You've just spent a few hours and a fair amount of money on a piece of art that lives on your skin. Then the artist wraps it up, hands you a sheet of instructions, and says "wash it with a plain, unscented soap." Which sounds simple until you're standing in the soap aisle reading labels.
So let's sort it out. First, though, the rule that outranks everything below. Your tattoo artist's aftercare instructions come first. They know their work, their inks and your skin from the session. If their sheet says something different from what you read here, go with the sheet.
What artists usually mean by "plain soap"
When an artist asks for a plain soap, they generally mean something mild that won't leave anything behind on fresh skin. In practice that comes down to a short list of things to look for and a longer list of things to skip.
Look for a soap that is fragrance-free, without added dyes, and smooth, with nothing scratchy in it. A short ingredient list helps, mostly because it's easier to see what you're getting.
Skip anything heavily perfumed, and that includes essential oils, which are still fragrance even when they come from a plant. Skip bars with exfoliating bits like oatmeal, coffee grounds or seeds. Skip deodorant soaps and anything that promises to tingle. A minty bar is lovely on a Tuesday morning. It is not what you want on a fresh tattoo.
One label trick worth knowing. "Unscented" and "fragrance-free" aren't always the same thing. Some unscented products contain a masking fragrance to cover the smell of the base ingredients, so if your artist asked for no fragrance, fragrance-free is the phrase to look for, and the ingredient list is the place to confirm it.
So what is green soap?
If you watched closely during your session, you probably saw the artist spray your skin from a squeeze bottle and wipe it down, over and over. That's usually green soap. It isn't especially green (the name comes from a faint tint), and it's a vegetable oil soap with glycerin, sometimes with a little alcohol or coconut oil depending on the brand.
Artists dilute it with water and use it to clean and prep the skin before tattooing, and to wipe away excess ink as they work. It's a studio product. Most people don't take green soap home for aftercare, and unless your artist tells you to, there's no reason to go looking for it. A plain soap from the store does the job at home.
Bar soap or liquid?
Either can work, and artists have opinions both ways.
The case for liquid is simple. You pump it into clean hands, and nothing has been sitting in a wet dish. The case for a bar is that a good plain bar has very little in it, and lots of people prefer it. If you go with a bar, give the tattoo its own one for the next few weeks, keep it on a dish that drains so it stays dry between uses, and wash your hands before you touch either the bar or the tattoo. (Wondering whether bar soap is sanitary at all? Fair question, and the short version is that a dry bar used by one person is fine.)
The bar we make for this is our plain Castile Soap. It's 100% organic olive oil and fragrance-free, with nothing added for scent or color. I'll be honest that it isn't the only good choice, and if your artist has a brand they swear by, use theirs.
How to wash a new tattoo
Your artist will tell you when to take the wrap off and how often to wash. Once you're there, the general idea goes like this.
- Wash your hands well first.
- Rinse the tattoo with lukewarm water. Not hot.
- Work up a lather in your hands, not on the tattoo, and spread it on gently with your fingertips. No washcloths, loofahs or scrubbing.
- Rinse until no soap is left. Leftover film is the thing you're trying to avoid.
- Pat it dry with a clean paper towel and let it air out for a few minutes before you put on whatever your artist recommended.
For the full timeline, from the first wash to the flaky stage and beyond, see our guide to taking care of a new tattoo.
When something doesn't look right
Soap's job here is small. It keeps things clean, and that's all. If a tattoo is getting redder, hotter or more painful instead of less, or you see pus or run a fever, stop reading soap articles and call a doctor. Let your artist know too, because they'll want to hear about it.
After it heals
Once your artist says you're healed, usually a few weeks on, you can go back to whatever soap you like, scented and all. Plenty of people stick with a plain bar anyway, out of habit or because they've decided they like it. If you're ready for something with a bit more personality, our full soap shelf is right here.