{"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

Tattoo Ink Ingredients \u2013 Explained<\/h2>\n

What Is In Tattoo Ink?<\/h3>\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

What Are The Exact Ink ingredients?<\/h3>\n

Before we get into the ink ingredients list, we do have to emphasize the following;<\/p>\n