Inked Mag Staff
June 29th, 2022
Protect Your Tattoos This Summer
Three reasons you need SPF specifically for your tattoos
Getting tattooed during the summer can make the new tattoo healing process difficult, but it’s not impossible. You might choose to get tattoos during the winter or fall so wearing long-sleeved clothing and pants protect your fresh ink from the sun, but the urge to get tattooed isn’t a seasonal affair. Once you start seeing everyone else showing off their tattoos in the warm weather, chances are you’re going to want one of your own, and you’re not going to wait until the leaves change color to get it. During summer, using tattoo sunscreen can help protect your new ink while it heals.
Luckily, for those of us who want what they want, you can protect your brand new tattoos with tattoo sunscreen. Of course, you still need to keep your tattoo out of the sun for those first two weeks, but after that sunscreen is essential.
Inked Magazine recommends: Mad Rabbit all-mineral SPF 30 Tattoo Sunscreen
Reason #1: Don’t Get Faded
When you get a tattoo, the ink goes into the second layer of your skin, known as the dermis. There are two types of sun rays: UVA rays and UVB rays. You want to look for broad spectrum protection from both to keep ink bright.
UVA rays are easily able to penetrate the second layer of the skin known as the dermis where the tattoo lives. When the tattoo is left exposed, this can cause the ink to break down. These rays can also cause discoloration in the ink, blurred lines, and washed-out colors, and it’s all avoidable by just taking a minute or two to put on some sunscreen.
UVB rays are what are responsible for sunburns. These rays just as damaging but in a more painful, lasting way. If you burn your inked skin, the fading process could happen much more quickly. Sun exposure can fade your ink in more than one way!
Reason #2: Protect Your Skin & Your Tattoos All At Once
The sun can have damaging impacts on all skin types, not just tattooed skin, so protecting your skin from sun damage should become something you do on the regular. When you have tattoos, you’re taken to the next level of protecting your skin from the sun.
UVB (burning) rays are strong enough to damage the DNA in your skin cells and cause skin cancer. Sunburns may get dismissed but they are no joke, especially when you’re tattooed. Newer tattoos are more susceptible to damage by UVB rays because the burning can happen easier on an open wound.
To get the most out of your sunscreen, you want it to be both preventative and restorative. Many sunscreens focus on preventing sunburns from occurring and damaging the skin, but not all of them work to re-hydrate and -moisturize your skin. This is one of the many reasons why Mad Rabbit’s Tattoo Sunscreen is ideal for those who both want to protect new ink and rejuvenate old ink.
Reason #3: Ingredients Matter
Not only does Mad Rabbit’s Tattoo Sunscreen protect your tattoos from sun damage, but it keeps your skin hydrated and nourished with top-quality sustainably-sourced, naturally-derived ingredients. This formula is 100% mineral-based, and it’s not toxic to the environment (unlike some other sunscreens).
A few notable ingredients that help to make Mad Rabbit 100% mineral tattoo sunscreen so good for your skin & the planet include:
- Zinc Oxide: works as a protective barrier between the sun’s UV rays and your skin.
- Aloe Vera: provides hydration and soothing relief to dry, irritated skin.
- Argan Oil: rich in antioxidants and fatty acids, moisturizes and protects your skin.
- Vitamin C: supports natural collagen production and is high in antioxidants.
- Calendula Extract: has natural soothing properties that relieve redness and irritation.
- Butyloctyl Salicylate: significantly increases SPF performance.
- Cocoa Butter: nourishes and moisturizes dry, irritated skin with moisturizing fatty acids.
While new tattoos are susceptible to sunburn damage, blistering, and infection, old tattoos often experience fading and discoloration due to a lack of proper care. Apply Mad Rabbit’s Tattoo Sunscreen to your old tattoos every time you think you will be exposed to the sun for prolonged periods of time. This can help to not only protect from further fading, but the nourishing ingredients work to restore skin, brightening your tattoos and supporting hydration so your skin looks healthy and refreshed.
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