I'm a vegan who loves tattoos. But I live in a country that doesn't have access to vegan ink. Any suggestions?

Question

Hi. I'm a vegan Filipino. I have a few tattoos but unfortunately, they are not vegan because vegan tattoo ink is unheard of here in Manila among local artists. One of my first tattoos, an old school design with the word VEGAN in the center is ironically not vegan. With the exception of tattoos, I live a 100% vegan lifestyle. It's just that living in the Philippines, vegans here don't have access to vegan ink or vegan artists so non-vegan tattoos are a necessary evil right now.

I really don't want to give up tattoos so I was wondering if anyone is indeed familiar with vegan tattoo shops here in Manila or could possibly give me some information on as to create/help my artist create vegan ink. I would really appreciate accurate information.

Answer 1

Probably many inks your average studios use are vegan-friendly.  None of the color additives are "natural" ingredients even if they are considered organic.  These powders are chemically organic as opposed to iron-oxide based, for instance.  

I have heard that bone black is now on the FDA listing but I think most blacks are lamp black anyway.

The only other consideration you have is the glycerin used so ask them to find that out for you.  It is not hard for them to consult with their manufacturer if the glycerin is okay or not.