Okay, l have many tattoos..
and i've tried only a few things..
first, l used Bagbalm.. it smelled funny but worked well
l only stopped using it because l can not find it anywhere.
I've been using A + D ointment that also works well but i've had lots of ppl tell me NOT to use it.. and lots say DO use it..
another thing is Aquaphor l l heard its great and l tried it..
but l think l had a reaction to it.. cause dang, it burned..
or is that how it works?
I am sticking to A + D because It works great for me and all my tattoos have healed well.. unless theres something better..

l also use soap & water every hour to clean it then use H2Ocean foam for tattoos! It works great to keep it clean & moisturized. Another thing l use often is Vaseline Advanced Healing lotion after l wash it every hour. A good way to make it heal faster & the color look better is to wash it at night, dont put anything on it (ointment, lotion ect) & wrap it in saran wrap & tape it. Not too tight. Then in the morning it will look gross & it may smell, but it works great! Then just wash it & lotion it in the morning. l would do this ever night for the first three or four nights. Then just leave it alone (still washign & applying lotion) until its fully healed.

Aftercare has evolved. It used to be Vaseline, then it was A & D, then Neosporin, then Tattoo Goo, & now Lubriderm (and others like each of these).
The current thought from my understanding is: No petroleum products - harbor germs & bacteria, no healing properties, & smothers tattoo.
No Lanolin, Neosporin, Bacetrin, etc., because of Allergic reactions that cause little 'pimple like' bumps that pull out the color, A & D & other ointments r o.k. but should be stopped after the 3rd day because they can smother the tattoo that needs to breathe & is hard to clean off sufficiently - also no healing properties, & some allergic reactions have occurred. Lubriderm, Curel, & lotions like these, that r unscented & have no fragrances, r now recommended from start to finish, because they have no allergic reactions, clean off well, moisturize but lets the tattoo breathe, & Lubriderm & some others have healing properties too.
My artist who has been tattooing for 28 years, has gone through them all, & he only recommends Lubriderm. He has never seen any problems with it.
Note: Some use saran wrap. This should be taken off as soon as possible after getting the tattoo. It should not be used again & no bandages should be used after the 1st 2hrs. (Although l know that all of this has been used with success, this is just the current thought)
No direct streams of water, no soaking, no swimming, no sunblock until completely healed, no sun. Antibacterial soap applied by hand, no clothes, no towels, clean paper towel only, no rubbing or wiping - pat dry only. Pat dry when seeping occurs to avoid scabbing, No picking at scabs, no picking at peeling skin.
here is a link to aftercare contradictions: http://tattoo.about.com/cs/tatfaq/a/aftrcr_cntrdctn.htm

Aino Genesis: Cacoon


Heal it up like you've never seen..

A product called 'ultrabland' available from lush.com

They sell organic natural cosmetics & l used it on all three of my tattoos, they all heeled within one week. It has no nasty chemicals to irritate the skin.

IT CONTAINS HONEY, ROSE WATER AND PEANUT OIL.

You mainly use it as a cleanser on the face but it has also become popular for tattoos, nappy rash & minor skin disorders. it is like a thick emoliant.

Try it, l swaer to u its amazing & worked for me.

bepanthen ointment for nappy rash stops swelling and the redness and cuts down healing time.my uk tattoo artist told me about it.

l dont know if you can get it where you are but here in Ireland we only use Savlon. Other antiseptic creams can push some of the ink out of the tatt but Savlon dosnt. Also- speeding up the natural healing process with vitamin D cream can fade tattoos as it sometimes creates a skin covering that wouldnt occur in a natural healing process.

l strictly use Aquaphor and Eucerin lotion. i've always used them and all of my tattoos to this day are bright and have healed perfectly well.

l just saw BagBalm at Walgreens the other day! l never knew people used that for tattoos. Interesting.

l used to use A&D and fragrance-free lotion on mine. Now l use this stuff:

http://tattoojoy.com/tattoo_care/thc_tattoo_aftercare.htm

It is seriously amazing, l love it. l even used it on my piercings when l stretched my ears. l really cannot say enough good things about it.

Bepanthon was recommended to me, l have used it on my last 3 tattoos and have had no problems with itching etc, the colours have stayed bright and true, l will never use anything else.