How to Get Inked and Stay Vegan
Vegan tattoo inks use vegetable glycerin and plant oils instead of animal-derived ingredients. Learn what makes ink vegan, plus a list of vegan ink brands.
By Vegan Tattoo Studios · Updated
While the exact ingredient list varies from product to product, the most common animal-derived ingredients in tattoo ink are bone char, glycerin, gelatin, and shellac:
- Bone char is used to make black ink, the most commonly used color in tattooing. It’s made from charred animal bones, prized for producing the deepest, darkest shade of black.
- Glycerin is often derived from animal fats. In tattoo ink it works as a stabilizer and makes the ink easier to work with.
- Gelatin is made from the boiled connective tissue of cows and pigs, and serves as a binding agent in many inks.
- Shellac is a resin secreted by the female lac bug, and acts as a binder in some inks.
This isn’t an exhaustive list — always check the product label — but these four account for most of the animal products found in tattoo ink. Of all the colors, black is the one to pay the most attention to, because bone char is so widely used.
The good news: you don’t have to scrap the design you’ve been working on. Plenty of inks are made entirely without animal products.
What’s in vegan tattoo ink instead
- Vegetable glycerin (also called glycerol) replaces animal glycerin. It does the same job as a stabilizer but is entirely plant-based.
- Witch hazel (Hamamelis, sometimes listed as Virginiana extract) is made from flowering plants and is used as a carrier.
Common vegan-friendly pigments by color:
- Black – carbon and logwood
- White – titanium dioxide
- Yellow – turmeric
- Green – monoazo, a carbon-based pigment
- Blue – sodium- and aluminum-based pigments, some containing copper
- Red – naphthol (note: naphthol can still cause skin reactions in some people)
- Purple – dioxazine and carbazole
Vegan tattoo ink brands
These companies have stated that their inks are vegan and that any glycerin used is plant-based:
- Eternal Ink
- World Famous Tattoo Ink
- Intenze Tattoo Ink
- Fusion Tattoo Ink
- Silverback Ink
- Waverly Color Co (Dark Black is also vegan)
- Dynamic
- StarBrite
- SkinCandy / Bloodline
- Crazyhorse
- Southeast Tattoo Supplies
- Electric Ink USA
- Dermaglo
- Alla Prima Ink
- Feldman
- Pelikan (black is vegan)
- Stable
- Classic Color Systems
- Good Color
- Unique – Perma Pro
- I Max Tattoo Inks (including Makkuro Sumi Blacks and Colors, Azayaka Live Tattoo Colors, Universal Blacks, Cobra Inks, Flashing Colors, Glam Colors, and Pure Colors)
One caution: formulas change, and “vegan” claims aren’t always reliable. Kuro Sumi, for example, is sometimes listed as vegan, but the manufacturer has confirmed its black ink is not — see our guide to what it takes to make a vegan tattoo. When in doubt, ask your artist which brand they use and check with the manufacturer directly.
Demand for vegan tattoo ink keeps growing, which means you have real choice when it comes to your next tattoo.
Credits: urbanvegan.net · Tattoo pictured by Taste of Ink Tattoo Studio
Related reading: What It Takes To Make A Vegan Tattoo
