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 petrolatum/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 (as well as 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 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 petrolatum/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:

• secure  online shopping cart
• phone (call 206-903-0369; 11am-6pm, Tues.-Sat.)

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 hypoallergenic?

Hypoallergenic was coined as an advertising term is a claim without a real standard behind it. Other than air and water, there really isn't anything natural that is truly hypoallergenic. 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 hypoallergenic 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 petrolatum-based ointment reactions than we have received reports of allergic reactions to

To minimize the chance of allergic reaction, you can do what 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. 

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 properties other than their odor. 

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 ingredfients.

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 should drink, 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.