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

The choice to live a vegan lifestyle is not always a popular one. As with any unconventional affection, it is routinely frowned upon by one faction and glorified by another. The same can be said of self expression. The act of willfully scarring one's skin often incites stereotypical assumption and even religious consequence.

A vegan is defined as a strict vegetarian; someone who eats no animal or dairy products at all. But, where the diet ends, a vegan's virtue continues, abandoning such things as the use of (or wearing of) animal byproducts.

As a vegan myself, I devote a good chunk of my time perusing ingredient labels and researching the ethical behavior of manufacturers. Although I strive to be proactive, I have come to learn some things the hard way, such is the case with my own colorful skin. The vegan police would be justified in issuing me a summons for failure of knowing the origin of some of my own ink.

Naturally, the topic may not be broached as often as "what's for dinner?", but the origins of tattoo ink should be a legitimate concern among vegans, especially when the peanut gallery is perpetually itching for a reason to devalue the principals we share.

Well, suffice to say, most vegans, at least those of us that have been sporting ink for a decade(s), are more likely than not, parading around with ink that may not exactly be kosher. We may not be able to undo the sins of yesterday, but we can move forward courtesy of the information we have at our fingertips today. With so many sporting vegan themed tattoos to proclaim their devotion , it seems perfidious to disregard the facts behind the ink.

Is my tattoo vegan?

Odds are if you have to ask, then likely not. It's not exactly a big selling point since many vegans are still unaware that there is such a thing as a vegan tattoo. Truth be told, some artists don't even know what's in the ink's contents themselves, since suppliers are not required by law to list the full ingredients. Unfortunately, unless you use a tattoo artist who is vegan, or mixes their own inks, then what goes in is often a mystery.

What is tattoo ink made of?

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.