Tattoos can be a costly and time-consuming investment, especially if you want them to stay crisp and vibrant for as long as possible. A quality sunscreen for your tattoo is one of the best ways to keep it looking fresh and, according to experts, an absolute necessity too. I spoke with two dermatologists and a tattoo artist to find out more about the best sunscreens for tattoos, including why they’re important and when to use them. I also compiled a list of their recommendations for you to shop.
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If you’re looking for a sunscreen designed specifically for tattoos, the Mad Rabbit Defend Tattoo Sunscreen comes recommended by Dr. Dendy Engelman, a board-certified dermatologic surgeon at Shafer Clinic Fifth Avenue in New York City, who likes it because it’s a mineral formula with zinc oxide, antioxidants and moisturizing ingredients. It’s designed to target and prevent the fading of black, gray and colored ink, according to the brand, and can be used on all skin types, whether inked or not. It has a lightweight finish and has both vitamin C and carrot extract, which stimulate collagen production and cell turnover for brighter and moisturized skin, according to Mad Rabbit.
EltaMD is an NBC Select staff-favorite brand for sunscreen, and the brand’s UV Sport Sunscreen Lotion is a great option for tattooed skin, according to Engelman. It’s a mineral-based sunscreen (meaning it uses a mix of mineral and chemical SPF filters) that works for both your face and body. It’s also noncomedogenic and fragrance-free, which makes it suitable for all skin types and safe for tattoos that have healed on the surface, says Engelman. It’s also water- and sweat-resistant, “so you can keep your skin protected for longer when perspiring or during activities like swimming,” says Engelman.
Cake, a Brooklyn-based tattoo artist and co-founder of tattoo studio and collective GirlsOnly NY, uses this Mineral Mattescreen as her year-round face sunscreen; it has an oil-free, tinted formula designed to smooth and mattify your skin with minimal white cast (which can be difficult to avoid when it comes to mineral sunscreens), according to the brand. It has bamboo and clover extract to reduce the effects of free radicals, and is also noncomedogenic and doubles as a makeup primer. For best results, Supergoop recommends reapplying the sunscreen at least every two hours, or after 40 minutes of swimming or sweating.
This chemical sunscreen lotion from Supergoop is Cake’s go-to full body option during the warmer months. It’s lightweight, absorbs quickly and leaves no stickiness or white cast behind, according to the brand. It uses sunflower extract to shield the skin from environmental stressors and rosemary and rice bran extract to hydrate and soften the skin. The formula is sweat and water-resistant, and has a light rosemary scent (which may be irritating to those who prefer fragrance-free formulas). It’s also non-comedogenic, and available in an 18 oz value jug.
Malin loves using these patches to cover up her tattoos while running; “My tattoos are pretty small, so I cut the patch to fit any areas that my shirt doesn’t cover,” she says. They’re made from a hypoallergenic silicone that has no added chemicals, making it safe for sensitive skin, according to the brand. The patches are water- and sweat-resistant and reusable. Malin says they’re also easy to apply and they stay on throughout her runs, even when she gets sweaty.
It’s important to protect all skin from potential sun damage — however, shielding tattoos is especially crucial in order to avoid “fading, distortion and damage to the skin,” according to Engelman. “Sun exposure can cause tattoos to fade over time because the UV rays penetrate the skin and break down the pigments used in tattoos,” she says.
Although all tattoos age over time, “if you want to keep those lines crisp for as long as possible, it’s important to always protect your ink from the sun,” says Cake. Protecting your tattoo from the sun can also lower your risk of infections and complications that may come with the aftercare and healing of a fresh tattoo, says Engelman.
The best tattoo sunscreens are mineral sunscreens, which sit on top of the skin and physically block UV rays, rather than chemical sunscreens, which penetrate the skin to absorb UV rays, says Engelman. She recommends using mineral sunscreen for both old and new tattoos because of their broad-spectrum protection and gentle formulas that are safe for sensitive skin.
“I would recommend being careful when choosing a chemical sunscreen as it may contain ingredients that could interact with tattoo ink or cause irritation on the skin,” says Engelman. Cake agrees that sunscreens with broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB are best, with an SPF of at least 30. You also don’t have to exclusively use sunscreens formulated for tattoos, which tend to cost more, according to Cake
Following that guidance, most of the options on this list are broad-spectrum mineral sunscreens, and all of them have an SPF of 30 or higher.
When selecting a sunscreen for tattoo protection, experts say you should consider multiple factors, like effective ingredients, your skin’s type and sensitivity level.
The best active ingredients for tattoo sunscreens are those found in mineral sunscreen, including zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Engelman says these ingredients won’t irritate your skin and are a safer choice for sensitive, vulnerable skin. She also recommends sunscreens with moisturizing ingredients like jojoba oil or shea butter, which help keep the skin and tattoo soft and nourished.
When it comes to what you should avoid, Engelman suggests steering clear of sunscreens with fragrances or harsher ingredients like alcohol or oxybenzone. These can irritate your skin or even affect your tattoo’s appearances. Dr. Jeanine Downie, a New Jersey-based, board-certified dermatologist, also recommends sunscreens that are sulfur- or oil-free, to avoid any pigment being leached out of the tattoo.
Tattoo sunscreens should have an SPF of at least 30, according to experts. Although SPF rating is always an important factor when it comes to sunscreens, experts say a sunscreen for tattoos should have an especially high SPF, preferably 50 or higher, with broad-spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB. Experts also recommend water-resistant formulas for maximum protection in rain or shine.
Sunburns can cause inflammation that can affect the appearance and longevity of your tattoo, along with normal sunburn reactions like swelling, itching or stinging, says Engelman. All experts agree that sunburns are bad news for tattoos. Every sunburn has a compound effect: “Every time you sunburn a tattoo it ages it a bit, so the color will fade, and lines will spread and blur,” says Cake.
Downie and Engelman also warn of the dangers of repeated sunburns, which can prematurely age the tattoo. In some cases, sunburns can also lead to skin cancer within the tattoo, which Downie says can be more difficult to diagnose.
No, you should not be applying sunscreen directly to a tattoo until it is fully healed. “Applying while the tattoo is fresh may cause an infection and affect the healing process,” says Cake. “Having a fresh tattoo exposed to the sun can also cause some weird things to happen like patchy, faded healing.
Until your tattoo heals fully, they recommend keeping it covered to protect it from the sun, and applying sunscreen every time you’re outside once it’s healed.
It usually takes a tattoo around two to four weeks to heal on the surface, but up to six weeks to fully heal, experts say. During this time, Engelman and Cake recommend keeping the tattoo out of direct sunlight. “Sleeve guards for arms or legs are good if you want to still tan or wear shorts but want to keep a certain area where the tattoo is covered,” says Cake.
However, the exact length of time it takes a tattoo to heal varies from person to person, according to Downie. Factors like the size and location of the tattoo, your lifestyle habits and your age can all affect your rate of healing.
The experts I spoke to agree that you shouldn’t apply tanning oils or lotions over your tattoos. However, if you still choose to, be extra cautious since tanning oils don’t always have the sun protection that your tattoos need to stop premature fading, says Engelman. “You shouldn’t ever really tan your tattoos but if you don’t care about the aging or fading, sure, go for it,” says Cake.
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
I’m an associate SEO reporter for NBC Select who regularly covers skin care, wellness and more, including stories on the best mineral sunscreens for dark skin and the best Korean sunscreens. For this article, I interviewed a tattoo artist and two dermatologists about sunscreen for tattoos, including their product recommendations and shopping advice.
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