The longer version.

We left the city for a life in the country in 2017. We wanted to know where our food came from, and maybe grow some of it. We wanted to consume less and use less. We wanted to be more responsible and more connected with the land.

It all started with a large garden and some chickens - chickens are the gateway animal.

Then there were pigs. Four, well-mannered, somewhat hairy, heritage breed Kunekune pigs to be precise. They grew and foraged in the sunshine of our pastures with our love and respect. In raising livestock, we were determined to honor absolutely every ounce of their sacrifice. But what do you do with all of that pig tallow?

Well, you make soap.

With the fat and lye, soap happens. Add some flowers from the garden, or wildflowers from the field, and something else happens. Something special.

And then one day…

One day my husband came home from Ad Rem Tattoo in Sacramento (My husband and I are avid tattoo collectors), only to discover he was out of the tattoo aftercare product he had used for years. Shortages due to COVID made ordering more impossible.

People actively involved in the tattoo community understand that when you wait 6 - 12 months for an appointment with a world-class artist, protecting that art investments is crucial. Poor aftercare can mean ink loss and scabbing, which can lead to scarring; nobody invests in art at this level to neglect proper aftercare.

I had been experimenting with hand balms that included calendula and St. John’s Wort that grew wild on our property. In an act of desperation, I modified a hand balm I had made, and gave it to him to try. He was skeptical, but tried it anyway.

After seven days, his new tattoo was completely healed with no ink loss.

For my husband, the balm I made grossly outperformed the commercially available aftercare products. He was shocked, and so he told our favorite tattoo artist at Ad Rem in Sacramento about it. Chris Parker was the first tattoo artist to begin selling the product in his shop.

• Check out his amazing work on insta: @chris_parkerart or @chrisparkerdesigns

• Check out Ad Rem - the BEST tattoo shop in Sacramento: @ad_rem_sacramento

Then others tried.

--------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Francesca Sotelo <francescasotelo96@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Jan 30, 2021, 9:01 AM
Subject: New ink ointment review
To: <customerservice@suncupssoap.com>

The new ink ointment is absolutely incredible. I do not know where to begin because it has truly changed the healing process for me with new tattoos. I’ve now used it twice on two large tattoos and I never lost any color deposit as well as my tattoos not being so itchy and flaky. I think this stuff is worth every penny because it is truly so gentle and works wonders on my skin.

Warm regards, Francesca Shoemaker