Ingredients in Tattoo Ink

With the ever-increasing popularity of the tattoo culture, many people want to know what are the ingredients in tattoo ink. Unfortunately, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to impose regulatory oversight for an industry based on the practice of injecting metal salts and fluids into the skin. Today, if you contact any tattoo ink manufacturer to inquire what ingredients are in their products, you’ll likely be met with cagey, guarded service representatives who claim, "It's a trade secret." However, with nearly one out of four (young to middle aged) Americans permanently inked today, rumor has it the FDA may begin playing a bigger role in providing verified information and protection to consumers.

The composition of tattoo ink, although not entirely disclosed to the public, is not an absolute mystery either. Most tattoo artists can inform you of the basic ingredients, what they do and what they prefer. In simple terms, the ingredients in tattoo ink are a dispersing solution and pigments.

A dispersing solution may be a patented product or homemade. It’s often composed of witch hazel, alcohol, distilled water and glycerin (except for vegan brands which will use alternatives to glycerin). However, there are alternative ingredients that many individuals and companies use as well.

Dr. Charles Zwerling MD, an ophthalmologist and chairman of the American Academy of Micropigmentation, has conducted extensive research on pigments (especially in correlation with permanent makeup). In collaboration with his esteemed colleagues (Christiansen, Goldman and Dixon) he produced Micropigmentation: State of the Art, published in 1996 with the newest edition to be released later this year. Within his book, Dr. Swerling explains that pigments place color in cell tissue based on a selective absorption process.

For the purposes of tattoos, pigments are generally metal salts or plastics attributed with specific colors. Tattoo inks sometimes contain inorganic pigments (often seen in brown and black colors). Dr. Zwerling elaborates on the materials of inorganic pigments; synthetic iron oxide is a metal salt composed through the chemical process of heating and dehydration and used to create different tones of color such as a brown "flesh-tone" or a darker black. For whitening purposes, titanium dioxide may be used to create a softer tone. He also discusses organic pigments which produce brilliant colors and strong tints. Organic pigments used for tattoos are usually synthetic and carbon-based. Acids, petroleum compounds and other chemicals are used to produce these particular pigments.

When it comes to getting any tattoo, you should consider the possibility of experiencing an allergic reaction. Science has revealed that there is always a possibility of developing allergies to nearly anything through an extended duration of exposure. With the boom of the tattoo culture, many coincidences of allergic breakouts on and around tattoos have been reported. However, findings suggest that these reactions often occur with inks containing toxic ingredients such as cinnabar in red pigments, or dispersing solutions composed of formaldehyde or denatured alcohols. Dr. Zwerling claims that some pigments, such as the inorganic metal oxides described earlier (often seen in brown and black pigments), are safe and non-reactive for human tissue. Therefore, not all ingredients in tattoo ink are harmful to the body.

Nonetheless, the FDA has yet to establish specific regulations and safety standards for any major tattoo ink manufacturers. If you want to choose a safe tattoo ink, the best choice will likely be a well-informed one. For the best advice and recommendation, ask any reputable artist which inks they prefer and what results they've experienced over their many years in practice.

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