Mad Rabbit Tattoo Balm & Aftercare Cream- Color Enhancement that Revives Old Tattoos, Hydrates New Tattoos, Made With Clean Ingredients + Petroleum Free, Daily Tattoo Lotion Moisturizer & Brightener

I started getting tattoos a couple years ago, and initially was unsure what to use. First tattoo artist just said use Aquaphor, and that worked alright, but nobody gave any advice on longer term care other than to “stay out of the sun”. I live in a sun-drenched area so that isn’t exactly ideal - or even possible - and I don’t like long sleeves in warm weather. And besides, I don’t know too many people that get a tat and then want to keep it hidden most of the time (there are exceptions, of course).So, I did a lot of reading and searching. The one product that kept coming up and seemed universally respected by dermatologists, artists, and tattoo magazines alike was Mad Rabbit’s tattoo balm. So, I gave it a try and ordered one each of the two scents. I didn’t care for the lavender/frankincense, but the vanilla coconut was perfect. Not feminine (more neutral - this would smell good on anyone), and not strong, so you don’t feel like you’re rubbing perfume or cologne onto yourself.What about moisturizing? I’ve never had dry/patchy skin in the areas that I use this, and I don’t even apply it every day. It does come out of the tin a little thick but even their directions indicate you should warm/melt it a bit between your fingers before applying. If you do this, it goes on easier/smoother, but I’ve also just smeared a bit across where I want it and waned it with my hand a little before massaging it in, and that works, too. My skin likes this stuff and I have had zero allergic reactions to it.So, does it make the tats pop/brighten them? Well, my tats are all < 3 years old, so I can’t give a full review on this point, but I will say that all of my tattoos die pop just a little bit more when using this. The phoenix (red/orange/yellow tones) on my arm looks great, and it’s about a year old, but it is even more vibrant when I apply this. When I put this on my visible tats, people have noticed and commented. My oldest black tat, that doesn’t get much sun, looks bolder as well. So, I’m going to say if I were to bet on it, I would bet confidently that this will do the same but more for my tats as they age, get exposed to sun, etc.I see some people here trying to use this for fresh ink. I would say hold off on that. This is thick and you will have to put strain on freshly inked skin to rub this in, and run the risk of pulling of scabs and peeling skin before your healing is complete. You don’t want to do that and run the risk of damaging/ruining your awesome new piece. There are lots of products for after care on fresh ink, but if you are sold on this company, their Repair Soothing Gel is pretty great. I used it on the last of my 3 tats - the largest one yet - and in 14 days it looked and felt like it was healed to the point it took my others 21-28 days to get to. It also soothes any itching/burning and locked in moisture but still let the skin breathe. Pretty impressive, and I will be using it on future ink for sure. If you aren’t happy with what you’re using and are looking for something else, check it out. You won’t be sorry you did.