Anchor and Bliss: One tattoo at a time

Posted on 5 March, 2015

My brother is a proud wearer of tattoos. He’s gathered himself quite the collection over the years and takes a lot of pride in letting them be seen. Since inking himself, it’s become apparent to him just how limited his options are when it comes to tattoo skincare.

Tattoos are relatively expensive and a lifetime choice that means looking after them is a must. Not only do you want them to look as good as the day you first got it but you also want them to keep from fading.

Local couple Andy and Bec Losik have created the solution — a high quality natural moisturiser to highlight and care for your tattoos, good enough (and affordable enough) for everyday use.

It took Andy and Bec nine months to not only research ingredients but create many, many test batches which they ran by medical practitioners and naturopaths. The sheer effort into creating the product itself speaks volumes about their commitment.

“We were down the coast with family around May last year, taking some time out when we really hit on the idea of making our own oil moisturiser,” shares Bec.

With 12 tattoos between the couple it’s no surprise they take tattoo maintenance very seriously.

“We get our tattoos to commemorate significant events and moments in our lives – good and bad. The process can be quite cathartic. Most recently Andy got a set of headphones in memory of his father. He also has a tattoo on his forearm as a tribute to our dog Luffy.”

As one with no tattoos, curiosity got the better of me and other than knowing to keep a fresh tattoo protected from the elements (to prevent infection), I really had no idea that tattoos required ongoing maintenance.

“Sun damage and unhealthy skin can make tattoos age and fade more quickly – the ink breaks down and is dealt with by the lymphatic system,” explains Bec.

While Andy and Bec have created a wonderful product, they face the same issue most small business start-ups do — generating the funds to create that first big batch so they can head to market. To combat this problem, they’ve created an online campaign to get started because if you have enough people backing your idea, chances are there are even more people out there that can benefit from it.

The cool part about the campaign is if you donate just $50 you not only get a sticker set, badges and a discount code, you’ll also get your very own product.

The current range ready for production once Bec and Andy hit their target include Bare Bones – an unscented version for those with extra sensitive skin; Mother’s Ruin – a fresh scent containing eucalyptus and mint; and Fleet Street Barbershop – a scent that evokes an old-fashioned shave with juniper berry and sweet orange.

All three product lines are vegan, natural, not tested on animals as well as alcohol and paraben free. They come in bottles from Australia’s first certified carbon-neutral bottle manufacturer.

Bec explains, “Our initial funding goal will cover about half the cost of the first production run. It would obviously be amazing to exceed that goal and fully fund the run, but we thought that half was a more achievable starting point.”

The campaign is currently sitting just past $2,750 with 17 days to go. If this is a product you would use then it’s worth donating any amount, big or small, to help get it off the ground.

To donate visit the Anchor & Bliss campaign site. You can also find Anchor & Bliss on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Photography by Jess Abigail, Doug Hall from Studio Vita and Sharon Bulkeley.