Hannah Frye
Here’s the big misconception: Petrolatum jelly isn’t the best product to lather on a fresh tattoo. “Mineral oil or petrolatum jelly is essentially suffocating to the skin, so it won’t allow the tattoo to breathe,” Zurita says.
“You do need areas, like cuts, scars, and burns, to eventually breathe and get air so they can start the healing process,” she adds. Not only that, but these occlusive jelly products can actually pull up the ink on fine-line tattoos.
Plus, it’s not exactly environmentally friendly, which is enough of a reason to avoid its use: “Mineral oil is petrochemical derived, meaning it’s environmentally irresponsible to use mineral oil when there are vegetable and fruit oils, like coconut oil, that are more sustainable,” says clean cosmetic chemist Krupa Koestline about the ingredient.
Instead, look for lightweight, unscented lotions or products specifically formulated for this purpose, like the Mad Rabbit Soothing Gel or Mad Rabbit Unscented Tattoo Balm Stick.
Or, if you want something even simpler, look to plain botanical products like shea butter, coconut oil, or argan oil—but double-check to make sure these natural products don’t have essential oils mixed in as this could cause irritation.