The EU Tattoo Ink Ban Explained: What Happened to Blue and Green

In 2022 and 2023, tattoo artists across Europe faced one of the biggest shake-ups the industry has seen: new EU rules restricting thousands of chemicals in tattoo ink, including two pigments behind most blue and green shades. Headlines talked about an "EU tattoo ink ban." Artists warned their colour palettes would be wiped out.

So what actually changed, why, and what does it mean for anyone getting a colour tattoo today? Here is the regulation explained in plain English.

The short version

• The law: Commission Regulation (EU) 2020/2081, which amended the EU's REACH chemicals regulation, adopted on 14 December 2020.
• From 4 January 2022: restrictions applied to hazardous substances in tattoo inks and permanent make-up sold and used in the EU.
• From 4 January 2023: two widely used pigments, Pigment Blue 15:3 and Pigment Green 7, were also restricted, after an extra year to allow alternatives to be developed.
• It is not a ban on tattooing, or on colour tattoos. It limits which chemicals, and how much of them, can be in the ink.

What REACH is

REACH is the European Union's main law for regulating chemicals, covering how substances are registered, evaluated and restricted to protect human health and the environment. Before these changes, tattoo inks were regulated inconsistently, with rules varying from country to country. The 2020 regulation created a single set of EU-wide limits.

What the rules restrict

The regulation targets substances in tattoo and permanent make-up inks that are classified as hazardous, including substances that are:

• Carcinogenic, meaning they can cause cancer
• Mutagenic, meaning they can damage genetic material
• Toxic to reproduction
• Skin sensitisers, which can trigger allergic reactions
• Corrosive or irritating to the skin or eyes
• Already banned or restricted in cosmetic products under EU cosmetics law

The logic is straightforward. If a substance is not considered safe to put on the skin in a cosmetic, it should not be injected under the skin, where it stays for years. The regulation sets specific concentration limits for many listed substances and links the restriction to hazard classifications, so more substances can be caught as classifications are updated.

Why blue and green were singled out

Pigment Blue 15:3 and Pigment Green 7 were restricted because they appear on the list of substances banned from certain cosmetic products, rather than because of a specific tattoo health scare. They were given an extra year, until January 2023, because at the time there were no widely available, equally effective alternatives for the shades they produce.

These two pigments were used in a very large share of tattoo colours. Many greens, blues, purples and mixed shades depended on them, which is why artists and ink manufacturers campaigned against the restriction, arguing that the risk to tattooed people had not been demonstrated.

New labelling rules

The regulation also brought in labelling requirements. Tattoo inks sold in the EU must be marked as a "Mixture for use in tattoos or permanent make-up," and include a batch reference number, a full list of ingredients, and warnings where relevant, such as for nickel and chromium content. This makes it easier for artists and authorities to know exactly what is in each bottle.

What happened next

Ink manufacturers reformulated their products to comply, and "REACH compliant" ranges are now standard across European studios. Artists who used colour heavily went through a period of testing new inks, and some reported that early replacements behaved differently. Studies analysing inks on the market also reported that some products still contained restricted substances, which shows that enforcement remains a work in progress.

The United States took a different route; read what MoCRA changed and what the FDA found.

What it means for you

If you are getting tattooed in the EU: reputable studios should be using compliant inks. You can ask your artist which brands they use and whether they are REACH compliant. A good artist will not mind.

If you already have blue or green tattoos: the regulation is not a finding that existing tattoos are dangerous, and there is no recommendation to remove them. If you notice any reaction in a tattoo, see a doctor, as you would with any tattoo.

If you are in the UK: Great Britain left the EU before these restrictions applied, so they are not automatically part of British law. UK rules on tattoo ink are set separately, so ask your artist about the inks they use.

If you are in the US: tattoo inks are regulated by the FDA as cosmetics, under a different system. We will look at the US rules in a separate article.

Laws are changing elsewhere too: South Korea is finally legalising tattooing by non doctors.

Colour tattoo safety tips wherever you live

• Choose a licensed or registered studio that follows strict hygiene.
• Ask which inks your artist uses, and avoid anyone who cannot tell you.
• If you have known allergies, especially to red pigments or metals, mention them before you start.
• Watch for signs of a reaction, which can appear long after healing, as explained in our guide to why tattoos become raised.

For more on how to choose a safe studio, read our list of tattoo red flags.

Source: Commission Regulation (EU) 2020/2081 of 14 December 2020, amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH) as regards substances in tattoo inks or permanent make-up.