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Frequently Asked Questions
How did  come to
be?
See The Story of T.A.T.
What is in
(and why)?
See What
is in T.A.T. for an aggregate list of ingredients (by common name),
and T.A.T. Products for ingredients by
product (by botanical name).
What isn't in
(and why)?
See What
isn't in T.A.T.
What products are in
the line?
See
T.A.T. Products.
You have a product that would substitute for the use
of petroleum/A&D during the actual tattoo procedure?
We made  Session Compound part of the line so that tattooists would
have a petroleum-free alternative while they're tattooing, not just
while their clients are healing. Petroleum (and petroleum
refining by-products such as mineral oil and paraffins) causes skin's
own lipid layer to contract.
contains oil of palm christi and jojoba. Cold-pressed and filtered
palm Christi, or ricinis communis seed oil, is emollient and penetrating
(due to its unusual molecular weight), antimicrobial, antifungal and
anti-inflammatory. Jojoba, or simmondsia chinensis, is actually a unique
liquid wax rather than an oil, is nature's plant substance closest to
the composition of human sebum, and contains anti-inflammatory
myristic acid. (We love it that you now have the option of hitting skin
with anti-inflammatories at the same time as the needle.)
is odorless and slightly less translucent than petroleum
jelly and petroleum-based ointments, slightly more sticky, and much
more responsive to ambient temperature. Some artists have
the technique or willingness to adapt easily to these differences, but
we must admit that some don't. Some of our customers love our after-care
products, but do not use . On the other hand, we know of instances in which
some artists buck the prevailing trend of a studio in order to use while others in the studio continue to tattoo with A&D.
also appeals to some tattooists because it is vegan, and others
like to have it on hand for when they encounter clients who are allergic
to A&D.
See T.A.T.
Products to request samples of .
How do I request a
tattoo artist sample kit?
samples are requested by:
- e-mail
(include your name, business name, address and phone number), or
- phone (call 206-903-0369; 11am-6pm,
Tues.-Sat.).
How do I order
products wholesale to-the-trade?
Tattoo artists may place
orders by:
If you will be ordering our popular T.A.T. Kits (14 days of complete
after-care), it will be helpful to read the
Tattoo After-care instructions before
placing your first order, as you will be asked if you would like them
included as product inserts for your clients.
We do not offer "quantity discounts."
At the same time, we are small-studio friendly without an order minimum.
We're not out to make a killing with ,
just a living. You will find our prices very reasonable.
We make every effort to fill orders
immediately, but we suggest that you allow a week or two lead time for
re-orders.
How do you ship ?
We ship orders via USPS Priority. Your
order confirmation will indicate an estimated shipping cost because
we will ship your order via USPS Priority (based on weight) or USPS
Priority Flat Rate (based on volume), whichever is determined to be
the lower cost at the time your order is packaged. Actual shipping
cost will be reflected on your order invoice.
Is
hypo-allergenic?
Other than air and water, there really
isn't anything natural that is truly hypo-allergenic. That actually
is one of the reasons that
exists. was originally
developed by someone who is fragrance- and chemical-sensitive and has
experienced allergic reactions to Aveda and Clinique products.
Jojoba, a significant ingredient in
several products,
is cited as a hypo-allergenic plant substance, and it is nature's plant
substance that comes closest to the composition of human sebum.
We have received more requests for
due to A&D reactions than we have received reports of allergic reactions
to
To minimize the chance of allergic reaction,
you can do what when our formulator does when she guest-staffs:
- ask clients to read the .
brochure's What Is in T.A.T.
and Tattoo After-care before their
tattoo session so they can tell you if they have any known allergies
to the ingredients listed as well as whether they have any questions
about after-care; and
- place a drop of
 .
cleansing solution on the inside of one of the client's elbows
and a dab of 
on the inside of the other elbow, so that any reaction will be evident
before their tattoo session concludes.
A testing kit including a glass-dropper bottle of cleansing solution
is included with each studio's first
order.
Why was I always told
not to put anything with fragrance on a healing tattoo?
This was good advice for about 75 years. In the 1920s,
synthetic fragrances--usually in an alcohol base--became popular with
perfume manufacturers due to lower cost and lasting fragrance compared
to the pure essential oils that had been used for centuries until advances
in chemical manufacturing rooted in the Industrial Revolution presented
the industry with cheap alternatives.
Within 50 years, artificial fragrances were ubiquitous--found
in all manner of skin, home and cleaning products. Manufacturing
changed, and synthetic fragrances were found increasingly with crude
oil or turpentine bases. In "Neurotoxins: At Home and the Workplace,"
the National Science Academy reported to the U.S. House of Representatives
Committee on Science & Technology (Sept. 16, 1986; Report 99-827)
that 95% of chemicals used in artificial fragrances were synthetic compounds
derived from petroleum, benzene derivatives, aldehydes and other known
toxins and sensitizers. None of these compounds are helpful to skin--much
less a healing tattoo.
So, it was good advice for the times, but gave rise to the
now common use of treating healing tattoos to a coating of ointments
which, while free of synthetic fragrances, tend to be petroleum-based
(containing petrolatum or the refining by-products mineral oil and paraffin).
products contain no artificial
fragrances or colorants, parabens, petroleum products, alcohols, or
aldehyde or aldehyde-emitting preservatives. The mild scent of is the result of the natural
plants oils and essential oils selected first for their botanical skin-benefiting
properties.
We have received far, far more reports of clients liking
's light, natural scent (and
clients returning for more because their girlfriend/boyfriend/roommate
stole their ) than of clients for whom
the scent was a problem. We will continue to seek what limited opportunities
exist to make selective natural substitutions with essential oils whose
high-odor, low-antimicrobial fractions have been reduced so that scent
can be diminished without compromising the botanical skin-benefiting
properties of
Why have I heard both
that you should and should not put aloe on a healing tattoo?
This is a good question, and it puzzles us too because usually
either there's no why with it, or the why doesn't make sense in the
tattoo context. We've heard this from some who also caution against
the use of lanolin--then recommend "Bag Balm" or "Eucerin,"
or caution against the use of petroleum--then recommend "A&D,"
"Bacitracin," "Aquaphor," "Lubriderm,"
"Nivea," etc. (as if paraffin, petrolatum and mineral oil
aren't petroleum the way bacon isn't pork?). Anyway, back to aloe...
One of the ingredients in
cleansing solution is aloe vera juice. Aloe has a long record
of external use in treating skin burns, irritations and disorders.
It is high in vitamins and minerals, and is analgesic, anti-inflammatory,
antimicrobial and reparative. There are cautions to observe in how much
aloe juice one takes internally and in using aloe or any topical healing
agent on deep and puncture wounds. These cautions may have become generalized
over time with regard to tattoos.
are pre-moistened, thereby making them inappropriate and inadequate
sources of appreciable amounts of aloe juice for drinking or treating
deep or puncture wounds.
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