It used to be that tattoos were reserved for pirates, prisoners and other sorts of degenerates. Well not anymore!
With approximately 15% of Americans (or about 40 million people) sporting at least one tattoo, you’re just as likely to find ink on Becky from the Kappa Kappa Dull as you might be to find it on Big Steve from the local penitentiary.
But does your tattoo ink match your cruelty-free lifestyle? Maybe not.
Many people don’t even consider the fact that their tattoo might actually be made from animal products. I mean it’s just ink, right? Wrong!
The black pigment used in tattoo ink (also known as Bone Black), is often made by burning animal bones down to charcoal. Furthermore, 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.
YIKES!!
I have 2 tattoos (and will have a third after this weekend) and know for a fact that my ink is 100 percent cruelty-free. How? I asked! Most tattoo shops are happy to share the ingredients of their product and many actually advertise “vegan ink.”
Personally, on the West Coast I go to Scapegoat Tattoo — a vegan-owned shop that does some really great work! In New York, I give my business to Fun City Tattoo — a shop that not employs lots of vegetarian artists, but guarantees their vegan ink.
So the next time you want something awesome and meaningful on your body, do a little research and find out which tattoo shop shares your ethics. It might be a little more work, but it’s WAY worth it!
[Editor note: That's a picture of my first tattoo (the word Ahimsa) a couple days after I got it from Scapegoat]
June 9th, 2009 at 4:15 am
great post, thx for sharing it
June 9th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
Hi there,
I’m getting my first ink in August. I’m not lucky enough to have a vegan friendly shop around here so I’m on the search for a good ink to use. The tattoo artists around here say that all the vegan friendly inks they have tried faded way to fast. Do you have any brands that you would recommend?
June 10th, 2009 at 9:08 am
Jodi,
You want to reach out to Scapegoat Tattoo in Portland. They are like the Gods of vegan ink and could probably give you some info. Check out their site at http://scapegoattattoo.com
Good luck!
June 19th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Fun city tattoo may guarantee that it’s ink is vegan, but the after care products recommended are not. A & D ointment contains Lanolin, and hand creams also contain animal fats. So although the ink does not contain animal fat the products they use to lubricate and wash the tattooed area do.
September 25th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
i really like your tattoo. and more
I’m also thinking about putting ahimsa there but a bit smaler and more greyisch
And only because i’m vegan
December 20th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
I really love your website and your articles.
February 4th, 2010 at 7:06 am
starbrite and stable colors are vegan inks!!!…