Tattooed Vegan 101: You May Be Vegan, but is Your Tattoo?

Tattoo ink is made up of pigments which are suspended in a carrier solution. The pigments provide the color of the tattoo, while the purpose of the carrier is to disinfect the pigment suspension, keep it evenly mixed and provide for ease of application. Most pigments are made of metal salts such as iron or copper. Others may be made from plant derivatives. Black pigment (also known as Bone Black), is made by burning animal bones down to charcoal. While the carrier solution is generally made up of: ethyl alcohol, purified water, witch hazel, listerine, propylene glycol and glycerin. Although glycerin may be derived from vegetables sources, it is typically obtained from animal fats.

Are there any commercial vegan tattoo inks on the market?

Many vegan artists mix their own inks to assure their contents, typically substituting vegetable glycerin in the solution. There are indeed some companies currently manufacturing organic vegan inks, the most popular being Stable. The good news is that the Stable brand is very popular and in use by many artists regardless of their vegan-friendly ingredients. So, your favorite artist may already be using vegan-friendly inks. It doesn't hurt to ask, but many artists do not like to divulge this information.

Tattoo aftercare

Many popular aftercare ointments contain beeswax or lanolin. There are, fortunately, many vegan lotion and ointment options on the market from companies like Jason Cosmetics and Masada Spa which are readily available in most health food stores and online. You can even find yourself a vegan tattoo balm, courtesy of Merry Hempsters (www.merryhempsters.com). Most of the healing products recommended by tattoo artists such as Lubriderm, Curel, or Aquaphor, including A&D ointments, are not vegan!! So, if you are determined to get a Vegan tattoo, and go through the trouble of getting one, don't forget to use a vegan aftercare product!

To echo my early statements, I strongly believe that today, vegans have more knowledge and know how and an array of information at their disposal. Accessibility is a key ingredient to any movement. Hopefully this article will help shed some light on an often inconspicuous area of veganism.