Is Dove Soap Good For Tattoos – Ultimate Guide & Caution

Aftercare is very crucial for your tattoo. Proper aftercare ensures the longevity of your tattoo and prevents any complications such as infection. When it comes to aftercare, cleaning should be on top of your list. You cannot just clean the tattooed area with a random cleaner or soap. You need a proper cleansing product to do so. Now, you may wonder if the popular Dove soap is good for tattoos and if it is a good cleansing agent.

Dove is quite a popular soap. Even if you do not use it, there is a high chance that you have at least heard the name. A specialty of Dove soap is, it is very gentle and soft on the skin. It may slightly moisturize the skin too, which can be beneficial if you have a tattoo. You cannot just use any Dove soap, there are a few things you need to keep in mind before choosing the right Dove soap and using it for tattoos. I will explain further in this piece.

Key Takeaway

• Fragrance-free Dove soap is good for new tattoos and what you should be used for washing the tattoo.
• Dove soap has mild moisturizing properties that can help moisturize the tattoo.
• Dove does not contain alcohol, paraben, silicon, sulfate, or any chemical that can be harmful to tattoos.
• Use the Dove soap gently and not more than twice a day for cleaning tattoos.

Dove Soap for Tattoos

Dove soap is good and safe for your tattoos. The soap has a moisturizing agent that can slightly moisturize your tattoo. That said, there are many types of Dove soap. Make sure to go for one that does not have fragrance. A fragrance-free Dove soap can be used on new tattoos without any negative side effects. It is not only gentle on the skin but also a good cleanser.

So it does not matter if you got a new tattoo or an old one, you can use Dove soap without any worry. I recommend the Dove Hypoallergenic Body Wash, as this one is completely fragrance-free and specially made for sensitive skin.

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How to Use Dove Soap for Cleaning?

If you get yourself a new tattoo it requires strict aftercare. And cleaning the tattoo regularly is one of them. If you are thinking about how to use Dove soap for cleaning,

Follow the steps below:

Step 1: Wash Your Hand

First of all, wash your hand. You should not clean your tattoo with a dirty hand as it can lead to infection and hinder the healing of the new tattoo.

Step 2: Remove Bandage

Your tattoo artist will put a bandage on your tattoo. You can take it off after 2-24 hours. But the best time to remove it I after 12 hours and before 24 hours. Do not use Dove soap or water over the bandage. In order to clean the tattoo first you have to remove the bandage. If it got stuck on the skin, use water to make it soft and then remove it.

Step 3: Wet The Tattoo

Do not rub Dove soap on dry skin. Wet the skin properly first. You can use lukewarm water instead of using extremely cold or hot water. As using too much hot or cold water may overly dry your skin and cause irritation. Not to mention it has the possibility to fade a new tattoo.

Step 4: Gently Rub Soap on The Tattoo

Now gently rub the Dove soap on the area of the tattoo. Do not use vigorous rubbing as it can damage your new tattoo. Use your clean hand to rub the tattoo area to help the cleansing agent of Dove soap clean your skin properly.

Step 5: Pat Dry with Paper Towel

Even though Dove soap is very gentle on the skin still you should avoid using any sort of cleaning cloth to rub or clean the tattoo. Use only your hand to clean the tattoo. After cleaning with Dove soap the skin becomes very sensitive. So make sure to use a paper towel to pat dry. Do not use your regular bath towel as it may contain bacteria.

4 Things Not to Do When Cleaning Tattoo With Dove Soap

Dove soap is safe but there are a few precautions you should take to avoid any possible harm to your skin or tattoo. Such as:

1. Do not use a washcloth: It can cause irritation on the skin. Even if you do not use any soap and just clean the tattoo with water still it is recommended not to use a washing cloth. You can use only your hand to wash the tattoo.
2. Do not pull scabs: When using Dove soap, you may feel like pulling the scabs because they become wet and soft. Do not pull your scabs, no matter how soft they become. Scabs will pull off on their own.
3. Do not clean in sunlight: Do not clean your tattoo in the sunlight. Does not matter if you use soap or just plain water, the sun can greatly damage wet skin, so avoid it.
4. Do not use Dove soap more than twice a day: Dove is very gentle yet it is not recommended to use the soap more than twice a day for cleaning. Cleaning more frequently will cause dryness and delayed healing of the tattoo.

Soap Ingredients to Avoid for Tattoos

As I said earlier not all Dove soap is suitable for cleaning tattoos. Make sure the Dove soap does not have any fragrance. Usually, the soap has a strong fragrance but you will also find variations of the soap that does not have fragrance. Cleaning a tattoo with a soap that has a strong fragrance can burn the tattooed skin and may create dryness on the skin. Burning the tattoo or making it overly dry can cause the tattoo to fade. So make sure your Dove does not have fragrance.

The majority of commonly used soaps are not good for your tattoos. As the soap must have the absence of a few popular soap ingredients in order to be considered good for your tattoo. The ingredients a soup must avoid to be considered good for tattoos are:

Most Dove soap will not have any of these ingredients hence making it a highly suitable soap for tattoos. Make sure you read the ingredient list to know that you are using a Dove soap that is suitable for your tattoo.

5 Soaps Other then Dove That is Good for Tattoos

For new tattoos, you will be needing a soap that is both fragrance-free and has antibacterial properties. Here I have listed 5 soaps that are equally good or may even be better than Dove for tattoos.

FAQs

Can I use Dove soap to clean tattoo that has fragrance?

No, you cannot. Soap with fragrance can burn the tattooed skin and fade the tattoo.

Can I use Dove soap right after getting a tattoo?

No, avoid using any soap or water on the newly done tattoo. Wait at least 1 hour to 12 hours before washing the tattoo.

Can I use soap that has alcohol to clean my tattoo?

Avoid using any soap that has alcohol to clean your tattoo.

Final Thoughts

Dove is a very popular soap thanks to its fragrance and mild nature. But for tattoos, you will need to use a fragrance-free liquid soap. Even if you like the soap only for its rich fragrance, the chemical behind the fragrance can be harmful to your tattoo.

Just because it is a mild and gentle soap, don’t go overboard with the cleaning. Do not wash/clean the newly tattooed area more than 2-3 times with or without Dove. Cleaning the tattoo repeatedly might hinder the healing process. So make sure you are cleaning the tattoo only when needed and use an appropriate moisturizer to help with the tattoo healing!

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