EU REACH Body-Art Regulation Statistics

the REACH nickel-migration limit for post assemblies inserted into pierced body parts during the healing period. This is the strictest nickel limit in the regulation.

the general nickel-release limit for any other article in direct and prolonged contact with the skin, such as worn-in jewellery, watch cases and fasteners.

the date the original Nickel Directive was carried over into REACH Annex XVII as Entry 27, making nickel release an EU-wide chemical restriction.

the reference test method for nickel release. Compliance is assessed over a simulated two-year wear period, not a single snapshot, so corrosion over time is captured.

the fall in nickel-allergy prevalence among women aged 18 to 35 after nickel-release limits took effect. Direct evidence that the regulation works.

the date Regulation (EU) 2020/2081 was published, adding Entry 75 to REACH Annex XVII and setting the rules for substances in tattoo inks and permanent make-up.

the date Entry 75 took effect across the EU and EEA, restricting hazardous substances in any ink placed in the skin.

the number of substances restricted under Entry 75, including carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxicants, skin sensitisers and irritants, each with a strict concentration limit.

the date the one-year transition ended for two of the most-used pigments, Pigment Blue 15:3 and Pigment Green 7, removing them from compliant inks.

the estimated reduction in commercially available ink colours caused by the pigment restrictions, the largest disruption to the tattoo-supply chain on record.

the cadmium content limit for jewellery and metal beads under REACH Annex XVII, Entry 23. Cadmium is a known carcinogen and was historically used as a brightener and stabiliser.

the lead content limit for jewellery articles and parts under REACH Annex XVII, Entry 63, protecting against a neurotoxic metal still found in cheap cast alloys.

these limits apply to each individual part of an item, not an average across the piece, so a single non-compliant clasp or post fails the whole product.

substances on the REACH SVHC Candidate List as of the November 2025 update, the list that flags chemicals as carcinogenic, mutagenic, reprotoxic, persistent or endocrine-disrupting.

the weight threshold above which an SVHC in an article triggers REACH communication duties and an entry in the EU SCIP database, so buyers and recyclers can be informed.

the list is typically updated two to three times a year and only ever grows, so material compliance is a moving target that has to be re-checked, not certified once.