Most tattoos consist of black inks, which are predominantly composed of soot products (carbon black with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). Objectives: Black tattoos cause skin problems, including allergic reactions, but the responsible substance frequently remains unknown.
How is black ink formulated? The ingredients in black ink include white pigments, often titanium dioxide, coupled with carbon black. Either type of ink can also include additives such as wax, oils, and some form of a drying agent for ease of printing or custom design.
Tattoo inks are typically made of a mixture of solid particles of pigment, molecular dyes and binders suspended in a water solution. The color comes from light either being reflected from or absorbed by the particles and dyes.
Tattoo inks may include multiple colourants to achieve a certain colour, as well as other chemicals such as water, glycerol, isopropyl alcohol, witch hazel, preservatives, resins and contaminants. The colourants used include both pigments (that are insoluble in water) and dyes (that are soluble in water).
Basic black inks are usually created from soot, which is the result of a bunch of combusted products. Some of these ingredients include burnt animal bones ground into charcoal. Colored inks also have heavy metals present in them.
However, evidence does show that some tattoo inks contain carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) – chemicals that have been classified as known or possible carcinogens by the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Black remains safest. Blue and green inks with copper phthalocyanine pigments are safe too. Some parlous mix their own inks; it's generally safest to use branded inks that list their ingredients, says Dr Amit Karkhanis, laser and cosmetic physician.
All Solid Ink tattoo inks are non-toxic, non-hazardous, vegan friendly and animal cruelty-free.
So as you're checking out tattoo shops, ask if they use vegan inks or if they can order some for you. Some great vegan brands include Eternal, StarBrite, SkinCandy, and Stable Color. You may also want to take along your own razor, since the ones they have in-house may have a gel strip made from glycerin.
Most ink sticks are made of pine or oil soot combined with animal glue (Japanese: Nikawa). An artist puts a few drops of water on an ink stone and grinds the ink stick in a circular motion until a smooth, grey ink of the desired concentration is made.
When it comes to cancer, black ink can be especially dangerous because it contains a very high level of benzo(a)pyrene. Benzo(a)pyrene is currently listed as a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Essentially, the key ingredients to an ink are pigments, resins and waxes and additives.
Tattoo Ink and MRIs
While most people with tattoos won't ever experience irritation because of an MRI, tattoos can also affect the quality of an MRI scan. Even if the tattoo does not become irritated, there still may be metal present in the ink.
Mix together the egg yolk, gum arabic, and honey. Stir in the lamp black. This will produce a thick paste which you can store in a sealed container. To use the ink, mix this paste with a small amount of water to achieve the desired consistency.
Modern black inks in marking pens are usually mixtures of a variety of colored pigments mixed with different liquids.
Basically, dichromate salts, cobalt (Co), cadmium, and mercury are considered bases for the colors green, blue, yellow, and red, while iron oxide, titanium dioxide, carbon, and manganese are commonly used to create the colors brown, white, black, and violet. Iron oxides are present in 1–4% of all tattoo inks.
The number 269 was chosen because it was the identification number given to a calf born in an Israeli factory farm. According to the activists, the branding (and now also the tattooing) of 269 is a form of solidarity and immortalization.
The colors are also free from animal or even insect-based ingredients or dyes, like shellac, which comes from beetles. Vegan ink takes its colors from natural plant- and mineral-based sources, for example: Black dye from carbon and logwood. White dye from titanium dioxide.
The key difference between regular and vegan tattoo ink
A vegan ink uses carbon or logwood to create a black color, and a vegetable-based glycerin, as well as witch hazel or ethanol.
Gelatin is used as a binding agent and is perhaps the most common animal ingredient found in tattoo ink. Some inks will use shellac instead, which is derived from beetle shells. Bone char is used in some brands of black ink to give it a darker pigmentation.
Q: Is vegan tattoo ink toxic? A: Nope, in fact, vegan tattoo ink is often made with natural ingredients that are better for your skin. So not only is it less toxic than traditional tattoo ink, but it's also better for the environment and the animals.
Vegan tattoo ink does not fade any faster. Whether you are using vegan tattoo ink or not, what really matters when it comes to fading is the quality of the ingredients being used. Also, making sure you use a great aftercare product and good sun protection are two more great ways to keep your tattoo from fading.
The European Union (EU) has effectively outlawed the use of colored inks in tattoos from Tuesday citing health concerns. Officials say that around 4,000 chemicals used in the inks can cause “cancer or genetic mutations.” However, the decision is being opposed by tattoo artists and their customers.
This has put artists in a difficult position, and as they try to adapt to every single one of their pe-2022 inks now being labelled as dangerous, two pigments (blue 15:3 and green 7) will be added to the banned list from next year.
Tattoo Ink
Green is the hardest color to remove followed by light blue. Neon colors are also incredibly difficult to remove, and typically require multiple treatments with the Ruby laser. As a general rule, the greater the contrast between the color of the tattoo pigment and your skin, the better the result.