{"id":16740,"date":"2021-08-23T06:09:44","date_gmt":"2023-01-09T16:47:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saved-tattoo.com\/?p=16740"},"modified":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-03-05T00:00:00","slug":"tattoo-chemistry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saved-tattoo.com\/tattoo-chemistry\/","title":{"rendered":"Tattoo Chemistry: What is Tattoo Ink Made From?"},"content":{"rendered":"
For thousands of years, humans around the world have undertaken different kinds of body decorations, or tattooing, for religious and other reasons. So far, the oldest example and proof of tattooing is the\u00a05,300-year-old mummy known as \u00d6tzi<\/a>. The mummy was discovered in the Alps and has 61 individually recognizable tattoos, all located near his joints. Because of the tattoo placement, researchers believe tattoos were used as some kind of treatment for joint pain or arthritis.<\/p>\n Nowadays, hundreds of millions of people are getting tattooed for numerous reasons; they’re either following trends, looking for a way to self-express, or try to stand out in the crowd. Whatever the reason is, tattooing has never been more popular among young, and even older adults.<\/p>\n However, it seems that people, thousands of years ago and now equally, don’t really look much into the very chemistry and ingredients used to make tattoo ink. With numerous tattoo and ink regulations seeing the day of light in European countries, the issue of ink ingredients is starting to grow in the States as well.<\/p>\n So, to make this issue more understandable for regular folks, we’ve decided to tackle the topic of tattoo ingredients and explain the chemistry of tattoos and inks. Hopefully, this will paint a clear picture of how dangerous and inadequately regulated tattoo inks really are.<\/p>\n To put it as simply as possible, tattoo inks of any kind comprise a tattoo colorant or pigment, and a carrier.<\/p>\n Tattoo colorants or pigments<\/a>, contrary to popular opinion, are not dyes; these are colored compounds used to give the tattoo the needed color while remaining visible in the skin. Dyes require direct interaction with the skin to develop color, while ink colorants don’t require such a reaction, and ensure the color stays put in the dermis of the skin for years.<\/p>\n But, what are these tattoo colorants or pigments made of?<\/strong><\/p>\n For years, colorants were made from carbon and iron oxide primarily. These mineral sources were used to make black ink. For other colors, like red, ink colorants were made from cinnabar, which is a mercury sulfide compound. For colors like yellow, orange, and shades of red, colorants were made from cadmium red and cadmium yellow.<\/p>\n Nowadays, carbon is the main basis for tattoo ink, counting for 80% of all ink being carbon-based. However, cinnabar and cadmium compounds are still used to make ink colorants, but in a smaller percentage. Since there is no direct insight into tattoo ink ingredients (and amount of ingredients used), we cannot say for sure how many tattoo ink colorants are cadmium- or cinnabar-based.<\/p>\n Carriers, on the other hand, are fluid ink components that can be either glycerin, isopropyl alcohol, witch hazel, or distilled water. These components are responsible for transferring the colorant or pigment to the so-called ‘injection site’, which is the dermis of the skin. When the carriers are alcohol-based, they help carry more pigment into the skin, due to increased skin permeability. Carriers keep the pigments evenly mixed and free of pathogens as well.<\/p>\n Before we get into the ink ingredients list, we do have to emphasize the following;<\/p>\n Now, let’s get into the actual ingredient list of tattoo inks. So far, it has been discovered that the ingredient list varies depending on the type of colorant or ink color. For example;<\/p>\n Other tattoo inks like blue, baby blue, indigo, dark green, and white vary in ingredients. They generally contain specific pigments, alongside the standard carriers like isopropyl alcohol, witch hazel, and water.<\/p>\n Now, mineral-based ingredients aren’t generally considered toxic. However, specific pigments can be toxic and harmful to one’s health in the long run. In some cases, specific pigments and toxic carriers can cause a direct allergic reaction, skin\/tattoo inflammation, and infection. Some tattoo inks contain heavy metals and potentially harmful ingredients as well.<\/p>\n For example, red ink is considered to have some of the most toxic ingredients. A standard red ink contains aluminum, cinnabar, chromium, cadmium, hoof gelatin, cobalt, naphthol-AS pigment, and even denatured alcohols and formaldehyde (proven to be exceptionally toxic).<\/p>\n Among other ingredients, red ink (and other inks) can contain toxic components like ethylene glycol (antifreeze), rubbing alcohol, or animal-originating carriers like animal fat glycerine, cod liver oil, or beeswax.<\/p>\n We also have to mention the increasingly popular glow-in-the-dark tattoo inks, also known as UV inks. These are also considered toxic due to the ingredients like PMMA (Polymethylmethacrylate), also known as acrylic glass, or plexiglass. In the case of UV inks, the PMMA ingredient is suspended in UV distilled water.<\/p>\n When it comes to pigment carriers, the standard ones (like witch hazel, isopropyl alcohol, and water), are replaced with toxic carriers like\u00a0denatured alcohols<\/a>, rubbing alcohol, ethylene glycol, and\u00a0formaldehyde<\/a>. All of these ingredients are highly toxic and can cause skin burns, irritation, and serious skin damage.<\/p>\n Okay, so, tattoo ink can contain toxic ingredients. But, how are they exactly harmful in the form of a tattoo? Let’s find out in the following paragraphs!<\/p>\n Also Read:<\/strong><\/p>\n Because of the questionable ingredients, and tattoo artists’ inability to truly know what the inks they use contain, there are some health concerns we should be aware of;<\/p>\n Also Read:\u00a0Does Tattoo Ink Expire? Everything You Should Know<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n So far, the most common alternative to the standard ink is the so-called\u00a0vegan ink<\/a>. This type of ink is believed to be more environmentally friendly since it supposedly doesn’t use animal-originating or carbon-based ingredients.<\/p>\n For example, animal fat glycerine is replaced with vegetable glycerine or plant oil in vegan inks. However, vegan inks can still contain toxic components and heavy metals, so they’re not completely safe and risk-free.<\/p>\n On the other hand, people are also increasingly choosing permanent tattoos, to avoid either full tattoo commitment or the dangers of getting an actual tattoo. The most popular choices are either a henna tattoo or permanent options like Inkbox tattoos<\/a>.<\/p>\nTattoo Ink Ingredients \u2013 Explained<\/h2>\n
What Is In Tattoo Ink?<\/h3>\n
What Are The Exact Ink ingredients?<\/h3>\n
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Are Ink Ingredients Toxic?<\/h3>\n
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Tattoo Ink and Health Concerns<\/h3>\n
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Are There Any Ink Alternatives?<\/h3>\n