4 Natural Oils To Moisturize Tattoos vs Inked Ritual

"Tattoos are only as healthy as the skin they are on"

It's important to start a daily skincare ritual to protect your tattooed skin if you want to keep your ink looking unfaded. Why? Because your ink doesn't fade, but your skin does... during the aging process. 

Your skin the largest organ in the body and it needs extra attention to remain health and youthful. Most people ignore their tattooed skin, except for taking their daily bath or shower. But your tattoos need more than just staying clean. Your tattooed skin needs to stay hydrated and moisturized if you want your tattoos to always look their best.

When it comes to daily skincare and tattoo aftercare products, you have many options. And the one we will discuss today is 4 natural oils, that can help naturally keep your skin moisturized. 

Now before I start, I would like to mention that when developing Inked Ritual's Tattoo Care Serum, all oils were excluded from the formula. And for good reason. Yes, natural oils offer great benefits for your tattooed skin, but Inked Ritual is very different in how it works on your tattoos and what it does for the longevity of how your tattoos will look. I will go into more detail at the end of this blog.

So here are 4 popular natural oils that you can use daily to keep your tattooed skin moisturized. Choosing a natural oil will be personal preference, where weighing out the pros and cons may help.

1. Vitamin E Oils

Pros: 

• Vitamin E Oil can help moisturize and soften your skin, while possibly diminishing the appearance of scars. 
• Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that can help repair UV damaged skin, and protect skin from free radical damage.

Cons:

• Vitamin E has the potential to clog skin pores if it is over-applied, especially for people with naturally oily skin. Look for "non-comedogenic" (will not clog pores) on the label.
• A study on Vitamin E found that putting on too much Vitamin E oil may worsen the appearance of scars, or have no positive effect at all. A third of the participants in the study developed a skin rash. Even though this is rare, make sure to test it on a small area before you use it on your tattoo.
• Some Vitamin E products may stain/discolor clothing.
• Always read the label to check for added active or inactive ingredients added to the Vitamin E Oil, as these can damage new tattoos. Always look for 100% Pure Vitamin E Oil, with no additives. 

2. Grapeseed Oil

Pros:

• Grapeseed oil is a natural by-product of pressing grape seeds during the wine making process.
• This oil is known for its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-oxidant properties.
• It is an excellent skin moisturizer that can improve your skin’s elasticity and softness while helping your tattoo heal.
• Grapeseed oil works well and naturally with Vitamin E and Vitamin C to efficiently and effectively help preserve your skin.
• Grapeseed oil is high in omega-6 fatty acids and polyunsaturated fats.
• The powerful antioxidants in Grapeseed Oil may also help protect your skin from absorbing damaging UV rays.

Cons:

• Grapeseed oil can slow down blood clotting, thus leading to prolonged bleeding in cuts and bruises, which may negatively affect tattoo healing.
• Even though it is rare, Grapeseed oil can cause allergic side effects like rashes and itching.
• If your skin becomes, red, itchy, or inflamed after usage, you may have had an adverse reaction. Discontinue use.

3. Coconut Oil

Pros:

• Coconut oil is a natural fat extracted from the flesh of the coconuts.
• Coconut oil is loaded with fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins which is great for skin health.
• Choose Virgin Coconut Oil over Refined Coconut oil if you are using it on your skin.
• It can help prevent moisture loss, skin dryness, and treat eczema.
• Coconut oil can protect your skin from microbial infections, bacteria, and acne.
• Coconut oil has the potential to be anti-inflammatory. 

Cons:

• Coconut oil highly comedogenic and could potentially clog pores, breakouts, and blackheads.
• Coconut oil does not have any humectant properties which means it repels water (this reduces the skin's ability to remain hydrated). Coconut oil will lock in moisture, but can also suffocate your skin.
• Coconut oil does not absorb well and can leave a sticky or oily layer on your skin.
• If you like the scent of coconuts, great! If not, you may want to think twice before slathering this onto your skin.  

4. Tea Tree Oil

Pros:

• Tea Tree oil is antibacterial, antiseptic, antiviral, antimicrobial, and can cure wounds.
• Its powerful antiseptic properties are an excellent and well-known option for acne-prone skin.
• Tea Tree oil can treat dry skin. Regular use may keep your skin moisturized, supple, and soft.

Cons:

• Tea Tree Oil should be diluted with a carrier oil such as coconut oil, almond oil or olive oil.
• Use Tea Tree oil with caution as it may cause irritation and swelling for some people.
• Tea Tree oil can potentially throw off your skin’s PH balance and negatively affect the skins moisture barrier, leaving your tattoos looking dull and faded. 
• Tea Tree oil can cause allergic skin rash and dryness. Don’t use it if your skin is dry, flaking, scaly, or irritated.
• The risk of skin irritation is higher if the oil is applied to dry or broken skin. Always do a patch test.

Those are just four natural oils that you can use to keep your skin moisturized. There are many more oils such as:

• Argan Oil
• Rosehip Seed Oil
• Jojoba Oil
• Almond Oil
• Sunflower Seed Oil
• Olive Oil
• Sea Buckthorn Oil
• Pomegranate Seed Oil 

During the research and development stages of Inked Ritual's Anti-Fade Serum, we tested an extensive amount of natural ingredients, including the above oils. But not all ingredients tested, met the benchmarks required for our anti-fading tattoo serum formula. 

We did not include any oils in Inked Ritual Tattoo Care for several reasons:     

1. Oils molecule size is too large to deeply penetrating into the skin. 
2. Oils cannot effectively transport active ingredients into the skin.
3. Oils are comedogenic, can clog pores, and cause irritation.    
4. Oils can leave the skin sticky, greasy, and uncomfortable.    
5. Oils can have an overpowering fragrance.     

So just a recap, that the above four natural oils are great to moisturize your skin's epidermis (outer surface). However, they offer limited benefits when it comes to anti-aging and skin rejuvenation for your tattoos. This is where Inked Ritual outshines, by including all of the bio-active natural ingredients that nourish your skin below the epidermis to keep your tattoos bold and vibrant. 

TIP: If you want to take your skincare ritual up a notch for those tattoos, you can use the above oils in combination with Inked Ritual Tattoo Serum, in a layering fashion. Simply apply Inked Ritual first, and after it's dried, apply your choice of oil or moisturizer over top. This product layering is not necessary but it will lock in Inked Ritual's active ingredients.  
 
Do you know what is in INKED RITUAL's Tattoo Care  and why it out performs any other tattoo skincare product for your tattoos? Learn more: INKED RITUAL's Bio-Active Tattoo Aftercare Ingredients

RECOVER + ENHANCE + RESTORE + PROTECT

INKED RITUAL