Tattoo Aftercare Guide: The Best Oil for Tattoos and How to Heal Well

By Ana Robinson, founder of Kiwi Glow. Last updated November 2026.

The best oil for tattoos is a pure, unrefined, cold-pressed plant oil with a short ingredient list you can read, no petroleum and no water, in a pump so your fingers never touch what's inside. Use a thin layer on clean skin, a few times a day while it heals and daily once it's healed. I make one, Kavai Tattoo Oil, so you know where I stand.

What is the best oil for tattoos?

Look for four things on the label:

• Cold-pressed and unrefined. Refined oils are often extracted with heat or solvents like hexane. Cold-pressed oil is pressed without them (more in cold-pressed sesame oil for skin).
• A short ingredient list. If you can't read it, you can't know what's going on your healing skin.
• No petroleum, no water and no hidden fragrance blends. An oil with no water in it needs no synthetic preservatives.
• A pump instead of a jar. Fingers in a tub put whatever is on your hands into the product.

Oil, balm and lotion can all moisturize a tattoo. A balm leaves a thick layer on top, a lotion is mostly water, and an oil is the lightest of the three. See tattoo balm vs lotion vs oil, tattoo balm vs tattoo oil and what is tattoo oil?

Why I use sesame oil

Kavai has three ingredients: organic cold-pressed sesame oil, vetiver essential oil for an earthy scent, and a small amount of steam-distilled citrus oil. I cure the sesame oil myself with low heat and gentle movement to take out moisture, and I blend every batch by hand in Asheville, North Carolina. 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. Kavai doesn't clog pores. That's what I've seen in over 20 years of blending, and what my reviews say.

More in sesame oil for tattoo healing, Kavai tattoo oil ingredients and can tattoo oil clog pores?

How to use Kavai

For a new tattoo, wash with mild unscented soap and warm water, pat dry, then apply 1 to 2 pumps, 3 to 4 times a day while it heals, or whenever the skin feels tight. Once it's healed, use 1 to 2 pumps on dry skin or after a shower, daily or as needed. The full routine is in Kavai tattoo oil: a simple daily routine.

Kavai comes in an airless pump, so your fingers never go into the bottle. The oil stays clean every time you use it, with no mess and no spills.

What tattoo artists see

Elle Wright, a tattoo artist at Empowered Tattoo in Asheville, has used Kavai as the only aftercare for her clients for over three years. She tells me her clients see less peeling, minimal itching and faster color settling than clients using conventional balms. Sam at Empowered Tattoo used a well-known tattoo butter before switching. He prefers Kavai for the pump hygiene, the ingredients he can read and the service.

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.

Shop Kavai Tattoo Oil ($45, free US shipping)

Your first weeks: the routine and the timeline

Most tattoos look healed on the surface in about 2 to 4 weeks, but the skin underneath keeps settling for months. The first week is the most important. Follow your artist's instructions for the first bandage, then wash, pat dry and moisturize.

• How do I take care of my new tattoo? A step-by-step routine
• How long does a tattoo take to heal?
• Tattoo healing day by day, week by week
• What to do after removing Saniderm
• Working out after a tattoo: how long to wait
• How to sleep with a new tattoo
• Why your healing tattoo looks cloudy or milky

Healing times from Healthline (medically reviewed by Carissa Stephens, RN) and Medical News Today (medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, PhD, RN).

Can you shower with a new tattoo?

Yes. Showering is fine and keeps the tattoo clean. Healthline's advice, reviewed by Debra Sullivan, PhD, RN:

• Wait until your artist says the first bandage can come off. With a waterproof bandage like Saniderm, you can shower with it on.
• Keep showers short, and don't aim strong spray straight at the tattoo.
• Wash gently with clean hands and a mild unscented soap. Skip loofahs, sponges and washcloths.
• Pat dry with a clean towel or paper towel. Don't rub.
• Don't soak it. No baths, hot tubs, pools or ocean until your artist says it's healed.

Keeping a new tattoo wet for too long can make it bubble, so dry it well after every shower, then apply your oil.

Source: Healthline, Showering with a New Tattoo. For swimming, see swimming after a tattoo.

Can you dry heal a tattoo?

Dry healing means keeping the tattoo clean but putting nothing on it. Some people choose it to avoid ingredients that irritate their skin. Healthline lists the downsides: the skin can itch, burn, tighten and crack, and bigger dry areas can scab deeply, which can affect how the tattoo looks once healed. Healthline says both approaches have pros and cons, and that a natural oil is one way to moisturize without the ingredients people worry about.

Source: Healthline, Can I Dry-Heal a Tattoo? (medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, PhD, RN). More in tattoo balm vs lotion vs oil.

What does normal tattoo scabbing look like?

Peeling usually starts around day 3 to 5 and carries on to the end of week two. Normal scabbing is light, thin and flat, mostly over the heavily worked parts of the tattoo, and it falls away with the peeling. Thick, raised scabs over large areas are not the usual pattern. Starbrite Colors, a tattoo ink maker, says these often form when the tattoo dries out in the first week, and they can pull ink out when they come off.

• Don't pick, peel or scratch. Picking pulls ink and leaves patchy spots.
• Don't soak scabs to loosen them. Let them fall off on their own.
• If it itches, tap the area or apply a little oil instead of scratching.

Source: Starbrite Colors, Tattoo Peeling, Scabbing and Itching. More in tattoo flaking: what's normal.

How to make a tattoo look luminous

Lots of people search for how to make a tattoo shine. Once it's healed, the answer is moisture and sun protection. Dry skin makes ink look dull, gray or ashy even when the color is still there. Moisturized skin lets the color look clear and luminous again. Moisturize daily or as needed, and use sunscreen when it's in the sun.

• How to make a tattoo look brighter: fix dull, ashy ink
• Natural tattoo aftercare: why oil keeps your ink vibrant
• Sesame oil for old tattoos
• 5 things that fade your tattoo
• Tattoo oil benefits after your tattoo heals
• Tattoo sun protection
• Sesame oil and sun protection for tattoos: what it can and can't do

Aftercare for special cases

The routine is the same everywhere, but some tattoos need a little extra thought.

• Fine line tattoo aftercare
• Color tattoo aftercare
• Tattoo aftercare by body location: hands, feet, ribs and more
• Tattoo aftercare by skin type
• Tattoo touch-up aftercare

Choosing aftercare and ignoring bad advice

Tattoo aftercare advice often disagrees, and labels can be hard to read.

• Conflicting tattoo aftercare advice: what's true and what to ignore
• Why most tattoo aftercare products fail
• The best tattoo aftercare: boutique vs big-brand products

When to see a doctor

Some redness, swelling and tenderness in the first few days is normal. Kiwi Glow can't give medical advice, so if something feels wrong, see a doctor. Medical News Today says anyone with signs of infection, such as fever, chills, swelling that keeps growing or pain that gets worse, should contact a healthcare professional. Healthline says to see a doctor for signs of an ink allergy that are serious or don't go away, and to get emergency care for swelling around the eyes or trouble breathing.

Sources: Medical News Today, Tattoo infection (medically reviewed by Meera Patel, PA-C); Healthline, How to Identify and Treat a Tattoo Allergy (medically reviewed by Marc Meth, MD).

Tattoo aftercare FAQ

Is body oil good for tattoos?

Yes, a pure plant body oil works well on healed tattoos to keep the skin moisturized and the ink looking luminous. Our Verde Body Oil has organic cold-pressed sesame oil, cardamom essential oil and a small amount of steam-distilled citrus oil. For a new tattoo, use an oil made for healing skin, like Kavai, with a short, readable ingredient list.

How often should I put oil on a new tattoo?

1 to 2 pumps of Kavai, 3 to 4 times a day while it heals, or whenever the skin feels tight. Once it's healed, daily or as needed.

Can I put oil on a scabbing tattoo?

Yes. A thin layer keeps the skin from drying out and cracking. Don't use it to soak or soften scabs, and let them fall off on their own.

Do healed tattoos need aftercare?

Healed tattoos don't need special washing. Moisture keeps the skin smooth and the color clear, and sun protection helps stop fading.

Is oil better than lotion for a tattoo?

Both moisturize. Lotion is mostly water and needs preservatives. A pure oil has no water, so it needs none, and a little goes a long way.

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