EIKON TEAM | PUBLISHED MAY 30, 2025

Heads-Up… The information below is based on Tattoo Artists’ experience and is not a substitute for medical advice. For questions about safety and proper usage, please check with the Manufacturers.

Numbing creams and sprays are starting to take over in shops, and on the convention floor… The good old days of numbing the pain with something a little more, shall we say… “natural” 💨, are long gone and Lidocaine is the new drug of choice for today's collector. With that in mind, let’s tap our powerhouse Customer Service team to answer the question we get at every convention, from artists and collectors alike: “What’s the best numbing cream/spray?”

The short answer is...

It depends on you, your client, and when and how you plan to use it. So let’s just look at the 3 brands we carry and run down: how to get the most out of each one, and your hard earned $$$.

Bactine Numbing Spray | Takes The Edge Off

Bactine: We’re starting here not only because it's the least expensive option, but coming in at around $8CAD a bottle, it also has the smallest amount of Lidocaine (2%), making it less potent than the other brands we offer.

Bactine does its best work on open skin, and with only 2% Lidocaine it won't completely numb the skin, but just takes the edge off. It’s not meant to be a “tap out” blocker, so to get the most out of Bactine, some artists like to add it to their washbottle to provide a little extra comfort with each and every wipe, all session long…

Bactine doesn’t contain any vasorestrictors and won’t leave the skin with that dreaded “mushy” feel that other numbing sprays and creams are notorious for.

📌 Insider Tip

Bactine Max has more Lidocaine (4%) than classic Bactine (2%), but it’s not legally available in Canada, and you may run into issues with your Health Department if they spot it on your station, or if your client has a reaction. So, although I know it's tempting, try to avoid this product when cruising Amazon and US-based suppliers. This doesn’t just apply to Bactine Max - check with your supplier, or look for a DIN number to ensure that the numbing product you’re using is approved for use in Canada.

Zensa Numbing Cream | Stronger, Lasts Longer

Zensa: Looking for something with more numbing power? Zensa contains 5% Lidocaine, which is the legal limit in Canada. Zensa made its name in the permanent cosmetic business and in salons and spas, but it was quickly picked up by tattooists due to the product’s effectiveness and lack of vasorestrictors which, as mentioned above, can really fuck with the skin and your ability to put ink into it.

Being a cream-based product, Zensa does its best work when applied to the skin 30-45 minutes before you start the tattooing process. Although each client is different, you can expect to get about 2-3 hours of comfort out of your first round, and depending on the part of the body, session length, or your client’s stamina, you’ll probably need to reapply once or twice. You CAN use Zensa on open skin, and because the skin is broken it should start to kick in quicker than the initial 30-45 minutes it took in the first round. That said, you may want to take a mini-break and let Zensa do its thing before starting back up. (your clients will thank you)

📌 Insider Tip 1

In addition to 5% Lidocaine, Zensa is also packed with Vitamin E which acts as an anti-inflammatory. This not only kickstarts the healing process, but the reduction of swelling and redness will also help keep your clients comfortable.

📌 Insider Tip 2

Numbing isn't cheap, and it’s a service you can sell to your client… That's why we sell Zensa for $35CAD, which leaves you plenty of room to sell a tube to your clients for less than they would pay at their local pharmacy, or directly from Zensa.

The Solution & The Solution 2.0 | Even More Numbing Power...

The Solution: This Canadian brand of numbing spray packs a huge punch, and their Original formula which contains 5% Lidocaine and 1% Epinephrine is easily the most popular product we sell because it's fast acting, and long lasting.

The Solution is available in two options...

With Epinephrine (Classic Formula), and without (2.0 Formula). Epinephrine is one of those nasty (but helpful) vasorestrictors we mentioned previously. On the plus side, Epinephrine will help the numbing spray stay localised and will keep your clients numb for much longer than both Zensa and Bactine. How long? Well that once again depends on your clients, but we have heard stories of 6-8hrs or more. Now for the bad news, Epinephrine does its job by constricting the blood vessels, which keeps the lidocaine in place, but also makes it hard to put ink into the skin, and often produces that mushy skin feeling that artists loathe. To avoid this, check out The Solution 2.0 which has the epinephrine removed, but still contains the 5% lidocaine pain fighting power you're looking for.

Coming in at just over $55CAD a bottle, The Solution is the most expensive numbing option in the Eikon store, but many artists tell us that its strength, as well as quick-action and ease of application, make it worth every penny.

📌 Insider Tip

This one goes for all numbing products - You really want to clean the skin well before bandaging to ensure that none of the Lidocaine remains on the surface of the skin. If you’re using a product with Lidocaine, we’d also recommend not using a derm or transparent bandage to avoid trapping any Lidocaine under it, which can cause, let's just say: “seriously unwanted” reactions.

There you have it - three different numbing agents, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. As we mentioned earlier, please check with the Manufacturer to learn more about safely using numbing creams or sprays on your clients.