Can You Put Shea Butter On Tattoos?

Shea butter can be part of tattoo aftercare as a moisturiser, once you have followed your artist's instructions and the tattoo is past the raw first stage, applied in a very thin layer. Baraka's unrefined shea butter is made by hand at the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre in Wa, Ghana.

Can you put shea butter on a new tattoo?

Yes, but not straight away, and only in a very thin layer. A new tattoo is raw skin, and your artist will give you aftercare instructions for the first stage. Follow those first. Once your artist says the tattoo is ready for a moisturiser, shea butter is a reasonable choice.

Shea butter is solid at room temperature and melts on contact with skin, so a small amount goes a long way. You do not need a thick coat. A thin film is enough to keep tattooed skin soft, and a heavy layer only leaves the skin feeling greasy.

Shea butter is a plant fat. It is not a medicine and it is not a replacement for your artist's care routine. Think of it as a moisturiser you add at the right moment.

When can I put shea butter on my tattoo?

Wait until your tattoo is past the raw first stage and your artist says a moisturiser is fine. Tattoos differ in size, placement and depth, so the timing differs too. Your artist knows your tattoo, so their advice comes before any general guide.

Your artist may give you a specific product for the first days. Keep using that until they tell you to change. If you are unsure whether your tattoo is ready, ask them. A quick message costs nothing.

Once you have the go-ahead, start with a small amount and see how your skin feels. You can apply a little more later if the skin looks dry.

Shea butter tattoo aftercare: how to use it

Use shea butter as a thin moisturising layer after your artist has cleared you to moisturise. Here is a simple way to do it:

1. Wash your hands before touching the tattoo.
2. Take a pea-sized amount of shea butter. Rub it between your fingers until it melts.
3. Press it very lightly over the tattoo. You want a thin film, not a visible layer.
4. Repeat when the skin looks dry, following your artist's guidance on how often.

Shea butter is traditionally used on dry skin, lips, hands, feet and hair, which is why many people reach for it on tattooed skin. The skin around a tattoo can become dry and flaky as it heals, and a moisturiser keeps it soft.

Keep the tub somewhere cool, away from heat and direct sun. Shea butter keeps 2+ years when stored properly, so one tub lasts well beyond the weeks of aftercare.

Is shea butter good for tattoo healing?

Shea butter is a good moisturiser for tattooed skin, but it does not heal a tattoo. Healing is the work of your skin over time, together with your artist's instructions. What shea butter does is keep the skin hydrated and soft while that happens.

That is the honest limit of what any moisturiser does. Shea butter is an emollient, meaning it softens and conditions the skin surface. It is not a treatment, and it will not speed anything up.

If your tattoo looks worse rather than better, with spreading redness, discharge or pain that keeps getting stronger, stop and see your artist, a doctor or a pharmacist. Do not try to manage it with a moisturiser.

Can I use shea butter on a fresh tattoo?

Not in the first raw stage unless your artist tells you to. A fresh tattoo needs the care routine your artist gave you. Add shea butter once the tattoo is past that stage and your artist agrees.

When you do start, check what you are putting on your skin. Baraka's shea butter is unrefined, strained and filtered only, with no refining, bleaching or deodorising. The ingredient list is one line: Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter.

Because it is unrefined, the colour ranges from ivory through cream to pale yellow and varies between batches. A mild nutty smell is normal and is not a fault. If you prefer no scent near a new tattoo, ask your artist what they suggest.

Will shea butter fade my tattoo?

No. Shea butter will not fade your tattoo. Sun exposure is what commonly fades tattoos, so keep yours covered or out of strong sun.

Shea butter is not a sunscreen. It does not protect skin from the sun. Once your artist says the skin is ready, use a broad-spectrum sunscreen on the tattoo, and keep a new tattoo out of strong sun until then. Strong UV is hard on any skin, and tattooed skin is no exception.

Which shea butter should you choose for a tattoo?

Choose a plain, single-ingredient shea butter with nothing added, and check that the maker says how it is made. Baraka Shea Butter is a one-ingredient, unrefined butter, so you can see exactly what goes on your skin.

It is made by hand by women's producer groups at the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre in Ghana. Wayne Dunn has worked directly with the Centre for over 15 years.

Quick recap

• Follow your artist's instructions first, and wait until the tattoo is past the raw stage.
• Use a very thin layer, about a pea-sized amount, warmed between your fingers.
• Shea butter moisturises. It does not heal, treat or speed up anything.
• It will not fade your tattoo, but it is not a sunscreen either. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen once your artist says the skin is ready.
• For anything that looks wrong or keeps getting worse, ask your artist, a doctor or a pharmacist.

Quick answers

Can you put shea butter on a new tattoo?

Follow your tattoo artist's aftercare instructions first. Many people use pure shea butter as a moisturiser once a new tattoo is past the first raw stage, in a very thin layer. Patch test a small area first, and choose pure shea butter, such as Baraka's unrefined shea butter, which is strained and filtered only. More in Is Shea Butter Safe For New Tattoos?

Shea butter tattoo aftercare

Shea butter is used as a moisturiser on tattooed skin. It is an emollient that keeps skin hydrated and soft, which matters because the skin around a tattoo can get dry and flaky as it heals. Patch test a small area before using it on the whole tattoo. More in The Benefits Of Using Shea Butter On Tattoos

Is shea butter good for tattoo healing?

Shea butter is a good moisturiser for tattooed skin. It keeps skin hydrated and soft, which helps with the dryness and flaking that can come as a tattoo heals. Patch test a small area first and choose a pure shea butter. More in The Benefits Of Using Shea Butter On Tattoos

Can i use shea butter on a fresh tattoo?

Follow your tattoo artist's aftercare instructions first. Many people use pure shea butter in a very thin layer to keep a healing tattoo moisturised. Patch test a small area first, and choose pure shea butter, such as Baraka's unrefined shea butter, made by hand by women's producer groups at the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre in Wa, Ghana. More in Is Shea Butter Safe For New Tattoos?

When can i put shea butter on my tattoo?

Follow your tattoo artist's aftercare instructions first. Many people start using pure shea butter once the tattoo is past the first raw stage, in a very thin layer. More in Is Shea Butter Safe For New Tattoos?