Why Not All Saline Is Created Equal: Choosing the Right Aftercare for Your Piercing

At Essential Ink Body Art, we care about more than just giving you a beautiful new piercing—we want to make sure it heals properly, too. One of the biggest mistakes we see people make during aftercare is using the wrong type of saline solution. Sure, the pharmacy shelves are full of “saline” products, but here’s the truth: not all saline is safe for your healing piercing.

Let’s break down why wound wash saline is the only saline you should be using—and why contact lens and sinus rinses just don’t make the cut.

🔍 Not All Saline is the Same

✅ Wound Wash Saline (The One You Want)

Wound wash saline is specifically made for cleaning open wounds—like a fresh piercing. It’s sterile, isotonic (that means it matches your body’s natural salt levels), and free from any additives, preservatives, or chemicals. It’s usually packaged in a pressurized can, which keeps it sterile every time you spray it. That’s what makes it safe, gentle, and effective for your piercing.

This is the type of saline we recommend and carry at Essential Ink Body Art.

🚫 Contact Lens Solution

This one’s a big no-no. Contact solution is made for rinsing lenses—not skin. It often contains preservatives like boric acid or sodium borate to keep your contacts clean. While that’s fine for eyes, those same ingredients can irritate or dry out a healing piercing and delay the healing process. Bottom line: keep this one for your lenses only.

🚫 Sinus Rinse Saline

Sinus rinses are made for nasal irrigation, not wound care. They may include baking soda to buffer the solution for comfort in the nose—but that added ingredient can be too harsh for fresh piercings. Plus, once you mix the solution yourself (which many kits require), it’s no longer sterile. That introduces bacteria, which is the last thing you want near a new piercing.

💡 Why Sterility and Simplicity Matter

A healing piercing is an open wound. That means you need a solution that’s sterile, non-irritating, and free of unnecessary ingredients. Wound wash saline checks all those boxes. It keeps your piercing clean without disrupting your body’s natural healing process.

Look for:

Brands like NeilMed, H2Ocean, or Simply Saline Wound Wash are all solid choices. And yes—we keep it in stock for you here at Essential Ink Body Art.

✅ Piercing Aftercare, the Right Way

To recap:

Product Type	Safe for Piercings?	Why / Why Not
Wound Wash Saline	✅ Yes	Sterile, no additives, made for wounds
Contact Lens Solution	❌ No	Contains preservatives, not meant for broken skin
Sinus Rinse Saline	❌ No	May contain baking soda, not sterile once mixed

Our Final Word

Your piercing deserves the best care. Don’t risk irritation, delayed healing, or infection by using the wrong kind of saline. Stick with a sterile wound wash saline and follow our recommended aftercare routine.

Still unsure what to use or how to use it? Stop by the shop, shoot us a message, or give us a call. We’ve got your back (and your ears, nose, belly, and brows).

Stay safe, stay clean, and keep shining ✨— The Essential Ink Body Art Team