Inkcare is a Japanese brand of tattoo-care products, sold online as Ink Care Product (Inkケアプロダクト). This page covers its two main products, After Care Cream (100g) and After Care UV sunscreen (60g): what the maker says they are for, when it suggests starting each one, and where to buy them in Japan. At the end there is a note for tattoo studios about wholesale orders through Inkcare's official LINE account.
Key takeaways
- Inkcare is a made-in-Japan tattoo-care brand sold by SOP JAPAN合同会社, a company based in Fukuoka
- After Care Cream (100g): the maker describes it as a moisturizing and protective cream for freshly tattooed skin, and suggests starting it around day 3
- After Care UV (60g): an SPF50+ PA++++ sunscreen made without chemical UV filters. The maker recommends it from at least 7 days after tattooing
- A Cleveland Clinic dermatologist advises no sunscreen on a tattoo until it has fully healed, so ask your artist when to start
- Both are sold on Amazon Japan and on Inkcare's own online store (in Japanese). Studios can order wholesale through the official LINE account
- Read our full tattoo aftercare guide for Japan
These are the two products covered here. While your tattoo heals, your artist's instructions come first.
* Some links include affiliate advertisements (PR).
What Is Inkcare?
Inkcare is a Japanese brand that makes care products for tattooed skin. Its online store is called Ink Care Product (Inkケアプロダクト), and the product names start with "Ink", as in Ink アフターケアクリーム (Ink After Care Cream). (Source: Ink Care Product official site (Japanese), Amazon Japan listing) The packaging carries the "Inkcare" logo, as you can see in the product photos above.
The seller is SOP JAPAN合同会社, a company in Fukuoka. (Source: Ink Care Product, legal notice under the Specified Commercial Transactions Act (Japanese))
On its official site, the maker explains why it created the cream: petroleum jelly felt too sticky to use under clothes, and imported aftercare creams had strong scents and a sticky feel. So the cream was developed with a Japanese manufacturer over several years and released in 2023. (Source: Ink Care Product, "How We Start 'Ink'")
Besides the two products on this page, the official store also sells a medicated After Care Wash (150ml) for cleansing. (Source: Ink Care Product official site)
After Care Cream vs After Care UV
| Item | After Care Cream | After Care UV |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Moisturizing cream | Sunscreen |
| Size | 100g (25g mini too) | 60g |
| Start (maker) | Around day 3 | From day 7 or later |
| Labeled as | No parabens, fragrance or dyes | SPF50+ PA++++, no UV absorbers |
| Scent | Geranium | Lavender and tea tree |
| Made in | Japan | Japan |
(Sources: After Care Cream on Amazon Japan, After Care UV on Amazon Japan (maker's descriptions and product details), Inkcare's "Day 1-3" care guide)
Inkcare After Care Cream (100g)
What the maker says about it
The maker describes After Care Cream as a moisturizing and protective cream for freshly tattooed skin. It comes in a 100g tube, and there is also a 25g mini size. According to the maker's description and product details on Amazon Japan: (Source: Amazon Japan listing)
- Made 100% in Japan
- Free of parabens, synthetic fragrance and colorants
- Stability-tested
- Geranium scent
- Shelf life: 3 years unopened, 1 year after opening
Water is the first item on the ingredient list. The maker highlights mastic oil (listed as mastic resin oil) and baobab seed oil as its main ingredients. (Source: Amazon Japan listing, maker's description and full ingredients)
The maker says the cream is not made with a petroleum jelly or oil base, and that both the cream and After Care UV use ingredients suitable for vegans. (Source: Ink Care Product, Q&A (Japanese))
When to start and how often to apply
The maker suggests applying nothing for the first two days and watching how the skin looks, then starting the cream around day 3, once redness and soreness settle and a thin layer of skin forms. (Source: Inkcare's "Day 1-3" care guide (Japanese))
On frequency, the maker says to apply it about three times a day (up to five, depending on the skin) once a thin scab forms, and that once a day is fine after about three weeks. (Source: Ink Care Product, Q&A)
In a Cleveland Clinic article, dermatologist Shilpi Khetarpal, MD, recommends a simple moisturizer or the ointment you were given, twice a day, while the tattoo heals. (Source: Cleveland Clinic, "Tattoo Aftercare: Instructions and Healing Tips" (March 2026)) What to use, when to start and how often: follow your artist.
Before you use it
If the tattoo is still oozing or bleeding days later, the maker itself says to see a dermatologist first. It also says the cream is not suited to lips or other mucous membranes. Fever, a bad smell or heavy discharge, pain that keeps getting worse, or redness that keeps spreading can be signs of infection: see a doctor right away. (Sources: Ink Care Product, Q&A, Cleveland Clinic)
Inkcare After Care UV Sunscreen (60g)
What the maker says about it
After Care UV is a 60g sunscreen that the maker sells as a sunscreen for tattooed skin. According to the maker's description and product details on Amazon Japan: (Source: Amazon Japan listing)
- SPF50+ and PA++++. As the maker explains, SPF is the UVB rating and PA is the UVA rating
- A non-chemical formula: no UV absorbers (chemical filters); it uses UV scattering agents instead
- Lavender and tea tree scent
- Water resistance: listed as not water-resistant
- Made in Japan
When to start: the maker and a Cleveland Clinic dermatologist differ
The maker recommends using it on skin at least seven days after tattooing, and warns against exposing a fresh tattoo to UV. (Source: Amazon Japan listing, maker's description)
The Cleveland Clinic dermatologist, on the other hand, advises keeping a tattoo out of direct sun and not putting sunscreen on it until it has fully healed. (Source: Cleveland Clinic)
Don't pick one yourself. Ask the artist who did your tattoo.
Once the tattoo has healed, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 or more, applied 15 minutes before you go outside and reapplied at least every two hours. (Source: AAD, "Caring for tattooed skin") After Care UV is listed as not water-resistant, so keep that in mind if you plan to swim or sweat.
After Care UV is also sold on Ink Care Product's official online store (in Japanese).
Aftercare Timeline: Where Each Product Fits In
The table puts advice from a Cleveland Clinic dermatologist and the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) next to the maker's guidance. Healing time depends on the size and placement of the tattoo. (Sources: Cleveland Clinic, AAD, Inkcare "Day 1-3", Inkcare Q&A, After Care UV on Amazon Japan)
| When | Cleveland Clinic and AAD | Inkcare's guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1–2 | Wash and moisturize twice a day | Apply nothing, watch the skin |
| Day 3 on | Don't pick the scabs | Cream once thin skin forms |
| Day 7 on | No sunscreen until healed | Maker recommends UV |
| Week 3 on | Keep washing and moisturizing | Cream once a day is fine |
| Once healed | Sunscreen, SPF 30+ | (not stated) |
The maker and the Cleveland Clinic dermatologist also differ on whether to moisturize in the first two days. Treat this as a rough guide. If your artist tells you something different, follow your artist. Aftercare instructions vary by studio, so it helps to ask during your consultation. You can find studios by area on our tattoo studio search.
For the full routine (taking off the wrap, washing, whether petroleum jelly is OK, and when you can go back into onsen and sento), see our aftercare guide.
If you are wondering how long the soreness lasts after a session, our tattoo pain guide covers that too.
Buying Inkcare in Japan
Both products are sold on Amazon Japan (amazon.co.jp) and on Inkcare's own online store, which is in Japanese. (Source: Ink Care Product official site) On Amazon Japan, the maker's description of the cream says it is sold in Japan, the United States and Singapore (as of September 2025). (Source: Amazon Japan listing)
Words that help when you shop in Japanese:
- アフターケアクリーム (afutākea kurīmu): aftercare cream
- 日焼け止め (hiyakedome): sunscreen
- タトゥー (tatū): tattoo
Wholesale for Tattoo Studios (Official LINE)
This section is a notice from Ink Care Product for tattoo studios.
We offer wholesale sales of various Ink Care Product items to studios. (Wholesale prices are available for orders of 10 units of each product! Please inquire about wholesale pricing via LINE.)
If you are interested, please contact the official Ink Care Product LINE.
Customers who order via LINE mentioning "Saw Tattoo Japan" (「Tattoo Japanを見て」) will receive one Aftercare Cream (Mini 25g / regular price 1650 yen) with their order.
Wholesale terms and the gift offer may change, so check the latest details on LINE.
FAQ
Are Inkcare and Ink Care Product the same?
Yes. The online store is called Ink Care Product (Inkケアプロダクト), the product names start with "Ink", and the packaging carries the "Inkcare" logo.
Can I use After Care Cream right after getting tattooed?
The maker suggests applying nothing for the first two days, then starting around day 3, once redness and soreness settle and a thin layer of skin forms. If your artist gives you different instructions, follow them.
When can I start using After Care UV?
The maker recommends waiting at least seven days after tattooing. A Cleveland Clinic dermatologist advises no sunscreen on the tattoo until it has fully healed. Ask your artist when to start.
Where can I buy Inkcare?
On Amazon Japan and on Ink Care Product's official online store (in Japanese).
Is Inkcare vegan?
The maker says After Care Cream and After Care UV use ingredients suitable for vegans. The medicated After Care Wash contains marine collagen, so the maker says it is not suitable for vegans.
How can a studio stock Inkcare?
Contact Ink Care Product's official LINE account. Wholesale prices apply to orders of 10 units of each product, and the prices are shared on LINE.
Summary
The maker describes Inkcare After Care Cream as a moisturizing and protective cream for freshly tattooed skin and suggests starting it around day 3. After Care UV is an SPF50+ PA++++ sunscreen that the maker recommends from at least seven days after tattooing.
On when to start sunscreen, the maker says from day 7, while a Cleveland Clinic dermatologist advises waiting until the tattoo has fully healed. Until it heals, your artist's instructions come first.
* Some links include affiliate advertisements (PR).
*Based on publicly available information as of October 2026. Product details and offers may change.
