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Can I Use Dawn Instead of Green Soap for Tattooing?
Dawn soap is a dish detergent that has been around for many years. People with sensitive skin often use it.
Yes! You can use mild dawn soap to clean and disinfect your tattoo needles, Additionally, the soap is gentle on hands and has moisturizing properties to keep users feeling soft and supple.The soap contains no phosphates, which can dry out sensitive skin types and cause eczema.
You can use Dawn as an injection instead of an ink or cream product because it’s so mild and isn’t going to clog up the needle as other cleaning solutions can.
The cream or ink products in your kit should do a fine job of cleaning the hand and preventing infection.
To remove blood from your skin, you can use an alcohol swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, soak up any ink with tissue, throw it away, or rinse it out with rubbing alcohol and pat dry.
Though tattoo removal creams are generally not as effective at removing tattoo ink, they’re usually more efficient than most other tattoo removal products.
You can inject these creams and wait 10-20 minutes for your skin to absorb the solution before rinsing it off.
You can also buy special tattoo removal oil-based products that are usually referred to as “oil pulling” but are used similarly to a mouth rinse.
If you choose this product, make sure you’re only buying oil-based products that contain no harsh chemicals and don’t include an alcohol base.
7 Alternative Methods Instead of Green Soap for Tattooing
| Alternative Methods | Steps |
| Sterilized Water | – Fill a spray bottle with sterile water and shake. – Spray the desired area thoroughly with the water. – Wait 10 minutes before attempting to remove the ink from your skin. |
| Hydrogen Peroxide | – Mix 1 part hydrogen peroxide with 3 parts water. – Spray the desired area thoroughly with the solution. – Wait 10 minutes before attempting to remove the ink from your skin. |
| Alcohol Mixed with A Carrier Oil | – Mix a few drops of alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) with a carrier oil. – If you have access to the oil, good quality coconut oil works fine. – Let the mixture sit for at least 10 minutes before using. – Spray the desired area thoroughly with the mixture. – Wait 10 minutes before attempting to remove the ink from your skin. |
| Tea Tree Oil | – Mix 2-3 drops of tea tree oil with a carrier oil. – If you have access to the oil, good quality coconut oil works fine. |
| Saltwater Or Sterile Saline Solution | – Mix half a cup of salt with 2 cups of warm water. – Dip a cotton ball into the mixture and wipe the affected area gently. – Allow the mixture to sit for about 10 minutes before removing the ink from your skin. |
| Vinegar | – Mix 1 part vinegar with ten parts water. – Spray the desired area thoroughly with the mixture. – Wait 10 minutes before attempting to remove the ink from your skin. |
| Rubbing Alcohol | – Mix a few drops of rubbing alcohol with a carrier oil. – If you have access to the oil, good quality coconut oil works fine. – Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes before attempting to remove the ink from your skin. |
What Are the Ingredients in Green Soap?
| Green Soap Ingredients | Description |
| Olive Oil | – For hydration and softening properties |
| Coconut Oil | – For skin moisture and resistance against water loss |
| Shea Butter | – Helps with moisturization of the skin |
| Sodium Hydroxide (Lye) | – An alkalizing agent |
| Citric Acid | – For pH balancing purposes and the lathering benefits, it provides soap bar soap bases |
| Glycerin | – For viscosity and lathering as well |
| Ethyl Alcohol | – The high alcohol content and the lack of color denote clear liquors. It serves as a humectant |
| Lavender Oil | – A light floral scent |
| Essential Oils (Optional) | – For fragrance purposes and to provide a beneficial therapeutic benefit |
What Does a Tattoo Artist Use in The Spray Bottle?
Tattoo artists use water-diluted green soap in their spray bottles before they tattoo a client.
This is because the green soap will help sterilize their needles and clean them of any bacteria on the implements before use.
The ink tattoo artist use is very toxic, so they must use water-diluted soap to clean their tools before tattooing a client. Using just water to clean their equipment will probably not clean the needles properly.
While tattoo artists are cleaning their tools, they make sure that the rubber stopper of their spray bottle is tightly fastened.
This is to avoid contamination of the bottle contents while they are cleaning.
So, once they have cleaned their tools, tattoo artists will pour the soapy water into a drainage tray and then refill it with plain water.
This is because water-diluted soap can irritate a client’s skin.
Besides water-diluted green soap, tattoo artists also use anti-bacterial hand sanitizer when tattooing a client. This is to ensure their hands are well-sanitized before they use their needles on the client.
Do You Have to Use Green Soap for Tattoos?
No! There are other alternatives that you can use, such as
1. Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is an alternative to green soap that has been proven safe for tattooing.
You can apply it on unbroken skin, or use it in a spray bottle, to clean the surface of your tattoo as it’s being given without any adverse reactions.
2. Hydrogen Peroxide
It is a mild alkaline substance that is safe for the skin. Hydrogen peroxide is colorless, with a water-like appearance, and has no smell or taste.
You can use it on the skin to cleanse the surface of your tattoo, but remember that it can cause burning and redness if you use too much.
3. Iodine
You can use Iodine to cleanse the skin. It cannot remove dirt, but it’s highly effective for cleaning the surface of your tattoo and removing any leftover ink from a previous session.
4. Sterilized Water
The skin is in close contact with the water found in any public water supply. Therefore, you can use it to cleanse the skin of your tattoo.
It does not have any particular effect on tattoos, but it will remove dirt and grease from your skin.
The problem with most of these methods is that they are very harsh on the surface of your tattoo and can lead to permanent damage.
Therefore, you must use a method that does not cause severe irritation when cleaning your tattoo’s surface.
What Is The Best Size Needle For A Tattoo Outline?
| Needle Type | Optimal number of needles |
| Tights | 7-9 needles |
| Flats | 7-11 needles |
| Magnum | 5 Medium: 5- 17 needles |
The best size of needle for outlining a tattoo is the one that matches your skin. For example, if you have light skin, you should get a 5-needle magnum.
The tattoos with larger outlines should take a 17-gauge needle. So, tattooing out your bicep will require 17 needles in total.
You can use this as an estimate to determine what size needles to buy and how many to use on any given area of the body.
So, I have established that larger needles are for big tattoos. However, in terms of the finest details and tattooing a small area, such as an eye or nostril, you need smaller needles.
For example, New Hands Tattoo Company uses 7 needles, each 0.07mm wide.
What Needle Is Right for Each Size?
| Needles | Size |
| Small Magnums (5-9 needles) | 0.8×0.6mm-2-2.5×0.5mm |
| Medium Magnums (7-11 needles) | 0.9×0.7mm-2.2×0.6mm |
| Small Flats (7-9 needles) | 0.4×0.5mm-1×0.8mm |
| Large Flats (11 needles) | 0.5×0.6mm-1.v2x1mm |
| Large Magnum (17 needles) | 1x1xm |
| Small rounds | 0.7×0.5mm |
| Medium rounds | 0.9×0.6mm |
| Large rounds | 1x1xm |
Do You Drag the Needle When Tattooing?
Yes! If you’ve ever been tattooed, chances are your artist dragged the needle across your skin with their hand.
That’s because a machine-powered tattoo gun is much difficult to control on a surface like an arm.
But before you get mad at your artist for not using a machine, know that many artists use this technique because it can be more comfortable and less painful to the client.
While there are some benefits, there are also some disadvantages to this technique.
For instance, the machine speed requires less skill so the artist can go faster. The consistency of a machine gun tattoo is also easier for an artist to achieve.
But there are drawbacks as well. The biggest problem is that you may get more redness and irritation from this method than from a hand drag.
If you’re new to tattoos, that’s most likely what happens to you when someone drags their needle across your skin with their hand.
Another potential problem is that the machine gun tattoo can leave your skin looking redder than a hand drag, making your client self-conscious.
The redness and irritation can also make you sweat more, which may cause more irritation later in the day.
How Far Should a Needle Stick Out When Tattooing?
The tip of the needle should be at most 2mm and no less than 1mm. Only real artists know if their design is complete, but you should hide the needle tip for beginners.
Always ensure that you place the needle below the skin’s surface and that the skin stops it. This will help to prevent any accidents from occurring.
You’ll also want to track which areas of your body you will be tattooing on and what type of ink you use. Some areas of the body need more time to tattoo, so get all the details about your tattoo before you start.
The needle tip should not be visible, and you should barely see it.
Recently I had a client who wanted a tribal tattoo larger than usual. She liked it because it wasn’t too big or too small for her body, and she loved how unique it looked on her arms.
She said she liked how pretty it looked and even asked me where I got my hands on such nice designs.
Although she liked the tattoo well enough, once we got to do some intricate work on it, she felt something was off, and it was bothering her.
I asked her what was bothering her, and she told me that I hadn’t put the tip of my needle in the skin.
The needle has barely entered the skin and is about 1/4 inch away from going in.
It’s not the end if you have a small tattoo, but it is important to know about this so you don’t cause any damage.
If your needle doesn’t go all the way in, you are leaving yourself open for infection, which is bad for your health. When working with needles, we all want to stay safe and healthy.
Why Do Tattoo Artists Dip the Needle in Water?
1. Sterile Technique
The tattoo artist uses a sprayed or dipped needle to pick up a piece of sterile equipment every time they start a new client, so they don’t place the needle on someone else’s skin.
2. To Prevent Skin Irritation
Dirty water can transmit harmful bacteria and viruses. As the tattooist, you may bring them onto your customers’ bodies by dipping the needle in dirty water.
Therefore, you should use clean water to dip the needle to avoid infecting your clients with disease-causing microorganisms that might be in the water and to protect their health and body art.
3. Better Ink Flow
It can influence the ink flow and cause a blotchy effect or unevenness on the skin. The tattooist needs to make a clear and neat tattoo using clean water.
4. Stay Healthy
Ink needles may contain bloodborne pathogens, so you should use clean water to dip the needle before touching your skin.
5. Staying Up To Date With Regulations
Applying your customers with permanent body art is a great responsibility. You must be aware of recent regulations and updates to standards that affect the tattoo industry.
For example, when you dip the needle in water before performing a tattoo, they should consider standard health and safety even more crucial than before.
As it protects your customers from disease-causing microorganisms and workers’ compensation claims arising from aftercare.
Green SOAP- Use Guide
As a tattoo artist, Place the soap into a spray bottle or an air-tight container and spray on the area you want to tattoo.
You can also soak a small piece of cloth or paper in water, wrap it up, and apply it to the area, or add some baking soda to the soapy water and apply by hand.
The soap will clean the tattooed area and wash away after you wipe the skin with a wet towel. It will leave your skin smooth and make your tattoo’s color brighter.
If you feel too dry after healing, apply moisturizer regularly to keep your skin smooth and supple.
Wash your hands before and after using green soap to avoid infection. This soap is not recommended for people with redness, inflammation, or sensitive skin.
After cleansing your skin with soapy water, gently pat dry and apply moisturizer.
That’s it. Green soap is easy to use, safe for the skin and works wonders on tattoos.
Conclusion
Green soap is the best thing in the world for clean tattoos and healthy skin. Wear rubber gloves to keep the bacteria from entering your skin and prevent infection.
It is also a great idea to clean each needle before you use it on your customers, as it can protect them from any disease or pain.
