Tattoos are more popular than ever before. They’re a wonderful way for people to express a part of their personality or personal story. However, those who follow vegan and eco-friendly lifestyles need to be careful, as traditional tattoo ink and products can contain animal ingredients. Fortunately, eco-friendly alternatives are available, as this guide will show.
What Is a Vegan Tattoo?
A vegan tattoo, as the name indicates, is a tattoo that is suitable for vegans. “But aren’t all tattoos vegan-friendly?” you might ask. Well, the unfortunate answer is no. In fact, the vast majority of traditional tattoos use animal by-products in their ink, such as glycerin, which is a form of animal fat, or bone char, which is used to make deep black inks.
So, for those who love and respect animals and try to live their lives without using or consuming any kind of animal products, getting a tattoo can be quite a challenge. Typical tattoo shops and artists may not be able to provide the vegan, eco-friendly services you hope to find, and vegans often have to shop around more to find a shop that can meet their needs. Fortunately, vegan tattoos do exist and are becoming more widely accessible. It’s easier than ever before to find these kinds of tattoos and artists who are willing to provide them, and there are plenty of plant-based, eco-friendly alternatives to the traditional animal ingredients that have been used for so long.
The Differences Between Common Ink and Plant-Based Ink
The key feature that separates a vegan tattoo from a traditional tattoo is the type of ink used. In traditional tattoo ink, we can find multiple animal products. Gelatin, glycerin, bone char, and even more animal ingredients can be featured in this ink, used for various purposes, such as stabilizing or giving the ink its colour.
The big difference with plant-based ink is that it doesn’t include any of those animal products. Instead, it makes use of plant-based alternatives and vegan-friendly ingredients, such as vegetable glycerin, organic pigments, essential plant extracts like eucalyptus and menthol, and ethyl alcohol. These natural, plant-based ingredients basically fulfil the same roles and do the same job as the animal ingredients used in traditional ink. In other words, plant-based tattoo ink is just as effective and works more or less exactly the same way as traditional ink, without having to rely on anything from animals.
Eco-Friendly Tattoo Aftercare
Of course, ink isn’t the only thing to take into account if you’re a vegan or eco-friendly person thinking about getting a tattoo. You also need to consider the aftercare process and all of the products involved in that. Since tattoos can take quite a toll on the skin, proper aftercare procedures need to be followed to help it heal properly and reduce risks of infection.
Unfortunately, once again, vegans or those who follow similar lifestyles can struggle in this particular part of getting a tattoo. A lot of commercial tattoo aftercare creams and products may contain animal ingredients, such as glycerin or others. There’s also a risk that such products may have been tested on animals and are not cruelty-free. So, when considering which products to use for your own tattoo aftercare, you’ll need to find ones that are suitable and in-line with your beliefs and lifestyle. Opt for aftercare lotions that are made with nothing but vegan-friendly ingredients, like organic coconut oil, for instance, and avoid anything that isn’t labelled as cruelty-free.
Unfortunately, once again, vegans or those who follow similar lifestyles can struggle in this particular part of getting a tattoo. A lot of commercial tattoo aftercare creams and products may contain animal ingredients, such as glycerin or others. There’s also a risk that such products may have been tested on animals and are not cruelty-free. So, when considering which products to use for your own tattoo aftercare, you’ll need to find ones that are suitable and in-line with your beliefs and lifestyle. Opt for aftercare lotions that are made with nothing but vegan-friendly ingredients, like organic coconut oil, for instance, and avoid anything that isn’t labelled as cruelty-free.
Exploring Vegan-Friendly Tattoo Studios Across the US
As we can see, if you’re a vegan looking for a tattoo, you may not simply be able to settle for the local tattoo shop. They may not use the appropriate eco-friendly inks and other ingredients, like stencils and aftercare products. Instead, you’ll need to spend a little more time researching and finding a vegan-friendly tattoo studio to work with.
When considering vegan-friendly tattoo studios in the US, certain cities stand out for their strong alignment with eco-conscious and compassionate lifestyles. Cities like Portland, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Austin are renowned for their vibrant vegan communities and progressive attitudes towards sustainability. These urban hubs often host a variety of tattoo parlours that prioritize the use of plant-based inks and other vegan-friendly products. If you're in a place like Manhattan, the heart of cultural diversity, you might find options like a Soho tattoo shop that caters to the growing demand for vegan tattoo services. These cities not only offer a diverse range of tattoo artists who respect and understand your vegan lifestyle but also provide the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals who share your values.
The best vegan-friendly tattoo studios will have no troubles or qualms with offering plant-based ink and vegan tattoo services. They’ll be fully respectful of your lifestyle and choices, and they should be completely transparent about the products they use, so you know exactly what is being put on or in your skin during the tattoo procedure.
When considering vegan-friendly tattoo studios in the US, certain cities stand out for their strong alignment with eco-conscious and compassionate lifestyles. Cities like Portland, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Austin are renowned for their vibrant vegan communities and progressive attitudes towards sustainability. These urban hubs often host a variety of tattoo parlours that prioritize the use of plant-based inks and other vegan-friendly products. If you're in a place like Manhattan, the heart of cultural diversity, you might find options like a Soho tattoo shop that caters to the growing demand for vegan tattoo services. These cities not only offer a diverse range of tattoo artists who respect and understand your vegan lifestyle but also provide the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals who share your values.
The best vegan-friendly tattoo studios will have no troubles or qualms with offering plant-based ink and vegan tattoo services. They’ll be fully respectful of your lifestyle and choices, and they should be completely transparent about the products they use, so you know exactly what is being put on or in your skin during the tattoo procedure.
Conducting online research is a valuable approach to discovering vegan-friendly studios in your vicinity. Additionally, exploring user reviews and directly reaching out to studios and artists with any inquiries you might have can provide you with valuable insights and information.
If you happen to live far from a big city, you may need to travel or even book a flight to get the vegan tattoo you need. It’s best to do all the necessary research beforehand, comparing your options and contacting different studios in order to narrow down your search. Remember to take a look at each artist’s portfolio to find one who can deliver the kind of tattoo you want.
If you happen to live far from a big city, you may need to travel or even book a flight to get the vegan tattoo you need. It’s best to do all the necessary research beforehand, comparing your options and contacting different studios in order to narrow down your search. Remember to take a look at each artist’s portfolio to find one who can deliver the kind of tattoo you want.
Benefits of Plant-based Inks
So, why might you like to opt for a plant-based tattoo in the first place or choose a vegan tattoo rather than a traditional one? Well, for some people, there simply isn’t a choice. If you follow a vegan lifestyle, this is the only option for you. However, even non-vegans might like to consider a plant-based tattoo, due to the following big benefits:
- Environment: Vegan tattoos and plant-based inks are generally considered to be much kinder to the environment and natural world, as they don’t require the use of animal by-products or various processes required to obtain those products. They’re often organic, pure, and have no negative impact on the world.
- Health: While this is still up for debate, some people feel that plant-based inks and tattoos may also be better for health. They argue that the purer, cleaner, plant-based ink and vegan aftercare products are potentially better for the skin and body compared to alternatives with more chemicals.
- Ethical: Of course, there’s also the ethical advantage. Many people feel that people don’t have the right to consume animals or use their bodies to make ingredients, like tattoo ink. Such people may prefer the kinder nature of a plant-based, vegan tattoo, which doesn’t involve any harm or usage of animals.
Is Plant-Based Ink Safer?
It’s clear that plant-based ink has a different mixture of ingredients compared to classic tattoo ink, but do those organic, plant ingredients have any impact on its potential safety or health risks? Well, so far, studies have shown that there isn’t any notable difference in safety between traditional tattoo ink and plant-based alternatives.
However, plant-based ink is still quite a new product, so future research may discover that it has possible unique safety advantages. Some experts have already made the argument that plant-based ink could promote faster healing and help the body recover sooner after a tattoo, but we don’t have any conclusive evidence to support that idea at the moment. What we do know is that there’s absolutely nothing in plant-based ink which should lead to it being any more dangerous or risky than regular ink. By all measures and accounts, it should be perfectly safe to use. The only possible risk would be if somebody was allergic to one or more of the ingredients.
Top Vegan Tattoo Ink Brands
These days, with vegan tattoos on the rise, lots of new brands have emerged specializing in vegan, plant-based ink. Choosing between these brands can be a challenge, especially if you don’t have much experience or know-how regarding the ins and outs of each company. Here’s a quick list of some of the most trusted and favoured vegan brands with leading artists:
Wrap Up: How to Create an Eco-Friendly Tattoo With Plant-Based Ink?
In the past, getting a vegan tattoo was very difficult, and vegans simply had to accept that fact, with many missing out on being able to “ink” themselves and share their stories in tattoo form. Now, things are starting to change, with plant-based ink much more widely-used and vegan tattoos so much easier to obtain. As the years go on, we can expect to see vegan tattoos become even more popular and accessible, potentially replacing traditional inks in the future.
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