What Do Tattoo Artists Use To Wipe Ink Off?

You may have seen, tattoo artists use a liquid solution to clean up the excess ink and other bodily fluids. You might have asked yourself, what do tattoo artists use to wipe ink off? Is it exclusive to them? Is it harmful to the skin? 

Tattoo artists use green soap to wipe off the excess ink on your skin. Green soap is a plant-based soap that is eco-friendly and completely safe for your skin. It is heavily used in tattoo parlours, hospitals, and piercing studios. It is gentle on the skin and has a lot of proven benefits to it. It has no side effects but some people may be allergic to it. 

In this article, we will discuss green soap, its benefits, and some alternatives to it. Without further ado, let’s jump into it. 

What Do Tattoo Artists Use To Wipe Ink Off?

Usually, Tattoo artists use Green soap to wipe off the excess ink which can clog up the pores. Green soap works as a charm for this task as its molecules break down and clean excess ink like nothing.

Excess ink and blood buildup is a completely normal event in the tattooing procedure. The tattooing procedure requires the tattoo pen to create microscopic holes in your skin. These holes get filled with the pigment or ink which acts as the building block of your tattoo.

During this process, your skin oozes blood and sometimes, these holes can get filled with excess ink. This excess ink and blood can ruin your tattoo with stains, the slow healing process, etc. So, removing these excess fluids is an integral part of making your tattoo appear visually appealing.

Tattoo artists use green soap for wiping these excess fluids. Green soap is a special plant-based soap. It is a medical-grade soap that has no scent and is completely Eco-friendly. Before using it, the soap has to be diluted with water. Tattoo artists usually dilute the soap with water and keep it in a spray bottle.

Due to the soap having plant-based materials, some people may be allergic to it. The common sign of allergies are:

• Itchy and dry skin
• Redness and swelling
• Acne 
• Bloated skin 

For them, they have to use other cleaning materials such as sterilized water, hydrogen peroxide, etc. 

Everything You Need to Know about Green Soap 

Now that you know that tattoo artists use green soap to wipe off the excess ink and blood, let’s talk about everything that you need to know about green soap.

Ingredients in Green Soap

Green soap is a completely plant-based soap that uses no added chemicals. The most common green soap ingredients are:

• Vegetable oil
• Glycerin
• Coconut oil
• Ethyl alcohol
• Essential oils such as Lavender oil or Jojoba oil 
• Water
• Potassium Hydroxide 
• Oleic Acid 
• Tall oil 

Benefits of Using Green Soap 

You may wonder, why tattoo artists use green soap. Do they have any added benefits that help with the tattooing process?- The simple answer is yes. Green soap has a lot of benefits to them that make them a great choice to use in the tattooing procedure. 

• Green soap has natural antiseptic properties. It prevents the growth of bacteria and other harmful microorganisms.
• The soap is gentle on the skin and is less likely to cause irritation or allergic reactions.
• Green soap is pH balanced. It helps maintain the natural pH of the skin.
• It cleans the skin spectacularly. It removes dirt and grimes the skin and makes the skin appear spotless
• Green soap is also known for its versatility. It can be used to clean the skin, sanitize the skin and help with skin ailments such as acne, pimple, and itchy skin. It can also be used to clean equipment used in surgeries and tattooing or piercing.
• Unlike most soaps, Green soap is completely eco-friendly. It has no negative impacts on the environment. It is also bio-degradable which makes disposal easy. 

Why Don’t Tattoo Artists Use Regular Soap? 

Tattoo artists don’t use regular soaps as regular soaps contain a lot of chemicals that can prove harmful to the tattooed skin. 

A tattoo is like an open wound in your body. When you get a new tattoo, you have to treat the spot as a spot that had surgery on it. Any type of chemical can cause adverse effects on your skin. Regular soaps contain a lot of chemicals in them for a pleasant scent.

These chemicals are not harmful to normal skin, but tattooed skin is different. Using regular soaps on the tattooed skin can cause:

• Dry and Flaky Skin
• Itchy skin
• Irritated and Red skin
• Can cause infections 

To avoid these problems, tattoo artists use green soap as it contains no harmful chemicals and is gentle on your skin. 

The Alternatives to Green Soap

Green soap is all-natural and has no side effects to it. But, some people may be allergic to it and may react adversely to it. For them, we have prepared a list of alternative options that are gentle on your skin and make sure that the tattoo is in top shape.

Sterilized Water

This is probably the best green soap alternative out there. Sterilized water is water that has no traces of bacteria or microorganisms in it. For tattoo cleaning, we recommend that you buy sterilized water from the pharmacies and don’t use tap water or bottled water. Bottled water may contain bacteria that may make things worse for your tattoo. 

Alcohol with Carrier Oil

This is a great choice if you want to clean the skin before a procedure or get rid of extra ink. But, Alcohol is known to remove moisture from the skin and make it dry. Dry skin can result in a cracked tattoo. So, use this cautiously.

Hydrogen Peroxide 

This is also a great choice to remove excess ink. But, it comes with a catch. Hydrogen peroxide can cause your tattoo to lose ink and make your skin light. So, use it with caution. 

Wrapping Up

Now you know what tattoo artists use to wipe ink off. 

Tattoo artists use green soap to clean off any extra ink. Green soap is made from plants and is safe for the environment and your skin. A lot of tattoo shops, hospitals, and piercing studios use it. It is easy on the skin and has a lot of benefits that have been proven. It doesn’t have any bad effects, but some people may be allergic to it.

We hope this article helped you with your questions. Now, Roll those sleeves up and get ready to be inked!