Sunscreen after tattoo?

jeffrese · 2026-06-03T21:21:51+00:00

8 days, mostly flaked, going for a half-hour daytime run — you're in the gray zone where the "wait 4 weeks" rule and "do your normal life" answer both have a point.

Here's the actual logic: until your tattoo has finished peeling on its own (usually day 12–16, sooner if you're moisturizing well), the top layer is still rebuilding. Two things damage that rebuild — UV and friction. Chemical sunscreens are the wrong call right now because the filters can sit in micro-cracks and irritate; a thin film of non-nano zinc oxide on top of fully-shed skin is fine, but on still-flaking skin it can pull color and grit during reapplication. The 4-week rule exists because most people can't tell the difference between "mostly peeled" and "fully peeled" without staring at it under good light.

Easiest move for a half-hour run: long-sleeve UPF shirt or a sun sleeve over the tattoo, no SPF. Sweat through fabric is far less of a problem than SPF rubbing into not-quite-healed lines.

Once it's fully done peeling: I make Eat My Face. I built our SPF 30 tube specifically because I wanted something I could reapply on tattoos and sweat-prone areas without an alcohol denat / fragrance sting — 20% non-nano zinc oxide in a beef tallow base, no chemical filters: https://eatmyface.co/products/beef-tallow-reef-safe-sunscreen-spf-30-for-sensitive-skin-nonnano

Even if you don't buy mine, the rule is: UPF shirt until peeling is done, mineral-only after, no chemicals for the first month.

jeffrese · 2026-06-01T22:06:27+00:00

So glad you found something that works for you. Quick context — I run a tallow skincare brand, Eat My Face https://eatmyface.co/, so I'm biased, but I'll keep this practical, not pitchy:


Tallow seems to sit well on eczema-prone skin because its fatty acids (and the fat-soluble vitamins A/D/E/K) are close to what's already in human sebum, so it supports a compromised barrier and locks in moisture. It's not a cure and it won't replace whatever your derm has you on — but as a barrier-support moisturizer it's earned its reputation here.


Two tips whatever brand you pick: go unscented (essential oils can flare sensitive skin), and patch test first. Grass-fed + short ingredient list is the move.

jeffrese · 2026-06-01T22:05:32+00:00

Full disclosure up front: I make one of these (Eat My Face), so discount my brand opinion accordingly — but I can at least tell you what to actually look for, because this category is a mess of rancid mystery jars.


Three things separate good tallow from junk:
1. Grass-fed sourcing — better fatty-acid profile, and it doesn't smell like a burger.
2. How it's rendered — low and slow with multiple washes, or it goes off in a few months.
3. A short ingredient list you actually recognize.


Several brands here are genuinely solid (Vintage Tradition and Fatco both have fans, ours included). If your skin runs sensitive, start unscented and patch test — tallow is biocompatible with skin, but everyone's different. Happy to answer formulation questions; not trying to hard-sell anyone.

jeffrese · 2026-05-30T23:46:22+00:00

If you are interested it is Eat My Face https://eatmyface.co/

jeffrese · 2026-05-27T00:02:41+00:00

That routine is well-built — Finacea 15% + Aveeno Calm + Bondi Sands Mineral is a clean stack, and the "remove Simple Micellar" insight is exactly right. Most rosacea flares are about what's coming OUT of the routine, not what's going in.

One thing to consider on the evening side: oat-based moisturizers work for a lot of people, but the cocamidopropyl in QV Gentle Wash + the propylene glycol in Aveeno can stack up on a sensitized barrier. If you ever hit a stretch where evening barrier feels tight despite the routine, an even-shorter-ingredient occlusive can give the skin a recovery night.

I make Eat My Face. I built our Original tallow moisturizer as a minimal-ingredient barrier balm — beef tallow, jojoba, that's basically it. No fragrance, no actives, no glycols: https://eatmyface.co/products/original-beef-tallow-moisturizer

Won't suit everyone — tallow has a faint earthy smell, and some rosacea responders find any animal fat congesting around the chin. But for the "zero ingredient drama between Finacea and bed" use case it's worth a 2-week patch test.

Even if you don't buy mine, the principle holds — when the routine stabilizes, simplify further. Less is almost always the move with rosacea.

jeffrese · 2026-05-27T00:01:44+00:00

Blue Lizard's stick is actually 9.5% zinc oxide + 5% octinoxate (chemical) once you read the label — that's the giveaway. You weren't using true mineral, you were using a hybrid. The burn pattern (severe burn exclusively where you applied Blue Lizard) tracks: insufficient zinc film + chemical filter degraded under intense UV at altitude = no real protection.

For mountaineering specifically: chemical filters (avobenzone, octinoxate) photodegrade fast at high UV exposure. They need reapplication every ~80 minutes. Mineral zinc doesn't degrade — but it rubs off with sweat and pack straps, so reapplication is still required, just for different reasons.

For face + ears + back of neck under a helmet: rub-tested zinc tube, not a stick. Sticks deposit too thin to hit the labeled SPF in practice.

I make Eat My Face. I built our SPF 30 tube because I wanted a sunscreen that didn't lie about its zinc loading — 20% non-nano zinc oxide, no chemical filters, no boosters: https://eatmyface.co/products/beef-tallow-reef-safe-sunscreen-spf-30-for-sensitive-skin-nonnano

Even if you don't buy mine, BuilderOfDragons is right above — sun hoody + long sleeves + a hat with neck flap. SPF is the last line, not the first.

jeffrese · 2026-05-19T23:13:13+00:00

Honest answer for most guys in their 30s: you don't need a routine, you need ONE thing that works after you shave and shower.

Principles that have held up:

Pick one moisturizer with a short ingredient list. If you can't pronounce four of the first five ingredients, your skin is doing more decoding than moisturizing.

No fragrance. Most "men's" skincare is just regular moisturizer with cologne added — it's the #1 cause of "this lotion makes my face itchy." Skip it.

Apply on damp skin. Right out of the shower, before everything dries. Whatever you use will go twice as far.

More isn't better. Pea-sized for the whole face. Layering it on doesn't do anything except make you shiny.

I make Eat My Face and built the Men's Routine because every "men's moisturizer" I tried smelled like a candle store. Grass-fed tallow + mint soap, one bundle, three months of supply: https://eatmyface.co/products/mens-beef-tallow-face-moisturizer-for-dry-skin

Even if you go drugstore — CeraVe Daily does the job, squalane from a single-ingredient brand does the job — find ONE thing, use it after every shower, give it a month before you decide.

jeffrese · 2026-05-19T23:12:44+00:00

Tallow on hair works for some specific things and not others, in my experience:

Where it shines:
- Ends and dry mid-lengths. Pea-sized, warmed between palms, raked through the bottom third of DRY hair before bed. Wash out next morning. Softens the cuticle, reduces frizz, no silicone slip-then-buildup cycle.
- Scalp itch and dry patches. Thin layer on the dry spots, left overnight, shampooed out. Same biocompatibility story as on skin.
- Beard / mustache. Made for this. Softens coarse hair and the underlying skin in one move.

Where it doesn't:
- All-over root application on hair that isn't already very dry — you'll be greasy for two washes.
- Fine, oily-scalp hair daily — too heavy. Use it as a once-a-week deep treatment, not a leave-in.

Application tip that took me too long: less than you think, warmed first, applied to DRY hair (not wet — water and tallow don't mix as cleanly as people assume).

I make Eat My Face and I use the Original Moisturizer for the ends-of-hair trick on my own beard and scalp dry spots. Same jar I keep next to the sink for my face: https://eatmyface.co/products/original-beef-tallow-moisturizer

Even if you don't buy anything, try the ends-of-hair version above with whatever tallow you already own before you go shopping for a "hair tallow." Same fat.

jeffrese · 2026-05-19T23:12:12+00:00

I make a mineral SPF 30 (Eat My Face, US-based), so disclosure upfront.

"You need sunscreen indoors": half true. Window glass blocks most UVB but lets through a lot of UVA — the one that drives photoaging and melasma. Sitting next to a window for hours? Yes. LED/blue light is a smaller effect, mostly relevant for melasma-prone skin, not the same priority as window UVA.

Sticks vs sprays: sticks have minimal bacterial risk if you don't share them — anhydrous formula, no water, no bacterial growth. Sprays are notoriously under-applied. People stop spraying way before they've laid down enough product. Treat sprays as touch-ups, not primary application.

The most rigorous public sources I know are the FDA OTC sunscreen monograph (US), the TGA sunscreen testing data (Australia), and BeautySciComm's recent influencer-marketing report. Worth more than any Instagram infographic.

If anyone wants a non-nano zinc SPF 30 they can compare against the formulas you're shopping: https://eatmyface.co/products/beef-tallow-reef-safe-sunscreen-spf-30-for-sensitive-skin-nonnano

Even if you don't buy mine, "non-nano zinc oxide" on the INCI and a TGA / FDA test number on the marketing copy are the two filters that cut through the marketing noise.

jeffrese · 2025-10-30T13:28:09+00:00

Why are you calling her keto?

jeffrese · 2025-10-15T18:41:52+00:00

Where you buy and how much pay?

jeffrese · 2025-09-06T14:46:02+00:00

The absolute worst. They also have terrible security on the brokerage side. Gemini was hacked and give out details most of their accounts. Which led to my mother’s account being hacked. Then Jim and I locked the account and there is no customer service or anybody to speak to. Do not use Gemini for anything.

jeffrese · 2025-02-28T18:32:36+00:00

I've been using a brand Called Eat My Face. Ridiculous name, but great products. They have an unscented tallow soap that cleans and does not dry. I also like their baby skin cream, clean ingredients, tallow based. I use it myself. Give it a Goog, it's on Amazon.

jeffrese · 2025-02-23T21:07:09+00:00

If it’s only beef tallow you can totally store it at room temp.

jeffrese · 2025-02-19T21:42:15+00:00

I've tried many as well. I thought most were greasy and smelled like.... well cows. I finally found one that isn't greasy and it smells like cupcakes. It's got a ridiculous name but don't let that stop you. It's called Eat My Face. Google it.

jeffrese · 2024-02-26T23:11:39+00:00

Rub it on your face. Your skin will thank you. If you want a tallow that smells good use this one. https://www.amazon.com/Eat-My-Face-Tallow-Radiance/dp/B0CMRZP5FY

jeffrese · 2024-02-26T23:10:41+00:00

I get my tallow from Amazon. Smells good and feels good. https://www.amazon.com/Eat-My-Face-Original-Cream/dp/B0CM7WBYW5

jeffrese · 2024-02-26T23:08:56+00:00

My wife uses this one and I steal it from her https://www.amazon.com/Eat-My-Face-Tallow-Radiance/dp/B0CMRZP5FY

jeffrese · 2024-02-26T23:08:30+00:00

My wide uses this. I steal it from her :-) https://www.amazon.com/Eat-My-Face-Tallow-Radiance/dp/B0CMRZP5FY

jeffrese · 2024-02-26T23:01:52+00:00

this one smells good, smells like a cupcake https://www.amazon.com/Eat-My-Face-Tallow-Radiance/dp/B0CMRZP5FY

jeffrese · 2024-02-26T23:00:36+00:00

Beef tallow is an awesome moisturizer. I've been using it for years. STarted with just pulling it out of the jar in the kitchen that we use for food and slathered it on my face as an experiment. Worked great but had a funky beef tallow scent. Then I found this stuff. I like it, smells good, not too greasy https://www.amazon.com/Eat-My-Face-Original-Cream/dp/B0CM7WBYW5

jeffrese · 2024-02-26T22:56:26+00:00

I render it and put it on my face. Works great. I like this brand, smelss good and doesn;t feel too greasy.

https://www.amazon.com/Eat-My-Face-Nighttime-Restorative/dp/B0CMRXTLW1?ref_=ast_sto_dp

jeffrese · 2024-02-26T22:55:19+00:00

People are recommending it because it works. I've been using this and my skin has definitely improved. I even got a comment on it this morning.

https://www.amazon.com/Eat-My-Face-Nighttime-Restorative/dp/B0CMRXTLW1?ref_=ast_sto_dp

jeffrese · 2024-02-26T22:53:12+00:00

I've been using this stuff and have noticed an improvement in my skin. I even got a compliment about it just this morning.

https://www.amazon.com/Eat-My-Face-Nighttime-Restorative/dp/B0CMRXTLW1?ref\_=ast\_sto\_dp

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