If you have a tattoo (or ten – they are a bit addicting) you know the importance of having a good aftercare lotion. With my first tattoo, I got a handful of samples of whatever the studio sold, and it was enough to last me through those first two weeks. I wish I could remember what it was, because it was fantastic. My second tattoo, I wasn’t very prepared, and had only Lush Hand Cream to get me through. I’ve never been a fan of A&D ointment that everyone recommends, and there doesn’t really seem to be much in the way of product, which is odd, considering how many people get tattoos these days.

So when I heard about After Inked, I was curious. Here is some information from the company:

Bob Norburn along with Andrea and Bill Gerber, developed After InkedTM, a patented skincare treatment that naturally and safely protects a tattoo and significantly reduces healing time. Their revolutionary new formula is creating a lot of “buzz” in the tattoo community and it’s making the decision “to ink or not to ink” much easier for many people.

“More and more mainstream people are choosing to wear an outward symbol of their innermost individuality on their body”, said Briana Brumer, who joined the After InkedTM team as a partner. She’s witnessed amazing results with After InkedTM firsthand. “It’s a product that supports in the healing and also restores the original look of an existing tattoo in seconds”, She added. Briana can truthfully attest that there’s nothing like it on the market today.

If performed by an unskilled tattooist or cared for improperly, a tattoo can become a badge of embarrassment forever. So before the needle touches your skin, it’s very important to get educated about the products available to help take care of your life illustration.

Before developing After InkedTM, the Gerbers did a lot of research of their own and they discovered that many aftercare products in the market that do claim to be ‘all natural’ and beneficial are neither. “That’s when we decided we were going to offer a premium quality product that is safe and effective”, Bill said.

To further prove their commitment to using only the safest and most effective ingredients, the couple signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics which requires them to practice transparency and fully disclose all of the ingredients in After InkedTM. “We don’t claim to be all natural but we are proud to be 98% natural using only high quality safe ingredients”, Andrea said.

Andrea explained why they deliberately chose to use synthetic beeswax rather than animal-derived beeswax in After InkedTM. “There are many vegans in the tattoo industry and we wanted to produce the best possible product and respect the lifestyle of our customers. We also joined PETA—People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, as we do not test on animals”, She said.

Here are some of the key benefits to the product:

• Natural / No harmful chemicals
• Paraben Free / Fragrance Free
• Non-petroleum based
• No animal-derived ingredients (Vegan)
• Provides excellent skin hydration to minimize scabbing
• Will not stick to your clothes
• Safe on all skin types / Doesn’t clog pores
• Airless system dispenser to prevent contamination
• Recyclable packaging

I’ll be picking up a bottle of this before my next appointment at Sacred Tattoo.

The photo above is actually one of my tattoos in an undisclosed location