Before you get a permanent tattoo, you may want to think about what's in the ink bottle. Researchers at Binghamton University have discovered a worrying discrepancy between what is stated on tattoo ink labels and the actual ingredients contained in these inks, Study Finds reports.
The study begins by asking how light affects tattoos and their chemical components. Doctoral student Kelly Mossman, along with her colleagues Ahshabibi Ahmed and Alexander Rouren, discovered that many tattoo inks contain substances not mentioned on their labels. This discrepancy raised the question of whether they were decay products or original ingredients.
The research team analyzed inks from nine U.S. manufacturers, spanning the spectrum from global to smaller companies, in six different colors. Of 54 ink samples, an astonishing 90% showed significant differences from their labels, including different pigments and unlisted additives. Surprisingly, more than half of the samples contained polyethylene glycol, a compound that can cause organ damage with repeated exposure. Other findings included propylene glycol, a known allergen, an antibiotic used in urinary tract infections, and 2-phenoxyethanol, which poses a risk to infants.
The implications of these findings are far-reaching. For tattooists and their customers, this study highlights the urgent need for better labeling and manufacturing practices.
"We hope that manufacturers will see this as an opportunity to re-evaluate their production, and artists and customers will see this as an opportunity to push for better labeling and manufacturing," says study author John Swirk, associate professor of chemistry at Binghamton University.
Regulatory oversight of tattoo inks in the US has been evolving recently. Prior to the passage of the Cosmetic Products Regulatory Modernization Act (CPRMA) in late 2022, tattoo inks were unregulated, classified simply as cosmetic products. This law for the first time allowed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate tattoo inks, including ensuring accurate labeling practices.
"The AHL is still figuring out what this should look like, and we think this study will influence the discussions around the MMRRA. This is also the first study to explicitly look at inks sold in the U.S., and it is probably the most comprehensive because it looks at the pigments that nominally remain in the skin and the carrier packaging in which the pigment is suspended," Swirk explained.
"Our goal in many of these studies is to empower artists and their clients. Tattoo artists are serious professionals who have dedicated their lives to this craft and want the best possible results for their clients. We are trying to highlight that there are some flaws in production and labeling," Swirk concluded. / BGNES
