Whether you like it or lump it, we all know we should be wearing sunscreen when we're outside soaking up the sun's rays. However, illustrated babes may want to discover the best sunscreen for tattoos, in order to protect their ink. There are so many different types of sunscreen that the lotion landscape has become a little difficult to navigate. There's also a myriad of jargon to attempt to interpret, not to mention trying to decipher which SPF to use. Therefore, it's imperative that tattooed folks know which sunscreen is best to protect their skin and their ink, because nobody wants a faded tattoo that's aged prematurely.
It's easy to become lax when it comes to sunscreen – especially if you're by the pool on vacay, with a mojito in hand, and you've left your sunscreen in your hotel room – but you should know that wearing sunscreen on tattoos is vital to help keep your tattoos looking rad. Fellow Bustler Lindsey Rose Black spoke to Matthew Marcus, the owner of Three Kings Tattoo, who explained why sunscreen is needed on tattoos, "Tattoo inks are not lightfast, meaning they fade, UV rays break down the chemical structure of the pigments and degrade them. Like leaving a picture in the sun, a painting by the window or any other object that has been left in the sunlight over time, it fades out and eventually is destroyed." So what kind of sunscreen do the experts recommend?
Josh Egnew of Electric Anvil Tattoo says, "High SPF and waterproof is the best." So look out for these attributes when you're picking out your next sunscreen. Egnew also has some advice for newly inked folks, "Don’t apply sunscreen to a healing tattoo however, simply cover your tattoos during those first couple weeks while it is healing." This is great to keep in mind if you're getting your first tattoo this summer.
Adal Ray of Majestic Tattoo NYC tells me, "It's a matter of preference and I generally don't endorse any brands. But there are some tattoo-specific brands that have recently come about that offer high-SPF sunblock." So keep your peepers peeled for any tattoo-specific sunscreen brands out there, as they've obviously been designed with ink in mind.
"Any sunscreen will work for a fully healed tattoo as long as you have a high SPF and obsessively reapply." Says Jon Jon of Triple Diamond Tattoo. However, if the folks at Triple Diamond Tattoo had to pick a brand, Jon Jon tells me, "We like high SPF children sunscreen like Banana Boat – it’s thick and a bit of a pain to rub in but it will work reliably, is water proof, and gives great coverage."
Banana Boat Kids SPF 50, $9, Amazon
So now you know what to look out for, you can get out there and enjoy summer without worrying about your ink!
Images: Andi_Graf, chezbeate, biancamentil, kaboompics/Pixabay
