What Antibacterial Soap is Best for Tattoos?

First, what kind of soap can you use on a new tattoo? As you’ll see, the brand doesn’t matter as much as the ingredients do.

For example, don’t use soap that contains alcohol as it will dry out the skin and slow down the healing. It also stings.

It’s also a good idea to avoid artificial fragrances and colors as you don’t need either one. They may cause allergic reactions.

After all, you’re treating a wound (1). Use mild products appropriate for cleansing damaged skin.

Important Factors for Choosing the Best Fragrance-Free and Antibacterial Soap 

There is a rule when buying the best soap for tattoo aftercare: the gentler the ingredient, the better it is for your skin. Regardless of how tough you think you are, a fresh tattoo can make your skin highly sensitive. So, here are some factors that you need to consider when buying your first soap for tattoos:

• Anti-Bacterial

Antiseptic and antibacterial properties is a must in soaps for tattoo aftercare. It helps reduce itchiness, irritations, and scarring, allowing your skin to breath while keeping the dirt from sticking to your skin and preventing infections.

• Fragrance-free

Artificial fragrances may contain camphor, alcohol, acetone, and sulfates. These are just a few chemicals that are not good for sensitive skin, especially for healing tattoos. Such synthetic fragrances can cause itchiness, dryness, and allergies. So, instead go with fragrance-free formulas or those that contain natural scents like aloe vera and lavender that contain natural oils that are good in healing your tattoos.

• No Parabens

A common preservative, parabens are mostly used in soaps and other skincare products. However, when used in tattooed skin, it is can cause itchiness and inflammations. So, it is best to stay away from soaps with parabens.

• No Petroleum Base

In order to make the soap greasy and evenly spreads on the skin, most manufacturer adds petroleum base. However, this can clog your pores and cause infections in fresh tattoos. Since the skin fails to cleanse the pores, it causes bacterial buildup.

• No sulfates

Soap means lathers and bubbles. And a soap without lather doesn’t do much cleaning. This is what most people would think. However, soaps that lathers and bubbles too much are usually formed by sulfates.
And sulfates can irritate the skin and deprive it of natural oils, causing dryness. Just imagine what it can do to your fresh tattoo.

• No Alcohol or Ethanol
  

Would you rub lemon juice on your wound? No!Then why would you even apply alcohol to tiny wounds in your skin? That would sting like thousand bees. And you surely had enough of the painful poking of ink needles.
So, ditch the soaps with alcohol or ethanol that can cause a burning sensation on your skin and further irritate your already inflamed skin.

• No Artificial Colors

You do not want to put something that you are unsure about your freshly wounded skin. Let alone, applying colorful soaps on it.Most artificial colorings come from tar, acetone, and petroleum bases. This can lighten the color of your tattoo. And surely you don’t want to get poked again to intensify your ink again.

The Best Antibacterial Soap 

1.H2Ocean Blue Green Foam Soap

Price & Where to Buy: $8.03 + up to 4% cashback @ Walmart

h2ocean blue green foam soap, 1.7 fluid ounce. reduces irritation and redness .The  foam soap was specifically created to gently wash and disinfect your new tattoo while keeping your colors safe and vibrant from day one. FDA approved blue green foam soap is enriched with soothing aloe vera and is perfect for those with sensitive skin. 

This all natural anti-microbial soap is not harsh like most other anti-bacterial soaps and it effectively stops the onset of excessive drying and scabbing. Use it as a wash while getting tattooed to prevent inflammation and throughout your entire healing process for best results.

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2.Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap

Price & Where to Buy: $15.99 + up to 4% cashback @ Walmart

Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap can be defined in two words— TEA TREE. The woodsy and medicinal tea tree oil that’s the main ingredient of this liquid soap is best for acne-prone skin. It has a formula that is vegan, biodegradable, organic and highly concentrated and potent. So, there is no reason that it is not a good choice for your tattoo as well.

It creates an emollient and rich lather than moisturize your body like never before. After all, other than tea tree oil, stuff like olive oil, hemp oil, and coconut oil are included on the list. It does not contain any detergents or synthetic preservatives that can cause more irritation to your tattoo area.

3.Dr. Woods Unscented Baby Mild Bar Soap with Organic Shea Butter

Price & Where to Buy: $3.26  @ iHerb

In direct competition with Dr. Bronner is Dr. Woods. This bar soap is based on sustainable palm oil, coconut oil, and Fair Trade shea butter. It’s triple-milled so that it lasts as long as possible without melting in the soap dish. Additionally, it has Vitamin E and rosemary to speed up the healing process of your tattoo.

Dr. Woods takes special care to ensure our 100% Natural Baby Mild Castile Soap is gentle enough for our children and anyone with sensitive skin.

4.Kirk’s Original Coco Castile Bar Soap Fragrance Free

Price & Where to Buy: $3.99 + up to 6% cashback @ Walgreens 

Traditional Castile Formula Clinically Tested Natural Hypoallergenic Skincare they are proud to provide your family with high-quality cleansing products at an exceptional value. Their products are all clinically tested under dermatologist supervision and certified hypoallergenic, non-irritating, and safe for sensitive skin. Our all-vegetable-based bar soap creates a gentle creamy lather, even in hard water, leaving skin feeling soft and healthy. 

Once your tattoo bandage is off, this is a gentle way to cleanse it and keep your skin moisturized.

5.Cuticura Original Formula Medicated Antibacterial Soap

Price & Where to Buy: $1.69 + up to 6% cashback @ Walgreens 

This soap is a favorite among people who have blemish-prone skin. But, what makes it great for tattoo aftercare is its excellent antibacterial properties. It features ingredients that are gentle and pure, making it suitable for body and face washing.

The soap also doesn’t make your skin dry after showers. It helps remove bacteria and other impurities in the skin that can cause acne or irritations on your tattooed skin. The soap also features a mild, refreshing scent and comes at an affordable price.

6.Dial Gold Deodorant Soap

Price & Where to Buy: $5.97 + up to 4% cashback @ Walmart

Now here’s a great antibacterial soap that is solid in terms of quality and form. This soap bar produces a rich and creamy lather that makes your skin feel squeaky clean and highly moisturized.

Tattooed or not, this deodorant antibacterial soap help protects your skin all day long. It washes the surface without drying your skin out. It cleans away any bacteria or germs that stick itself on your tattoo wound without irritating or making it dry.In addition, the deodorant technology of this soap helps kill any bacteria that is responsible for any bad odors. This action technology goes on for a long period of time after every wash. 

7.Tattoo Goo Deep Cleansing Soap for Tattoos & Piercings 

Price & Where to Buy: $12.06 + up to 4% cashback @ Walmart

Tattoo Goo s deep cleansing soap is formulated to provide a broad-spectrum germicidal solution while still being gentle to the skin. The soap s specially formulated cleansing agent PCMX-L cleans at a deeper level to prevent bacterial growth and infection by removing more dirt and dead skin cells. New healthy emerging layers of skin are exposed, an important step in tattoo healing and piercing aftercare. When choosing a soap you want to pick one that is not harsh to the skin. Harsh soaps can dry out the skin causing special safe harbors for bacteria and viruses to hide in making it very difficult to get a good kill on the skin. 

Traditional antimicrobial / antibacterial soaps contain quats (quaternary ammonia) compounds which carry very alkaline (high pH s) although effective at short term kills they are ineffective on persistent antimicrobial activity and they complicate good skin hygiene by systematically destroying the acid mantle

8.Hibiclens Antiseptic Skin Cleanser, Liquid Soap

Price & Where to Buy: $9.99 + up to 6% cashback @ Walgreens 

Chlorhexidine, the active ingredients in Hibiclens, is a broad spectrum antiseptic skin cleanser that is proven effective against a wide range of germs, bacteria and fungi.Trusted by healthcare professionals for 40+ years.Fast-acting - begins killing germs on contact.Safely binds to the skin, leaving a layer of protection

It's for wound & general skin cleansing,reduces bacteria that can cause disease.Hibiclens antiseptic skin cleanser is strong enough for hospital use but gentle enough for routine family hand washing.

9.Tattoo Wash by Billy Jealousy

Price & Where to Buy: $18.90 + up to 4% cashback @ Walmart

Once you’ve had your tattoo for a while, you may have noticed it doesn’t look as vivid. That’s where Billy Jealousy’s Tattoo Wash comes in. You wouldn’t want to use this on a fresh new tattoo while it’s going through the tattoo healing process. That’s because it has glycolic acid and fruit extracts that do a little exfoliation.

They get rid of the dead skin that has dimmed your ink. At the same time, oat protein and cucumber hydrate you so your tat looks fresh and bright and is one of the best tattoo soaps out there.

10.Dr Numb Topical Anesthetic Foaming Tattoo Soap

Price & Where to Buy: $22.50 @ Amazon

Dr Numb’s anesthetic tattoo soap features 4% lidocaine, a topical anesthetic that blocks nerve signals. It also has 0.24% Benzethonium chloride, a germ-killing disinfectant that sanitizes the skin. Together, they keep your tattoo ultra-clean and pain-free. You won’t be bothered by stinging or itching.

Moreover, you can wash with this before you get a new tattoo. For even better prep before inking, follow up with Dr Numb’s cream.

11.Neutrogena Transparent Soap Bar

Price & Where to Buy: $6.29 + up to 6% cashback @ Walgreens 

Another popular beauty brand, Neutrogena offers a premium transparent soap bar for your skincare routine. It is fragrance-free, organic and antibacterial, making it suitable for tattoo aftercare and won’t irritate even the most sensitive skin.

In addition, the transparent bar soap does not also clog your pores or any harmful ingredients or chemicals that can cause your tattoo discoloration or fading. The soap features a hypoallergenic formula that is completely gentle on the skin.

12.Dove Beauty Bar

Price & Where to Buy: $8.97 + up to 4% cashback @ Walmart

The Dove Beauty Bar is a hypoallergenic formula specifically designed for sensitive skin. This moisturizing and microbiome-gentle formula is infused with glycerin, palm kernel oil, and essential fatty acids that cleanse the skin. The palm kernel oil is an excellent humectant that works together with glycerin to soften and lubricate the skin. It heals dry, itchy skin and nourishes it deeply. 

The dermatologically-tested and ultra-moisturizing formula effectively washes away bacteria and cleanses and nourishes sensitive skin. The 100% gentle cleanser creates a rich, creamy lather and provides a protective layer to the skin and replenishes and revitalizes it.

13.Provon Medicated Lotion Soap

Price & Where to Buy: $18.40 + up to 4% cashback @ Walmart

This is a mild liquid antibacterial soap recommended by the Association of Professional Piercers. The Provon Medicated Lotion Soap is effective for tattoo cleaning and can be used once or twice daily. Its signature active ingredient is 0.3% chloroxylenol. It is an antiseptic and disinfectant that heals the itching, infection, and redness that come with tattoo piercing. This liquid cleanser also contains coconut oil, corn oil, and essential fatty acids. These offer a protective layer to the skin and seal moisture to prevent skin dryness. 

The soap is enhanced with natural skin conditioners like aloe vera and vitamin E. This fragrance-free thick cleanser does not contain any harsh chemicals. Ensure you dilute the soap before applying it to the tattoos.

14.Blue Soap Cleansing And Soothing Solution

Price & Where to Buy: $3.99 @ Amazon

The Blue Soap Cleansing And Soothing Solution cleanses and soothes skin after the inking process. The mild alcohol gently cleans the skin surface and disrupts the bacterial cell wall through its germicidal action. It also has camphor that relieves pain, irritation, and inflammation.

Blue Soap Use: Cleaning & Soothing Solution during the tattoo procedure. The solution does not just clean the skin, but it also soothes the skin. Ingredient: Water, Ethanol, Sodium, Lauryl Ether Sulfate, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, C12-15 Pareth-3, Polyethyl Glycl, Cocamidopropyl Bentaine, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, Camphor, Menthol, FD&C BLUE 1.

15. Cetaphil Deep Cleansing Bar

Price & Where to Buy: $6.29 + up to 6% cashback @ Walgreens 

Cetaphil has been a popular brand of hypoallergenic and gentle products. And although this Deep-Cleansing Bar is not specifically formulated for tattoo wounds, its ingredients are gentle and totally safe for your tattooed body.This Cetaphil soap is formulated to eliminate all possible allergens from the skin. It is also suitable for those with dry or extra sensitive skin, making it suitable to use on your body and face.

What makes it suitable for tattoo is its ability to deal with skin irritations and inflammation in a gentle way. IT does not have any harsh cleansing agents that can aggravate your fresh tattoo wounds. It purifies the skin without any side effects. Instead, this soap smoothens and hydrates the surface.

How To Use A Tattoo Soap ?

1. Apply lukewarm water on the tattooed area using clean hands.

2. Gently rub a generous amount of the soap over the tattoo. Concentrate on any built-up areas or areas with dried-up ink or blood.

3. After cleaning, wash away any excess soap with lukewarm water.

4. Dry the tattoo out by tapping with a paper towel. Do not scrub it.

5. Apply a moisturizer to prevent any skin irritation or further dryness.

6. Wash your tattoo 2-3 times a day for about 2-3 weeks.

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Why should you Use Antibacterial Soap for Cleaning your Tattoo

Keeping your tattoo cleaned speeds up the healing process. Depending on the size of your tattoo, it might take a few weeks to a few months before it completely heals. Since a tattoo is nothing but an open wound, during the healing period, it can be exposed to infection. That’s why it is very important to clean it using an antibacterial soap.

How do you wash a new tattoo?

1. At a minimum, you need to wash the tattoo in the morning and at night. If it gets sweaty or dirty, clean it as soon as possible afterward.

2. Showers are okay as long as you don’t soak the tattoo in water.

3. Use only your hands and don’t scrub or scratch. If you use a loofah, for example, you might transfer bacteria.

4. After you rinse, pat the skin dry with a disposable paper towel. Reusing cloth towels might spread microbes that cause infection.

5. During the first day or two, the tattoo will leak liquid. There might be a little blood or little ink. This oozing is normal.

6. On the third or fourth day, it may begin to flake. Don’t pick it. Use fragrance-free lotion to soothe the itching. Hold off on the sunscreen until the tattoo completely heals.

7. It’ll probably take at least two weeks, possibly three, to heal. Hang in there, keep washing, and you’ll be able to get back to normal life soon enough.

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