Innocent Ink — tattoo ink from the forest, not the factory

Tattoo ink from the forest, not the factory.

Innocent Ink is a new line of tattoo ink made from wood charcoal, forest plants and natural earth minerals. It is for people who want to know exactly what goes under their skin.

One email when the first batch is ready, with the full ingredient list and lab report. Unsubscribe any time.

Most people never find out what is in their tattoo.

Tattoo ink goes under the skin and stays there for life, yet many inks are made from pigments that were never meant for skin.

Car paint

The FDA says some tattoo pigments are industrial-grade colors that are suitable for printers' ink or automobile paint. FDA fact sheet

1 in 10

When Binghamton University chemists tested ten inks sold in Europe, one met the EU's rules, and nine held ingredients that were not on the label. Royal Society of Chemistry, 2024

Thousands

Since January 2022 the EU has restricted thousands of hazardous substances in tattoo inks under its REACH chemical law. REACH restriction

Starting with the oldest tattoo color there is.

The oldest known tattoos were made with charcoal. We start there, with black made from the carbon of sustainably harvested hardwood, ground fine and sterilized. Earth tones from natural mineral clays come next, and each new color joins the line only after it passes independent testing.

The carrier that holds the pigment is plant based. We do not use acrylic or other plastic binders.

Our standard, in plain words.

Pigments from nature only.Wood charcoal, plants and natural earth minerals. Nothing made for paint, plastics or printing.

A plant-based carrier.Acrylic and other plastic binders are left out.

Every ingredient on the label.Listed in order of amount, with nothing hidden as "proprietary".

Lab tested, batch by batch.An independent lab checks each batch for heavy metals and microbes, and we publish the report.

Made the way the rules require.Following the FDA's guidance for tattoo ink, with cosmetic good manufacturing practice (ISO 22716), and registered with the FDA before the first sale.

Vegan.No bone char, shellac or animal glycerin.

This is the standard we are building to. Innocent Ink is not on sale yet.

Tattoo ink from the forest, not the factory.

Most people never find out what is in their tattoo.

Starting with the oldest tattoo color there is.

Our standard, in plain words.

Be first in line for the first batch.