Aftercare Instructions

Soap- Dr. Bronners baby unscented castille soap, Dove sensitive skin

Moisturizer- Hustle Butter, Alaffia Everyday Shea, Cera Ve, Aveeno

With aftercare products, the biggest factor is making sure there are no synthetic dyes, fragrances, petroleum based ingredients or perfumes. A products with all natural ingredients, the simpler the better, is going to give you the best results for caring for your new tattoo. There are many options available to you as a tattoo consumer on the market, be steadfast in checking what they are made from before purchasing.

Keep the bandage on for 3-5 days, if possible. The longer you leave it on, the more healed your tattoo will be when you take it off. Some areas of the body (inner arm, ditch, ankle, etc) are more sensitive and it is best to take the bandage off after 24-48 hours. Keep an eye on your skin as it is healing, if any redness begins to present itself within or around the edges of the bandage, remove it immediately and care for it per the instructions below.

Take the skin bandage off in the shower with warm water and soap. Lather the soap along the exposed tattoo as you peel the bandage back against itself, it will stretch and the adhesive will disengage. Think of it like a command hook strip- the adhesive stretches back to peel off the skin without damaging it.

Allow your skin to fully air dry, think 20+ minutes, before applying a light lotion or aftercare product. Over moisturizing can cause the tattoo to heal poorly, and leave you with undefined lines or fallen out shading.

Lightly moisturize as the tattoo continues to heal, as needed.

Wash hands thoroughly before touching the tattooed area, and keep it clean throughout the healing process. For the first three days clean gently 3-5 times a day with a mild liquid soap or dial gold antibacterial liquid soap. 

After washing, let the tattoo air dry completely before applying a light layer of an unscented lotion (i.e. Aveeno or Curel).

After 3 days, clean morning and night or as needed and apply lotion throughout the day as needed.

During your 2 week or longer healing period, do not submerge yourself in any water (shower is fine). Do not pick at your tattoo. Do not expose your tattoo to the sun for long periods of time. Do not tan. Do not let people touch your tattoo.

If you have an issue healing, contact me immediately so I can quickly help guide you.

I do touch ups for free, I just ask that you contact me within 6 months. 

Once your tattoo heals, I’d love to see any photos you take! It helps me learn from my process and grown as an artist. Feel free to email them to me at rachelcooktattoos@gmail.com.

Thank you again for trusting me with your tattoo projects!