You can, but most experts say you don't need to, especially on a new tattoo. Vaseline is 100% petroleum jelly, and advice on it is split. Unilever, which makes Vaseline, says a thin layer can help a new tattoo. A Cleveland Clinic dermatologist says to skip petroleum jelly until the tattoo has healed because it can block pores. Healthline says there's no need for Vaseline on a new tattoo and that it's mainly useful for very dry skin once the tattoo has healed. If your artist told you to use it, follow your artist. If you'd rather use something lighter, a thin layer of plant oil, like Kavai, is the other option.
What is Vaseline made of?
The Vaseline Healing Jelly Original label lists one ingredient: White Petrolatum USP (100%). Petrolatum is the official name for petroleum jelly.
One ingredient sounds simple, but petrolatum is a mix. The EU's official cosmetics ingredient database, CosIng, describes it as "a complex combination of hydrocarbons" made from dewaxing heavy, oily leftovers of petroleum refining. It works a bit like "fragrance" on a label: one word on the bottle, many different molecules inside.
What the label doesn't tell you
A label can't tell you which hydrocarbons are in a jar, or how much of each. One group gets most of the attention. Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) says mineral oil products are mixtures of thousands of hydrocarbons, and that for one group, called MOAH (mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons), a cancer-causing potential "cannot currently be ruled out in all cases". Its spot checks found big differences in MOAH from one product to the next.
The same institute also says the skin absorbs very little of these oils, if any, and that, based on what's known now, no health risks are expected from mineral oils in cosmetics put on the skin. The EU only allows petrolatum in cosmetics when its full refining history is known and the material it's made from isn't a carcinogen (Annex II, entry 904, listed on its CosIng entry).
Unilever says Vaseline is triple-purified. I couldn't find a published MOAH figure for Vaseline, so I'm not going to guess at one. "100% petrolatum" tells you it comes from petroleum. It doesn't tell you what's in the mix. That's why I make Kavai with three plant ingredients you can read and picture.
Why many artists still use Vaseline
A lot of artists still use Vaseline, and there are fair reasons. It's cheap, it's in every pharmacy, it doesn't contain fragrance, and everyone knows it. It also does what it says: it seals moisture in. Vaseline's own tattoo guide suggests a thin layer once the bandage comes off, 3 to 5 times a day for the first month.
Keeping a healing tattoo lightly moist is a good idea. Wound research going back to a 1962 study in Nature found that shallow wounds kept moist healed faster than wounds left to scab in the air. So moisturizing is good. The choice is how heavy a product to use.
Vaseline on a new tattoo
Cleveland Clinic dermatologist Shilpi Khetarpal, MD, lists petroleum jelly among the things to avoid until a tattoo has healed. She says it can block pores, which can lead to too much bacteria and more inflammation while the skin heals. Healthline (medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, PhD, RN) says there's generally no need for Vaseline on a new tattoo.
If you use it anyway, keep the layer thin. A thick, heavy layer sits on top of the skin, and too much of any product can leave a healing tattoo soggy. See waterlogged tattoo for what that looks like.
Whatever you use, wash new ink gently with mild unscented soap and warm water and pat it dry before each layer. With Kavai, that's 1 to 2 pumps, 3 to 4 times a day while it heals, or whenever the skin feels tight.
Vaseline on a healed tattoo
Once a tattoo has fully healed, it's just skin. Healthline says Vaseline can be used on a healed tattoo for very dry skin.
For daily care, I prefer an oil that soaks in instead of sitting on top. Kavai goes on dry skin or after a shower, once a day or as needed.
Is Aquaphor better than Vaseline for tattoos?
Aquaphor is the other drugstore classic, and plenty of tattoos heal fine with it. According to its FDA label, Aquaphor Healing Ointment is 41% petrolatum, plus mineral oil, ceresin, lanolin alcohol, panthenol, glycerin and bisabolol. So it has less petrolatum than Vaseline, but its first two ingredients, petrolatum and mineral oil, both come from petroleum. Lanolin comes from sheep's wool, so Aquaphor isn't vegan.
Cleveland Clinic's advice on petroleum jelly applies to Aquaphor too, since petrolatum is its active ingredient. For a side-by-side look at the main product types, see tattoo balm vs lotion vs oil.
A plant oil option: Kavai
I made Kavai for people who want something lighter with ingredients they can read. It has three: organic cold-pressed sesame oil, vetiver essential oil and a small amount of steam-distilled citrus oil. No petroleum, no water and no preservatives. It absorbs fast and isn't greasy.
Kavai doesn't clog pores. That's what I've seen in over 20 years of blending, and what my reviews say, including from customers with acne-prone skin. A 2018 review in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (Lin et al.) describes sesame oil's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and a possible effect on skin barrier repair.
Elle Wright, a tattoo artist at Empowered Tattoo in Asheville, NC, has used Kavai as the only aftercare for every client she tattoos for over three years.
Kavai is vegan, and Kiwi Glow is Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free.
It comes in an airless pump. Air and fingers never touch the oil inside, so it stays fresh and clean from the first pump to the last, and every press gives the same small amount. No dipping into tubs and jars.
Sesame is one of the FDA's major food allergens. If you're allergic to sesame or citrus, don't use Kavai. If you're not sure, patch test on a small area of healed skin first.
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See the full guide: Tattoo aftercare guide: the best oil for tattoos and how to heal well
Vaseline and tattoos FAQ
Can you put Vaseline on a new tattoo?
You can, and Vaseline's maker says a thin layer is fine. But a Cleveland Clinic dermatologist advises skipping petroleum jelly until the tattoo heals because it can block pores, and Healthline says there's no need for it. Follow your artist's advice.
I accidentally put Vaseline on my tattoo. What should I do?
Don't panic. Gently wash it off with mild unscented soap and warm water, pat dry, and go back to your usual aftercare. If you see spreading redness, worsening pain, pus or a fever, see a doctor.
Is Vaseline or Aquaphor better for a tattoo?
Both are petroleum-based. Vaseline is 100% petrolatum. Aquaphor is 41% petrolatum plus mineral oil and other ingredients, including lanolin. Many tattoos heal fine with either, but neither is needed. A thin, light product that soaks in works too.
Is A&D ointment the same as Vaseline?
Not exactly. Healthline describes A&D as a mix of petrolatum and lanolin, and says many artists suggest it for the first few hours. Like Vaseline, it's petroleum-based.
What can I use instead of Vaseline or Aquaphor on a tattoo?
A lighter moisturizer or a plant oil. Healthline suggests switching to a lighter moisturizer after the first couple of days. Kavai is a three-ingredient sesame oil: 1 to 2 pumps, 3 to 4 times a day while the tattoo heals.
Can I use Vaseline on a healed tattoo?
Yes. Once it has fully healed, it's ordinary skin. Healthline says Vaseline can help very dry skin on a healed tattoo.
Is petroleum jelly bad for your skin?
Germany's risk assessment institute (BfR) says no health risks are expected from mineral oils in cosmetics on the skin. Its 2015 Q&A also says a cancer-causing potential can't be ruled out in all cases for one group of compounds in them, and recommends keeping that group as low as possible. Whether you use it is your choice. I want you to know what's in the jar.