Some people may find it strange, but applying coconut oil on tattoos is the same thing. There are many benefits of using coconut oil, not only for tattoos and general skincare but also for use in the kitchen and home. Next time you get a tattoo, use coconut oil in your daily care to see how it affects the tattoo’s healing process.
Beyond the kitchen, coconut oil has many uses. One of the most popular uses is to apply it to the skin because of its incredible moisturizing and skin protective properties.
Find out why coconut oil is suitable for all types of tattoos, tattoos that have never healed until decades ago!
What is coconut oil?
Coconut oil is a tropical oil extracted from coconut pulp. In the store, you will see virgin and refined coconut oil. The specific type you purchased will be displayed on the front label.
The processing degree of virgin coconut oil is lower than that of refined coconut oil, so it retains its sweet tropical coconut flavor. Refined coconut oil is further processed to produce a more neutral smell and taste.
Since coconut oil does not have that obvious tropical flavor, you can use refined oil as the main cooking oil in various recipes.
Coconut oil nutrition facts
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), these are the nutritional facts of 1 tablespoon of coconut oil.
- Calories: 40
- Fat: 4.5g
- Sodium: 0mg
- Carbohydrates: 0g
- Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 0g
- Protein: 0g
Why use coconut oil on tattoos?
In the post-tattoo healing phase, your skin is busy using its magic power to repair itself through thousands of tiny needles.
Coconut oil helps this process in the same way as traditional post-tattoo care products. The benefit of using coconut oil on tattoos is that it contains many inherent healing and antibacterial properties.
Coconuts have high levels of lauric acid content that helps in protecting against bacterial growth and prevents from getting infections from tattoos. It can also help in reducing inflammation.
Why is coconut oil on tattoo great for your skin
Want to know if coconut oil is suitable for new tattoos? Read on to learn about 10 reasons why coconut oil on tattoos is great for skin as well as your new tattoo.
- Excellent moisturizers
- Antioxidant properties
- Protection against infections
- Great anti-inflammatory properties
- 100% Natural product
- Coconut oil is hypo-allergenic
- Safe for sensitive skin
- Great source of vitamin E and K
- Easily accessible
- Alternative uses
Excellent moisturizers
Coconut oil is extracted from coconut pulp. The medium-chain fatty acids present in coconut oil helps in keeping the skin moisturized from drying out. Coconut oil keeps the skin moisturized, soft, supple, repairs new tattoos, and maintains the skin’s natural balance.
Coconut oil is a chemical-free moisturizer that is rich in vitamin E and healthy fatty acids. When applied to a tattoo, it retains moisture inside and prevents the skin from drying out and cracking.
Eczema or dermatitis is a skin disease, that causes patches of itchiness on your skin, inflammation, and swelling. There is no cure for this skin condition but, coconut oil is recommended for eczema to keep the symptoms under control.
Therefore, if you have eczema, you should use coconut oil to beat two birds with a stone. You will moisturize the tattoo while reducing the symptoms of eczema.
Antioxidant properties
Coconut oil is rich in vitamin E, which is a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants protect you from free radicals (also called oxidants) in your body and the environment. Our skin cells and body need oxygen to survive, but oxygen also produces oxidation in the skin, resulting in the production of free radicals.
Free radicals accelerate the aging process and may not be conducive to the production of healthy cells, which are essential in the healing process of tattoos. Free radicals react with molecules and cause inflammation. Fortunately, antioxidants are abundant in nature, and coconut oil is the source.
As an added benefit, coconut oil contains ultra-moisturizing vitamin E, which helps keep the skin soft, prevents dryness and cracking, and acts as a protective barrier. This helps prevent the formation of free radicals in the skin while providing a youthful and soft appearance.
The best way to fight free radicals is to eat foods rich in antioxidants, such as coconut and its derivatives, lest they damage your tattoo. If you happen to be allergic to coconut, don’t worry. There are also many fruits and vegetables to choose from.
Related: 7 Antioxidant-rich fruits and their health benefits
Protection against infections
Tattoo infections are not uncommon. After all, tattoos are technically a puncture wound to the skin. The larger the tattoo, the larger the wound and the greater the risk of infection. If you are not careful, your tattoo can easily get infected with bacteria.
Capric acid, caprylic acid, and lauric acid in coconut oil can be used as natural disinfectants to protect your tattoo from microbial infections. In the healing process of your tattoo, the last thing you want to find is a nasty infection! The use of coconut oil during the post-treatment of the tattoo helps to ensure protection from harmful microorganisms and bacteria.
Coconut oil also has immunity-boosting properties. Since you can’t predict exactly when you will get an infection, it’s best to be prepared and apply coconut oil to the unhealed tattoo. In addition, you can also drink one or two tablespoons of coconut oil a day to help strengthen the immune system.
Great anti-inflammatory properties
When you are getting yourself a tattoo, you are prone to inflammation. Although we do not recommend applying coconut oil on tattoos that still shed tears, you can start applying a thin layer of coconut oil (a few days after inking) to help relieve inflammation.
Since coconut oil is rich in collagen, it is also an excellent choice to help the entire wound healing process. The role of collagen is to help useful cells reach the wound site, stimulate tissue growth and help the skin heal faster.
When preparing for post-tattoo care, coconut oil can be an excellent ingredient for reducing swelling and pain, restoring skin vitality, and assisting the overall healing process.
100% Natural product
Coconut oil extraction methods may vary, but the undeniable fact is that it is 100% natural. Some of the more common methods for extracting oil from coconut pulp include cold pressing, fermentation, and centrifugation.
For tattoos, I recommend that you use virgin, extra virgin, or unrefined coconut oil to ensure the best quality (in terms of nutrition, color, and flavor).
Avoid refined, bleached, and deodorized coconut oil, as they are derived from dried copra. These are sold at very low prices in the markets, and I do not recommend you to buy them because they are more affordable than unrefined varieties.
Related: Top 10 Best organic aloe vera juice
Coconut oil is hypo-allergenic
If you have certain allergies or are sensitive to certain ingredients, some post-tattoo care products may not be suitable for you. For people with sensitive skin and skin allergies, coconut oil is an excellent natural alternative because it does not cause irritation or adverse reactions.
Virgin coconut oil is extracted by pressing coconut meat. This method produces larger fatty acid molecules, thereby reducing the allergenicity of virgin coconut oil.
Coconut oil will not clog your skin pores, because it should be non-comedogenic. Generally speaking, unrefined coconut oil is safe for all skin types.
Safe for sensitive skin
Coconut oil is safe for all skin types, including sensitive skin. You can use this oil safely, with almost no risk of adverse reactions.
However, it is always a good idea to first test on small patches. Later, we will discuss how to do a patch test.
Great source of vitamin E and K
These vitamins are powerful nutrients that help to strengthen the heart, healthy bones, and smooth skin. Vitamin E and K are fat-soluble substances. In addition to coconut oil, we can also find them in foods such as leafy vegetables, nuts, fruits, and seafood.
When we extract these vitamins, we get much richer oil-soluble nutrients than water. Applying them to our skin can restore the previously lost moisture and keep the area healthier.
Vitamin K can trigger the natural blood clotting process of wounds. This may be more effective than topical application when consumed. However, applying it directly to the skin can still promote a healthy healing process, especially when combined with vitamin E.
Easily accessible
Coconut oil is still one of the most affordable beauty products. Part of the reason is that coconuts are readily available.
Coconut trees grow more abundantly outside the tropical climate.
As a consumer, this means more affordable and reliable access to coconut products.
Alternative uses
If you think coconut oil isn’t your best choice, then its use is not just for tattoo treatment.
Coconut oil is suitable for alternative uses, such as makeup remover, body moisturizer, lip gloss, hair conditioner, face mask, homemade toothpaste, and can even relieve acne, psoriasis, eczema, and other skin diseases.
Related: 10 Best substitutes for potato starch
How to apply coconut oil on tattoo?
Coconut oil is a natural product, but that doesn’t mean you can apply a thick layer of coconut oil on your skin or tattoo. Here is the correct way to apply coconut oil to the skin.
First, wash your hands
Wash your hands before immersing in the coconut oil bottle.
You don’t want to contaminate the rest of the oil or infect your tattoo. Coconut oil has antibacterial and antibacterial properties, but it is best not to tempt fate.
After all, coconuts are organic, and if dirt gets into the jar, it can easily deteriorate.
Apply a small amount and rub gently
It removes the thick layer of coconut oil and makes it easy to apply to your skin, especially if it’s frozen.
If it is cold, melt the oil first to make it easier to use. If you accidentally ingest too much, apply over a larger area of the skin. After all, it’s a full-body moisturizer, not a tattoo moisturizer.
Repeat the procedure
Coconut oil gets absorbed into the skin after a while. If your skin feels dry, feel better and reapply.
Coconut oil is also 100% natural. If you are not allergic to this drug, normal use is fine.
Downsides of using coconut oil on the tattoo
To be honest, coconut oil is a great natural care product, and it is difficult for me to come up with a list of negative reviews about it. Unfortunately, it is not perfect, at least for some people. This is why:
People allergic to coconut oil can’t use it on tattoo
According to some research, it is not common to have coconut oil allergies. However, some people will be allergic to coconut oil and unfortunately, they may miss the opportunity to use it.
So, how do you know that you are allergic to coconut oil?
There are some symptoms linked to coconut oil allergies. These mild symptoms may include nausea, itching, hives, vomiting, and diarrhea. If you have all these symptoms while applying coconut oil on tattoo or while consuming coconut oil, you should consult your medical doctor for their advice.
Too many different varieties
Remember, not all coconut oil is processed the same way. Hot pressing, cold pressing, organic, refined, unrefined, fractionated, hydrogenated. There are so many choices!
If you want the best quality, cold-pressed virgin coconut oil is the best tattoo oil. If you use refined oil extracted from dried coconut meat, you may end up allergic to it.
How to perform coconut oil patch test?
Although it is generally safe and versatile, sensitivity to coconut oil is possible. Before applying it to a large area like a tattoo, be sure to perform a test on small patches. It helps ensure that your skin does not react negatively to the oil before using it on a large area.
To conduct a small patch test:
- apply a small amount of coconut oil to the inside of your forearm
- cover this area with a bandage
- If you do not experience any irritation or inflammation within 24 hours, it should be safe to use elsewhere
Coconut oil can be applied directly to the skin as needed and is safe. Ideally, you need to apply oil after washing your skin or apply coconut oil on a tattoo. Applying the oil to damp skin will help it absorb it more effectively.
Coconut oil products for you to try
In traditional cooking, coconut oil is used in solid form. It can be thawed at room temperature before use.
However, there is ready-to-use coconut oil on tattoo that you can try instead. Common options are:
- Nutiva organic coconut oil
- Viva Naturals Organic extra-virgin coconut oil
- Shea moisture extra-virgin coconut oil
- After inked tattoo moisturizers
My recommendation for tattoo moisturizer
After Ink Tattoo Moisturizer is a patented formula that effectively moisturizes the skin and helps retain the color of the tattoo. It is oil-free and does not stick to clothes or get dirty. Enriched with grape seed oil, this skin moisturizing lotion can also be used for permanent lips, eyebrows, and eyeliner makeup. The 90ml tube is small enough to fit in a pocket or purse but holds enough water to prevent this.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Will coconut oil fade tattoos?
Coconut oil is safe to use and you can do a skin patch test to make yourself sure about its safety. While tattoos fade over time, coconut oil will not accelerate its process. If your tattoo starts to fade, you should also consult your tattooist for suggesting better options.
Q2. Is it safe to put coconut oil on a new tattoo?
Coconut oil is safe to use on new tattoos and provides a wide range of healing and skin repair properties. The oil itself is completely natural and works with the skin to increase collagen levels, prevent bacteria and infections, and keep the skin hydrated and supple.
Q3. Does coconut oil expire?
Coconut oil will eventually expire, but it can be safely stored for up to two years. The quality is stable and there is no need to cool the oil.
Q4. What should you not put on a new tattoo?
Never use oily ointments like petroleum-based products from A+D, Bepanten, Aquaphor, Bacitracin, Neosporin.
Q5. What happens if I over-moisturize my tattoo?
Excessive moisturizing can also cause problems. Excess moisture in the tattoo can clog pores and damage the tattoo. Excessive use of moisturizing lotions can cause discharge and discomfort.
Conclusion
Coconut oil is generally safe to use, but a patch test is the only way to test before the application of coconut oil on tattoos. You should also consult your tattooist or dermatologist before use. They can give you approval or suggest a better option.
If you start to feel irritation, stop using it. If your symptoms persist, you should see a dermatologist. You should also see a doctor if you feel pain, oozing pus, or other symptoms of infection.
If you are still looking for the best natural care products, then coconut oil is your best choice. It is a 100% natural moisturizer with excellent healing properties, which are two characteristics required for healing tattoos. Let’s make the coconut oil on tattoos the next big thing in the tattoo world!
