Indie brand invigorates tattoo after care space with ‘first of its kind’ tattoo repair patch launch

Recently, indie tattoo care product company Mad Rabbit released its Tattoo Repair Patch, the first of its kind in the category, according to the brand. The company, which recently had its Enhance Tattoo Balm Stick recognized by BEAUTYSTREAMS CosmoTrends report​ at this year’s Cosmoprof convention in Las Vegas, is rapidly gaining market share in the niche tattoo after care category with its innovative product launches.

To learn more about the formulation and development process for the Tattoo Repair Patch, the product launch’s potential impact on the personal care product industry, and next steps for the Mad Rabbit brand in this space, CosmeticsDesign spoke to Erin Murray, SVP of Marketing at Mad Rabbit for her insights.

About the Tattoo Repair Patch

When the Mad Rabbit product research and development team approached the formulation process for the Tattoo Repair Patch, it took “several iterations to get this right​,” said Murray, with important considerations in mind like “how do we address sensitive skin, what is the right size for the patch based on our customer demographics, how do we keep it stable using biodegradable packaging​,” she explained. Further, she added, “the formulation was just as important - we needed to ensure the ingredients combined a series of benefits but also followed high clean standards- from pain relief support, UV resistance, soothing and cooling​.”

The final iteration of the Tattoo Repair Patch incorporates a latex-free design with ingredients including D-Panthenol to nourish damaged skin, olive leaf extract to reduce inflammation, glycerin to preserve the skin’s natural moisture, and a proprietary 3D hydrogel matrix to create a breathable protective layer, according to the company’s website. Additionally, the product is designed to help damaged skin recover, provide instant cooling and soothing relief, and protect skin from up to 99.8% of UV rays which can potentially damage new tattoos.

To produce the Tattoo Repair Patch, Mad Rabbit partnered with a “manufacturer who is an expert in patch technology to ensure seamless integration​,” Murray said. However, even with the assistance of an expert manufacturer in production, “there were some challenges when initially bringing this product to market- making it as clean as possible while also following our sustainability guidelines as a brand​,” she shared. Therefore, multiple iterations of the product in the development phase were necessary, “particularly with sustainable packaging that also still felt in line with our packaging standards​” to bring the final version to market, she explained.

Prior to launch, the Mad Rabbit team also applied rigorous product efficacy testing to ensure that the product was effective for consumer use. Said Murray, “There were clinical tests done to support the effectiveness as well as strict dermatology testing and UV protection testing to ensure the product was superior for aiding in the recovery of new tattoos​.”

Industry impact and next steps

The Tattoo Repair Patch launch is not only notable because it is the ‘first product of its kind​,’ said Murray, but because “within the industry there is so much saturation with products that feel duplicative with minimal innovation​.” Further, she added, “while this is great in terms of category distortion, true innovation in the space gets a bit muddled​.”

Therefore, she explained, “the impact of this product is to really change the way we think about immediate tattoo care and that industry has not changed significantly in the last thirty years​.” This is particularly significant to both product manufacturers and consumers alike as “with the addition to irritating synthetic ingredients, the need to change our approach needed to happen​,” she said, adding that “through smart technology and cleaner ingredients there’s an opportunity to rethink skincare and skin recovery, specifically in the tattoo space​.”

As an innovative product, Mad Rabbit’s approach to evaluate consumer demand for the Tattoo Repair Patch “will be measured across DTC, retailer sales vehicles, and demand from the professional space, as well as in comparison to our additional aftercare products in terms of performance​,” shared Murray.

Moving forward, she confirmed the brand has further plans to continue to innovate product options in this category, as the “aftercare space continues to need iteration and innovation to support the growing consumer and professional landscape​.”