Aftercare

The aftercare products listed on this page are used by the staff at Artifex to heal their own tattoos and body piercings.
We strongly urge you to use them for yourself, because they have proven to be safe, effective, and gentle. Getting a new tattoo or piercing is the easy part. Taking care of it so that it heals well is much more difficult, but using these products makes the job easier.

     Merry Hempsters Tattoo Balm is an animal and environmentally friendly aftercare option. The balm comes in a stick form, like lip balm, so it iis easy to apply.  Its main ingeredient is organic hemp seed oil which is highly moisturizing and easily absorbed into the skin. Hemp seed oil is rich in essential fatty acids ,which condition skin, making it perfect for soothing the dry skin associated with healing tattoo work. Hemp grows very rapidly and is thus an easily renewable natural resource. A light coat of the balm two to three times daily is all you need. You can purchase a tube for $5.00 at the studio.

      Merry Hemptsters Unscented Hemp Lotion is also animal and environmentally friendly. The lotion's active ingredient is hemp seed oil, the benefits of which are listed above. It comes in 2  oz. bottles which are small enough to easily fit in a purse, or even in your pocket. The purchase price is $5.00.

     Provon Antimicrobial Soap works effectively against bacteria, viruses, and fungi. It is gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin and is great for general hand washing too. It's active ingredient, chloroxylenol, keeps working on the surface of your skin for up to 4 hours after use.  Provon is good for both piercing and tattoo aftercare. It costs $5.00 for a four ounce bottle of Provon Anti-Microbial Soap at the studio. 

     Pure Refined Sea Salt, when mixed with distilled water and used to soak your piercing, is instrumental to the healing of your new piercing. Warm sea salt water soaks help to draw out fluids and other matter inside of your piercing through a process called "reverse osmosis." Doing sea salt soaks will soothe your piercing, increase circulation around your piercing, speed up the healing process and reduce "crusties" on your jewelry and around the piercing.  Each client gets a free bag of sea salt when they get pierced. Additional bags of sea salt are $1.00 at the studio. 

     Inkfixx is an all-natural healing ointment formulated specifically for the healing of tattoos. It contains no petroleum, no perfumes, and no dyes. It is very gentle and appropriate for use on fresh tattoos. Because Inkfixx does not contain petroleum, it allows your skin to breathe and does not clog pores. Inkfixx is also available in lotion form. Inkfixx lotion is a great product to use on tattoos that are in the peeling phase of the healing process. It is also a good way to moisturize healed tattoos if they look or feel dry. It is a lightweight water based lotion that absorbs easily into the skin without leaving behind a greasy residue. Both the ointment and lotion are available for purchase for $5.00 at the studio.