep an eye on the perimeter of the bandage itself, that is where irritation most often occurs.)
. Lotion absorbs into the skin rather than sitting on top of it. it doesn't rub off on clothing or furniture
. Aquaphor application always rubs off after a while. I normally reapply every couple of hours, but I am only applying once every 12-hours to be consistent with other treatments.
DAY 3
. All tattoos are less painful to the touch, today.
. The redemption tattoo is still red around the line work, but no (painful) irritation
. Saniderm is still holding up without irritation.
. Lubriderm is still the easiest to live with, I don't have to worry as much about it rubbing off
. Nothing to note on the aquaphor tattoo
DAY 4
. Tattoos are beginning to lightly scab over well. No signs of dryness or cracking.
Day 5
. Linework on the redemption tattoo is beginning to rise.
. No irritation on Saniderm or Aquaphor
. Heavier linework on the Lubriderm tattoo is beginning to rise
DAY 6
. The redemption and aquaphor tattoos are beginning to itch.
(but neither the lotion or saniderm tattoos were itching. The itching is typically associated with the regrowth of the epidermis)
DAY 7
. Aquaphor tattoo itches more, but line work is more stiff and raised on the redemption tattoo. Both are beginning to peel.. Saniderm and Lubriderm tattoos are still comfortable. Lubriderm tattoo is a little raised, but not as much as the ointment tattoos.
.Saniderm is holding nicely, with little to no irritation
DAY 8
. The linework on the redemption tattoo is significantly more raised than any of the others.
. I removed the saniderm today and the tattoo looks very good. No raised edges or cracking.
Day 9
. The saniderm and Lubriderm tattoos are pealing like a healed sunburn. Itching has subsided on these two.
. The aquaphor tattoo still itches, has raised linework, and is peeling, like a scab would peel
Day 10
. sweating seems to have accelerated the peeling.
. Redemption tattoo still raised and some of the peeling is starting to flake off, revealing that some of the shading didn't take completely.
. The saniderm tattoo has completely peeled at this point. (the epidermis is fully healed)
. lubriderm tattoo is about 50% peeled and is looking good.
. The aquaphor tattoo still appears to be in early stages of peeling.
MY RECORDS:
Day 1
. All tattoos were slightly painful, tender and swollen. This is normal and expected especially on a lower extremity. The Lubriderm sample was the most red. This could be attributed to the area being the innermost part of the thigh. The redemption sample is the least red.
Day 2
. Very little swelling on any of the tattoos. 10 minutes after application the Lubriderm sample has a matte look, the lotion soaks in really well. The aquaphor remained shiny and greasy even when rubbed all the way. Redemption was not as shiny as the aquaphor but still had a slight barrier. Moderate seeping of plasma and blood inside the saniderm.
Day3
. no change from day 2 (noting that by day 3 the process of caring for the tattoos was already a little bit annoying to keep up with. The saniderm and Lubriderm were the least demanding.)
Day 4
. all four tattoos are slightly itchy, none are red. Both ointment and lotion tattoos are showing signs of hardening/ scabbing. Lubriderm sample dried out overnight resulting in slight cracking.
. saniderm tattoo is the most itchy, even tender
Day 5
. linework is the lease raised on Lubriderm tattoo. The saniderm is the itchiest
Day 6
. all tattoos are slightly itchy, and linework slightly raised. ( slightly raised linework is perfectly normal, its a sign that the outer layers are healing properly. Extreme swelling or redness would be abnormal at this stage.)
Day 7
. no change.
Day 8
. all tattoos are level 10 itchy. Lubriderm linework is the only one that isn’t raised at all anymore. Aquaphor and redemption both have mild scabbing and raised linework. Saniderm tattoo is slightly raised, I can feel that through the bandage but it is obviously not a dry scab because it remained covered for all 8 days. But, by day 8 the saniderm was peeling off so I replaced it. (normally at this point, I would leave the saniderm off and transition to a lotion. But for the sake of the experiment, I left the replacement piece on for two additional days. )
Day 9
. The itching was at its worst yesterday but has seemed to subside over night. Slight peeling/flaking of the outer layers of skin has begun on the Lubriderm sample but is soothed with the application of the lotion. The other tattoos are not peeling.
Day 10
. I removed the saniderm today and compared all of the tattoos. The quickest to heal were the saniderm sample and the Lubriderm, but the ointment samples are close behind. None of the tattoos are extremely itchy, and only infrequently mildly itchy. Overall, it seems the outer layers of skin have almost totally healed over for all 4 tattoos. I continued to monitor them for an additional 4 days and saw little variation. Peeling and dryness was limited by day 14.
Final Thoughts:
Subject 1:
I am honestly surprised by my own results. The Lubriderm was my favorite product to use, and the easiest to use. I was concerned that the lotion soaking in quickly would result in a dryer, more irritated tattoo. But it actually prevented any buildup of the product and denied bacteria a reservoir. Both ointment products functioned very similarly and those tattoos healed at roughly the same rate. The aquaphor had a greasier feel but was gentle on the tattoo. The redemption comes in a tub/pot and not a tube. This does introduce more opportunity for contamination, making application slightly more difficult. The saniderm did not irritate the skin on my thigh during this experiment, resulting in the quickest and lowest maintenance healing process.
Subject 2:
Subject two was also most pleased with Lubriderm healing. The ease of use of the pump top lotion bottle, the gentle formula, and the lack of sheen or greasiness made for an easy and low maintenance healing process. Subject two did not seem to react to any of the products in any negative ways, but did personally find the ointment products to be messier. Notes that saniderm allows them to continue to work without concern for introduction to bacteria.
Subject Note: by day 14 all tattoos have finished peeling and remain unchanged.
Here are a few studies and articles about aftercare products and procedures. Remember to stay informed and test multiple products before committing to one favorite.
Petroleum jelly: A comprehensive review of its history, uses, and safety
Dermal uptake of petroleum substances
Postoperative Wound Care After Dermatologic Procedures: A Comparison of 2 Commonly Used Petrolatum-Based Ointments
Tattoo aftercare management with a dermo‐cosmetic product: Improvement in discomfort sensation and skin repair quality
Is It Safe to Use Plastic Wrap on Fresh Tattoos? Experts Weigh Inhttps://www.byrdie.com/safety-advisory-the-use-of-plastic-wrap-on-fresh-tattoos-3189607