Tattoo healing with coconut oil

I'm often asked how I go about healing my tattoos, and the simple answer is that I keep it clean and moisturised.
Recently I've seen the rise of coconut oil in the beauty and skincare world, and seen a number of people recommend it as a natural moisturiser for healing tattoos too. Having been given a pot of coconut oil from a friend I decided it was the perfect time to try it out and add it to my tattoo experimentation list.

Previously I've been a cocoa butter fan for healing my tattoos having moved away from the usual Bepanthen some years ago. I changed my healing routine from the recommendation of a tattooist, and this time again, my tattooist said it was a good idea too.

So the pros.... 
It's a really versatile product, so unlike bepanthen and cocoa butter which has the sole purpose of skincare, coconut oil can be used for all sorts. It's advertised as skincare, hair care and a cooking product (coconut oil pancakes are pretty yum by the way) so even if you don't like the formulation for your tattoo it isn't wasted!

It also lasts ages. You only need a small amount as it sort of melts into your skin to become an oil so it spreads really far. Using it for two weeks daily, plus we used it for cooking too, we only got halfway down the pot.

It smells so so good. Well so long as you like the smell of coconut, which fortunately I do!

It isn't greasy. It absorbs pretty fast and doesn't stain clothing, though it will go through fabrics if sill went as I learnt with my midi denim skirt, but once dry it was fine.

It's completely natural. It is just pure compressed coconut oil. That is it! No hidden nasties (can you tell I'm weaning with that little sentence?!). Which also means it's veggie and vegan friendly!

The cons...
It isn't the cheapest option. Pricing-wise you're looking at similar to Bepanthen, which makes cocoa butter the more affordable option (Tesco do Vita Coco at £4.99 however they also do their own brand version for just £3.00 which does place it only about £1 more than cocoa butter.)

The healing process is a little slower. But only marginally. However this could also be linked to the tattoo location, rather than the products used. I found the healing process took about a week longer, in that I still had some dry patches at the end of week two which I wouldn't normally have, however, I found that overall the healing was nicer, the was less dry skin in general, and it was less uncomfortable throughout. So I'll take longer any day!

So I'm definitely converted! The colour has held beautifully in my tattoo, my skin feels fab and I smell great (even if I do say so myself!) Plus being all natural I feel more confident with what I'm putting on my skin!

Will you be converting to coconut oil for your tattoo healing?