Not all tattoo ink is Vegan - Here's How to Tell.

February 10, 2021

Not all tattoo ink is Vegan

Here's How to Tell.

Forget about all the times you've heard someone ask whether your clothes, the food menu or make up is vegan... has someone ever asked you if your tattoos are? Well I'm here to tell you, they may not be.

But there are simple ways to get around this, and like all things earth loving and vegan, it's growing in abundance and availability as we speak.

What do they contain?

It's safe to say for the moment, you can assume your tattoo ink isn't vegan.

The most common animal ingredients used in tattoo ink are;

• Animal glycerin - stabiliser made from animal fat 

• Gelatin - binding agent made form boiled connective tissue

• Bone char -  burnt bones for the "crispest, darkest" shade of black

• Shellac - beetle shells

Where as the most common Vegan ingredients are;

• Vegetable glycerin

• Hamamelis 

• Carbon 

• Logwood

• Titanium dioxide

• Turmeric

• Sodium

• Carbazole

Despite the differences, the tattooing, after care and healing are exactly the same.

Some aftercare brands in Australia include

• Ink Nurse

• Tattman

• Tattoo Balm

Some ink brands in Australia include

• Intenze Peta Series

• Solid Ink 

What Should I Do?

• Ask the tattoo parlour either the brand of their inks and look up whether they're vegan. Or ask them if they have vegan ink. Most are happy to share their product information.

• You can bring your own razor as most common gel strips are made from glycerin. The same with stencil paper and soap.

Get a tattoo that doesn't hurt (animals)!

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