Evonik presents formulation concept specially for tattooed skin

Essen, Germany. Tattoos last a lifetime. To keep their colors vibrant for as long as that, maintenance is important. Without the right care for tattooed skin, a tattoo may fade and lose its brilliant colors. In its Tattoo Care concept, Evonik offers seven formulation solutions based on its own raw materials that protect and nurture the skin before and after tattooing.

Every fifth American now has a tattoo, as do about 60 million Europeans, and this colorful body decoration is becoming increasingly popular. In tattooing, color pigments are inserted under the dermis, the second layer of the skin. However, the uppermost skin layer, the epidermis, is also stressed in the process. "If the skin is properly prepared and appropriately conditioned after tattooing, it can recover fast," says Dr. Tammo Boinowitz, head of Evonik’s Personal Care Business Line.

Very few personal-care products are currently available specifically for tattooed skin. Evonik has now developed sample formulations for seven personal care products. These nurture the skin before and after the tattooing process so that the tattoo looks good over the long term and there are no unpleasant after-effects. The formulations contain active ingredients such as SPHINGOKINE® NP, SKINMIMICS®, and SK-INFLUX® V as well as mild surfactants, emollients, and emulsifiers from Evonik, all of which are also suitable for use in other cosmetics.

One example of such a formulation is Tattoo Preparatory Lotion, intended to moisturize the skin adequately before tattooing. The active ingredients from Evonik—including SPHINGOKINE®, SKINMIMICS®, and TEGOSOFT® DEC—tauten the skin, stimulate regeneration of the epidermis, and ensure a pleasant, non-oily skin feel.

After tattooing, it is important to use a cream or lotion that supports restoration of the skin’s protective barrier. The Evonik active ingredient SK-INFLUX® V is particularly suitable for this purpose; in the W/O Recovery Soft Cream sample formulation, it has been combined with TEGOSOFT® OER as the skin-care ingredient and ABIL® EM 180 as an emulsifier for high-grade water-oil emulsions.

To prevent the colors from fading, the skin needs effective protection against UV radiation. In Evonik’s Daily O/W Body Lotion SPF 15 for Vibrant Colors formulation, TEGOSOFT® DEC increases the solubility of UV filters. For daily skin care, the lotion also contains the moisturizing emulsifier TEGO® Care PBS 6 and TEGO® Natural Betaine, which helps the skin retain moisture.

Evonik’s Tattoo Care concept also includes solutions for a shower gel for gentle cleansing, a skin-care stick, a Tattoo Sharpening Roller to lend greater luminosity to skin and pigments, and a Camouflage Makeup—for those important occasions when the tattoo is to be temporarily concealed.