Tattoo Ink Ingredient Decoder

What does EU Regulation 2020/2081 ban in tattoo inks?

EU Regulation 2020/2081, which amends Annex XVII of the REACH Regulation, entered into force on 4 January 2022 for new formulations. It restricts hundreds of hazardous substances in tattoo inks and permanent make-up (PMU).

The most significant prohibitions include Pigment Blue 15 and 15:3 (phthalocyanine blues, present in virtually all professional cyan and blue tattoo inks), Pigment Green 7 (chlorinated phthalocyanine), and Pigment Violet 23 (added in the 2023 extension). The regulation also sets strict heavy metal limits, for example, cadmium is limited to 0.5 µg/g and mercury to 0.2 µg/g.

How do I identify restricted pigments in a tattoo ink by CI number?

The Colour Index (CI) number is the internationally standardized identifier for colorants and pigments, assigned by the Society of Dyers and Colourists. EU 2020/2081 references pigments by both CI number and CAS number.

Pigment Blue 15 is CI 74160; Pigment Green 7 is CI 74260; Pigment Violet 23 is CI 51319.

When evaluating an ink label or Safety Data Sheet, locate the Section 3 (Composition) and identify any CI numbers listed. This tool cross-references them against the EU restricted list automatically.

Are there EU-compliant tattoo ink formulations available after the 2022 ban?

Yes. The EU pigment restrictions have driven significant reformulation across the industry. Alternative blue pigments now include Pigment Blue 60 (indanthrone blue, EU-compliant) and Pigment Blue 29 (ultramarine, inorganic).

For greens, chromium oxide (CI 77288) is still permitted when free from hexavalent chromium.

Responsible ink manufacturers have reformulated their ranges with compliant pigments and publish EU Declaration of Conformity certificates. Always request the current conformity certificate from your supplier, reformulated "EU compliant" versions may carry different batch numbers than legacy formulations.

What is the difference between a pigment that is "REACH-restricted" versus one on the SVHC Candidate List, and why does it matter for my studio?

These two labels sit at different stages of the same regulatory pipeline, and treating them the same way will cost you. A REACH-restricted pigment is one named under Annex XVII with a hard concentration limit, if your ink exceeds that limit it is illegal to sell, full stop, and you stop using it immediately.

The SVHC Candidate List is an earlier-stage watchlist: a substance flagged as a concern but not yet restricted, carrying a disclosure obligation above 0.1 percent by weight rather than a ban.

This decoder flags both, but they call for different responses.

A restriction is a stop sign; an SVHC entry is more nuanced and may even be a trace impurity rather than a deliberate ingredient. It is also why "SVHC-free" marketing can be misleading. Read the decoder output with that category awareness, not as a simple red-flag or green-flag binary.