When the topic of castile soap comes up, Dr. Bronner’s tops the list in my opinion. It is one of the best if not the best castile soap for tattoos. Emanuel Bronner was the founder of this world-famous soap back in 1948. This soap is recommended by many professional tattoo artists because it has pretty much all the qualities a soap needs to be considered the best aftercare tattoo cleanser. You can tell Dr. Bronner’s soap not only brought a revolution to soap and became a stepping stone to the modernization of soap but also brought people together!
Not all Dr. Bronner’s soap is recommended for tattoos though. Do your research and go for one that has no scent or tea tree element. As the fragrance can burn the tattoo and the tea tree element may irritate the wound. If you never used castile soap before then you should know it is important to dilute these soaps before using it. So you will need to dilute Dr. Bronner’s soap for tattoos too. I will elaborate on everything you need to know about diluting Dr. Bronner’s soap and more in this piece.
Key Takeaways
- There is no fixed rule when it comes to diluting Dr. Bronner’s, you can dilute 3-part water to 10-part water with 1-part Dr. Bronner’s.
- Dr. Bronner’s is one of the best castile soaps for tattoos.
- It is recommended not to wash your tattoo more than twice a day with Dr. Bronner’s or any other cleanser.
- Dr. Bronner’s has natural ingredients that have antifungal & antiseptic qualities and also moisturizing quality thanks to the presence of essential oil.
Why Dilute Dr. Bronner’s Soap for Tattoo
You may ask why it is required to dilute Dr. Bronner’s soap and why you cannot just use it directly on your tattoo. The reason is it is a castile soap. Natural castile soaps are made of natural ingredients and are considered green soap. The specialty of these soaps is they are soft and gentle on the skin while cleaning the skin properly.
Dr. Bronner’s is a natural castile soap. So it has no harmful chemicals and is highly recommended for sensitive skin. Even though it is a gentle soap it can be harsh on your skin if you directly use it instead of diluting it. Using the hard soap may peel scabs off your tattoo prematurely which may distort your tattoo. The concentrated soap may also cause irritation, dryness, and itchiness on the tattooed area if you use it directly. Because a newly tattooed area is much more sensitive and can be easily affected by concentrated soap it is crucial to take extra precautions.
That is why it is essential to dilute Dr. Bronner’s soap before using it on your tattoo.
Diluting Dr. Bronner’s Soap for Tattoos
Any castile soap requires diluting before use. Dr. Bronner’s is no different. Does not matter if you want to use the soap for tattoos, hand washing, showering, laundry, or dishwashing, you must dilute it first. Because the soap is concentrated and hard. Rubbing that hard soap on a tattoo or anywhere else won’t do you any good.
There is no correct way of diluting, people go with their personal preference when it comes to diluting the soap. So I will give you two methods that I use, and you can choose one from them.
- Take 2 parts of water and dilute it with 1 part of Dr. Bronner’s soap.
- Take 3 parts of water and dilute it with 1 part of Dr. Bronner’s soap.
As I said there is no official correct way to dilute it for tattoos so many people go with 75 ML of Dr. Bronner’s soap diluting in 240 ML water or just 1 part of the soap with 10 parts of water to make it light on the skin. Feel free to choose any of these methods to dilute your soap for tattoos.
There are liquid variations of Dr. Bronner’s castile soap. Just because it is liquid does not mean you can directly apply it to your tattoo. Liquid Castile soap also requires diluting just like solid castile soap.
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Using Diluted Dr. Bronner’s Soap for Tattoos
Now that you know how to dilute the soap, you should learn how to use the diluted solution on your tattoo.
- Wash your hand: Your hand needs to be clean of germs and dirt before you use them to clean the tattoo. So use Dr. Bronner’s diluted solution to wash both of your hands thoroughly before getting to step 2.
- Take off the bandage: You cannot use the soap over the bandage. So first take the bandage off your tattoo carefully. You can take off the bandage after 3-12 hours after getting the tattoo.
- Wet the area: Put some water and wet the tattooed area. It will help the diluted Dr. Bronner’s soap to do its job.
- Apply Dr. Bronner’s soap: Now apply Dr. Bronn’s soap on the tattoo. It is very gentle on the skin so you can apply the soap without any hesitation.
- Rub the area clean & rinse with water: After applying the soap, use your hand to gently give a little rub on the tattoo to clean any plasma, ink, or Vaseline off the area. Do not rub vigorously or use any washing cloth to do so. Because after getting a tattoo your skin becomes very sensitive. Too much ribbing or friction may damage the tattooed area. After cleaning any visible dirt, ink or moisture rinse the area with water.
- Pat the area dry: After rinsing properly use a paper towel to pat the area dry. Using your regular towel is not recommended because it may contain germs.
Why Wash Tattoo with Dr. Bronner’s Soap?
Keeping a new tattoo in a vibrant and crisp shape requires strict aftercare. And washing the tattoo is one of the most crucial steps of aftercare. You cannot just use any random soap or cleanser for this particular step of aftercare. Your sensitive tattooed area requires a gentle on the skin, good at getting rid of oil, dirt, and fragrance-free cleanser or soap. And Dr. Bronner’s soap fully fills this requirement.
Dr. Bronner’s soap not only cleans the tattooed area but also slightly moisturizes it which is very crucial for your tattoo, as the soap contains essential oils. Your tattoo requires moisturizer to speed up the healing process. So cleaning tattoos with Dr. Bronner’s soap could be a great choice.
Even though Dr. Bronner’s soaps are made of natural antifungal & antiseptic ingredients, they cannot be considered antibacterial soaps. There is no requirement to use antibacterial soap for tattoos if it is not infected. So you can go with Dr. Bronner’s soap for your tattoos with confidence.
Washing with Plain Water Instead of Dr. Bronner’s
There is no harm in washing tattoos with water. But when you get a new tattoo the tattoo artist will apply some sort of Vaseline or ointment on it. Which cannot be washed with plain water, you will need a quality cleanser to clean it. And when it comes to quality cleanser for tattoos Dr. Bronner’s soap tops the list. Not only it washes the excessive moisture and plasma of your tattoo but also prevents overly dryness by keeping it mildly moist.
So it is highly recommended to not wash the tattoo with plain water, you should use a quality, tattoo-friendly cleanser such as Dr. Bronner’s to wash your tattoo.
FAQs
Can I dilute Dr. Bronner’s with alcohol for tattoos?
No, you cannot. Diluting Dr. Bronner’s with alcohol and applying it to your tattoo may burn the area, distort the tattoo, and prolong the healing process. That said, you can dilute Dr. Bronner’s with alcohol for other use such as cleaning bathtub, dishes, floor, etc.
Can I Drink Dr. Bronner’s soap when diluted?
Dr. Bronner’s soap is not for consumption. Diluted or not you cannot eat or drink it. You can only use it for cleaning purposes.
Is Dr. Bronner’s soap with fragrance good for my tattoo?
Dr. Bronner’s soap is good for your tattoo there is no question about it, but the soap must be fragrance-free. Any soap that has fragrance can be harmful to your tattoo.
Final Thoughts
There is no doubt about how good Dr. Bronner’s is for your tattoo. In general, any soap that has natural ingredients and no harmful chemicals is good for your tattoo. When you go for Dr. Bronner’s soap does not matter if it is solid or liquid, you must dilute it in water before applying it to the tattoo. The raw form of this castile soap may damage your skin and tattoo.
You can take 3-10 parts of water and 1 part of Dr. Bronner’s soap to dilute it. The amount of water in the dilution depends on the sensitivity of your skin. If you have overly sensitive skin you can go with more water like 10 parts of water just to stay on the safe side.
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