Numbing & aftercare
Sit still.
Enjoy the
chair.
Topical numbing that states its actual strength on the label, plus the aftercare that gets you through the fortnight afterwards. No mystery percentages, no greasy film, no nonsense.
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How it actually works
Blocked signals, not bravery
Lidocaine sits in the top layers of the skin and stops sodium channels in the local nerve endings from firing. The signal never reaches your brain, so there is nothing to grit your teeth through. It wears off cleanly as the skin metabolises it — usually inside three to four hours.
The part most brands skip: a topical anaesthetic is only as good as the base carrying it. Ours is water-based and built to move lidocaine through the stratum corneum on a predictable schedule, which is why we can tell you forty minutes and mean it.
Made for the chair
Wipes clean.
Keeps the stencil.
Water-based throughout, so there is no oily film left on the skin for a stencil to slide on or a needle to drag through. It is the first thing artists ask about, and the reason most of them stop objecting once they read the label.
Four steps
Get it right the first time
Most disappointing results come down to application, not the product. This takes five minutes to read and saves you a painful afternoon.
Clean
Wipe the area and let it dry. Cream on greasy skin does very little.
Apply thick
A visible layer, not rubbed in. Rubbing it in wastes it.
Cover & wait
Cling film or a sleeve for 40 minutes. Set a timer.
Wipe & sit
Remove it all, dry the skin, and let your artist work.
Straight comparison
What to look for
Not a dig at anyone in particular — just the five things worth checking on any numbing product before you buy it, ours included.
| Check | STNC Co. | Common practice |
|---|---|---|
| Active strength | Printed on the label — 5% lidocaine, verified per batch | “Maximum strength” with no number anywhere on the box |
| Onset | 40 minutes, consistently, because the base is built to carry it | Anywhere from 20 minutes to never |
| Broken skin | Top-Up Spray is formulated for it; the creams say so plainly | Rarely mentioned, which is its own answer |
| Stencil safety | Water-based, wipes off clean, no oily film left behind | Greasy bases that lift stencils and irritate artists |
| What is in it | Full INCI list on every page before you buy | Ingredients hidden until the box arrives |
Reviews
From the chair
Four hours, no fidgeting
Half-sleeve, second sitting. I used the cream at home and my artist topped me up twice with the spray. I could actually hold still, which he appreciated more than I did.
Verified buyer
Ribs were survivable
I will not pretend it was pleasant, but it was a completely different experience to my last rib piece. The Max cream is the real thing.
Verified buyer
The balm is the quiet hero
Bought it as an afterthought with a kit. It is the product I have reordered three times. Nothing else stopped the day-five itch.
Verified buyer
Questions
The ones we get most
How far ahead should I put it on?
Forty minutes for the Signature cream, forty-five for Max, thirty for the gel. Any less and you are sitting down before it has worked; much more and you are simply waiting.
Will it affect how the tattoo takes?
Not if you remove it properly. Our formulas are water-based and wipe off completely, leaving no film for the stencil or the needle to fight. Leave residue on the skin and any numbing product will cause problems — that is true of every brand.
Can I use it once the skin is broken?
Only the Top-Up Spray. The creams and the gel are for intact skin before the session starts. This is a genuine safety line, not a marketing one.
What if my artist objects?
Ask them first, always. Some artists have had bad experiences with greasy products that ruin a stencil. Show them the ingredient list — most are fine once they see it is water-based and wipes clean.