Tattoo inks in Europe are mislabeled and some contain banned ingredients.
Analysis of green and blue tattoo inks finds 9/10 to violate regulations. Previous research on tattoo inks in the U.S. which found that 45 out of 54 inks didn’t match the contents listed on the label.
https://www.binghamton.edu/news/story/5160/tattoo-inks-in-europe-are-mislabeled-and-some-contain-banned-ingredients
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If you plan on getting a tattoo, consider this: A new study from Binghamton University, State University of New York looking at green and blue tattoo inks from Europe found that most contained ingredients that are not listed on the label – and some contained ingredients that are outright banned.
Tattoo inks in Europe are regulated by the European Union’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulations, which were instituted in 2022. These limit the use of approximately 4,000 substances and some inks, including Pigment Blue 15:3 and Pigment Green 8, have been banned for use entirely.
In a new study led by Binghamton University chemist John Swierk, researchers analyzed ten green and blue inks from five different manufacturers distributed to the European market, all of which claim to be REACH compliant. Swierk’s lab had previously conducted a study of tattoo inks in the U.S. which found that 45 out of 54 inks didn’t match the contents listed on the label.
“Our work cannot say anything about the safety of tattoos, but we think it’s an important first step in addressing the question ‘Are tattoos safe?’ said Swierk. “If we don’t know what’s in a bottle of tattoo ink, then we cannot figure out what might be causing an adverse event in the near and long term, whether that’s an allergic reaction or something more serious. As a team, we aren’t anti-tattoo, we just believe that clients and artists have a right to know what’s in the inks they are using.”
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2024/AN/D4AN00793J#:~:text=This%20study%20analyzed%20green%20and,and%20four%20contained%20banned%20material.
Well this is concerning. How are we supposed to know which ones are safe and which one actually only have the listed ingredients?
It would be interesting to see whether non-EU European countries were any worse than those in the EU..
I know there are several states in the US that don’t regulate tattooing at all, and zero federal laws regarding tattoos, so this shouldn’t be a surprise. Unfortunately “the market will regulate itself” doesn’t really work when it comes to what is essentially a voluntary medical procedure.
This study highlights the need for stricter regulation and oversight of tattoo ink ingredients. It is concerning that both in Europe and the U.S., a significant percentage of inks are mislabeled and contain banned ingredients. This poses potential health risks for individuals who choose to get tattoos. More research and action should be taken to ensure the safety of tattoo ink ingredients.
Its interesting to see the comments here. They contrast really heavily to the comments in the tattoo subs when the ingredients which make blues and greens have bold staying power and iirc are used in most blue and green inks in the industry. The general sentiments there were along the lines of –
1) Blue and green are gonna suck without these materials
2)these standards should be considered in the context of tattoos specifically, and risks associated with tattoos rather than lumped in (as they were) with non-tattoo related regs
3) obviously putting ink in your skin is not good for you. If you get a tattoo that aspect is at your own risk.
4) there isnt really a lot of science showing how much ink ends up migrating out of the tissues its placed in and into the body or blood stream. Tattoos stay in place because cells essentially encapsulate the ink. There was irritation over the lack of that evidence.
Whereas here so far everyone seems to be running for the hills and demanding more regulation…