Shirley McHattie founded The Aftercare Company (Registered as McHattie Enterprises Ltd) in 2000, following her first tattoo. The tattoo artist advised her to use Preparation H to help her skin heal. As a qualified aromatherapist, nurse, and natural health practitioner, Shirley decided to use her knowledge and blend her own recipe to heal her tattoo.

She then researched the available tattoo aftercare options. Since it was almost pre-Google days, she went to libraries and made many phone calls. Shirley discovered that apart from a fledgling company in the US, no one made an aftercare product specifically to heal skin after a tattoo. This insight led Shirley to develop and test her own product recipe.

Working from home with only £400 start-up capital, two daughters and a one-year old son, Tattoo Aftercare® was created.

Even in the early days this was a family business, with her young daughters helping label and pack boxes. As each year passed The Aftercare Company grew in size and strength and now supplies 5 main brands, Tattoo Aftercare®, Tattoo Aftercare Vegan®, BPA Piercing Aftercare®, Laser Aftercare® , Microblading Aftercare® which are sold to individuals and studios worldwide.

The company remains a true family business. Shirley and her family have always treated the business as the fourth child, nurturing and loving it every step of the way. Every customer is treated with care and consideration.

QUALITY

All our products are crafted in Laurencekirk, Scotland. Each jar and bottle is hand-blended with care by our dedicated team—a commitment that has helped us sell millions worldwide. Our workshop, nestled at the edge of the Grampian Mountains, provides the ideal setting for creating natural products.

Our manufacturing facility fully complies with the Good Manufacturing Standard, a recognized mark of excellence. We use only the finest ingredients from nature’s abundant pharmacopeia, ensuring our skincare products are entirely natural. None of our Aftercare products contain parabens, petroleum, lanolin, artificial food colours, or nut oils.

SALES

Orders can be placed by individual customers, studios, or salons either by calling directly or by placing an order online.

The Aftercare Company also partners with many established UK and international distributors who stock their products.

The Aftercare Company welcomes both new and established distributors worldwide to help expand their network. For more information about stocking their products, please email all inquiries to Shirley@theaftercarecompany.com.

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

1. 2025/2026  – Central England Prestige Awards – Specialist Skincare Brand of the Year
   
2. 2005/2026 Specialist Skincare Brand of the Year – Central Prestige Award
   
3. 2022/2023 Global Awards – Tattoo Aftercare of the Year – UK
   
4. 2021/2022 Livewire Global Awards – Tattoo Aftercare Company of the Year
   
5. 2020 UK Enterprise Awards – Best Sustainable Skincare Family Business
   
6. 2020 UK Enterprise Awards – Tattoo Aftercare Product Brand of the Year
   
7. 2020 UK Enterprise Awards – Best Sustainable Skincare Family Business
   
8. 2015 A1 Business Excellence Awards Skin Care Range of the Year
   
9. 2015 Nominated Businesswoman of the Year – Cheshire
   
10. 2012 Bronze Award for best innovative product from Britain’s Best Business Awards The Aftercare Company was selected as one of the top 100 companies to go forward to the
    
11. 2010 Barclays Trading Places Awards Shirley was a finalist in the Women in Business category in Cheshire Business Awards.
    
12. 2008 Shirley was a finalist in the Women Northwest Woman in Business and She was also nominated for Cheshire Woman of the Year for Professional Achievement.
    
13. 2005 Shirley was a finalist in the Women in Business category in Cheshire Business Awards
    
14. 2005 The Tattoo Aftercare® recipe won the first ever Golden Bunny award from the BUAV
    
15. 2004/2005-Specialist Skincare Brand of the Year – Central Prestige Awards
    
16. 2003/2004 Specialist Skincare Brand of the Year – Prestige Awards

COMMUNITY PROJECTS

We support the UK Air ambulance service.

The Aftercare works with https://lendwithcare.org/ providing micro loans and grants to entrepreneurs in low-income countries to help them start up or grow their businesses.

We were part of a program providing grants to directly support low-income families most at risk of climate change while also helping to bring down CO2 emissions.