What's Really in Your PMU Pigments? The Good, the Bad, and the Industry Secrets You Need to Know

TLDR - Not all PMU pigments are created equal! This blog breaks down common ingredients in permanent makeup pigments, their safety, performance concerns, and transparency issues in the industry so you can make the best decisions for yourself as a professional PMU artist or client.

Understanding PMU Pigments & Ingredients

Permanent makeup has come a long way: from our aunties’ powder blue eyebrows to microblading, nano brows, and soft powder and ombre techniques. But what lies beyond these gorgeous cosmetic tattoos? What is actually going into the skin? Are these perfect brows, eyeliner and lips a reflection of perfect pigment?

The answer is not straightforward.

No pigment stays perfectly stable in the skin forever. All pigments fade or shift over time depending on your skin, sun exposure, and the formula used.

Most PMU pigments are a blend of colorants, binders, and preservatives. Any of these ingredients can be beneficial or problematic. Today we are going to look at the most commonly used ingredients in PMU: The good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Good: Safe, Stable, Trusted Pigment Ingredients

The best pigments are made with ingredients that have a very long record for safety, performance and skin compatibility. The following have been widely used in cosmetics and PMU, with little to no issues, for well over 40 years.

Iron Oxides  (CI 77491 / CI 77492 / CI 77499)

These naturally occurring compounds are the most commonly used colorants in PMU.

Why?

They’re stable, gentle, and predictable in how they fade over time - gradual, more natural looking. Iron oxides pigments are inorganic and are also known as "mineral" pigments.

Bonus: they’re less likely to cause allergic reactions, even after decades of use.

Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)

Often used to lighten pigments and add opacity. It is a powerful ingredient, widely used and generally considered safe. It is often found in lighter eyebrow colors, skin tones, and lip colors.

Glycerin

Glycerin is a plant-based pigment binder that keeps pigment formulas smooth and helps them glide into the skin. It’s non-toxic, moisturizing, and vegan.

Glycerin has been a longstanding, high-quality ingredient used in cosmetics and permanent cosmetics for decades.

Distilled Water / Alcohols

These are used as carriers or preservatives to keep pigment formulas fluid and workable with different devices. When formulated properly, these help make sure the pigment performs well and prohibits the growth of bacteria.

Alcohol is a straightforward, effective preservative, however too much can be irritating to the skin.

The Bad: Ingredients That Require Caution

Even ingredients that are technically “approved” can cause problems if overused, improperly formulated, or poorly sourced.

Carbon Black: (CI 77266)

Carbon black is strong pigment that delivers dense color and fast retention. Perfect for PMU, right?

Unfortunately, this colorant is so strong, that even a small amount can outlast other colorants and then “ash out” in as little as six weeks. Client's can be left with a very permanent gray, or bluish-gray after healing.

Carbon also has a tendency to spread or migrate, some techs call this “blowout.” Crisp hair strokes done with microblading or nano techniques eventually become wider and blurrier, leaving a permanent gray smudge where delicate hairs should have been. It becomes impossible to retain a clean, natural look after the first appointment.

Scalp micropigmentation, usually created with micro-dots of dilute carbon black, spreads into fuzzy dots that may look at best grayish, and at worst bluish, under the skin.

When, (not if) carbon ashes out, begins to blur, or builds up to be too saturated after several touch-ups, the only acceptable fix is laser removal.

You get instant gratification with this pigment, but over time, it may gray out or blur. In many cases, laser removal is needed before applying new pigment.

Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)

We said it was good, and it is, in moderation.

Titanium dioxide is extremely opaque and long lasting, so it often outlasts the red dyes used in lip colors, leaving clients with chalky lips a few years later. This is why some artists refuse to use light pinks or nudes on clients.

Titanium is also used in camouflage colors, correction aids, and in some eyebrow colors, however chalkiness does not appear to be as much of an issue with these unless the application has been performed many times over many years. You can see that certain clients who have had a lot of corrective work may have some strange looking colors in their brows, this may be a result of too much titanium dioxide sitting in the skin.

Titanium dioxide is somewhat controversial in the political world. In 2011, California added airborne titanium dioxide to Prop 65 due to cancer concerns, but this only applies to loose, inhalable powder, not tattoo ink or PMU.

In 2022, the EU banned TiO₂ as a food additive due to lack of proven safety in food (not determined for topical or intradermal cosmetic use).

The Ugly: Ingredients You Should Avoid at All Costs

In the US, permanent makeup pigments are classified as cosmetics and regulated by the FDA; however, there are actually no pigments or inks that are approved for injection into the skin.

This puts PMU pigments in a regulatory gray area. If pigments contain unapproved colorants, are mislabeled, or are made under poor conditions, they may be considered “adulterated” by the FDA and subject to recall.

Because this is the only oversight we see in our industry, some manufacturers may not follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) or will use ingredients that are not on the FDA Approved Cosmetic Colorants list.

International pigment manufacturers may not be complying with US standards, but may be following their own countries' guidelines.

You may conclude then, that we are in a "Buyer Beware" environment for PMU. If companies correctly list their ingredients, these are the ones you want to avoid:

⚠️ Red, Orange, and Yellow Azo/Naphthol Dyes

These synthetic colorants are often used in "organic," or "hybrid" brow, eyeliner, and lip pigments.

While legal in the U.S., many have been banned in Europe for potential carcinogenicity, toxicity, or allergic reactions. Studies have shown that azo dyes can release cancer causing chemicals as these dyes degrade with laser, sunlight, or simply as they age.

Here is a list of the Dirty Dozen azo dyes that may be lurking in your pigments:

The Dirty Dozen: Potentially Carcinogenic Azo Dyes in PMU (Red, Orange, Yellow Families)

Color	Dye Name	CI Number
Yellow	Yellow 5	19140
	Yellow 10	47005
	Yellow 14	21095
	Yellow 73	45350
	Yellow 83	21108
Orange	Orange 13	21110
Red	Red 5	12490
	Red 22	12315
	Red 57:1	15850:1
	Red 170	12475
	Red 210	12477
	Red 269	12466

 

❌ Unlisted Fillers or Contaminants

Remember when we said that PMU exists in this gray area of regulation?

Because of this, some pigment companies might not disclose ingredients, might give false ingredients, or might list their blends as “Trade Secrets” to avoid scrutiny or to mislead competition.

Ingredient confidentiality is only allowed after obtaining formal approval from the FDA with proper documentation (which is rarely granted). Listing ingredients as a “Trade Secret” without approval is not compliant and could be misleading or potentially dangerous to consumers.

Undisclosed “secret, or "proprietary" ingredients on product labels or MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) are red flags; they can include the above azo dyes (or other mystery dyes), untested ingredients, industrial solvents, bacteria, or unknown/questionable binders.

What You Can Do as a Client or Artist

Whether you’re considering getting permanent makeup, or offering it professionally, you have the right to know what’s going into the skin.

Here’s how to stay safe:

• Clients + Artists: Ask to see the pigment label and Manufacturer’s Safety Data Sheet (MSDS or SDS). If you see ingredients that you can’t find much info on, or “Trade Secrets,” you should question this. You have the right to know what is potentially under your skin or your clients’ skin. Demand more information from the company, or choose another manufacturer who will be honest with you about what they are putting in their pigments.
• Artists, watch out for carbon black (CI 77266) it builds over time and eventually may require removal before you can add more pigment to the skin.
• Artists, check pigment labels and MSDS sheets for the azo dyes listed above, they may break down over time into cancer-causing chemicals such as benzene. Avoid these as much as you can.
• Clients, choose artists who use trusted, compliant pigment brands like SofTap. We only use ingredients on the FDA Approved Cosmetic Colorants List, and we cross-check to make sure that our ingredients are compliant for other countries. Pigments are routinely tested for quality, cleanliness, and impurities.
• Clients, ask about the pigments being used on you and if they are safe and have been safely used for a long time. You should also ask if your pigment contains carbon black, because this ingredient builds up in the skin over time and may turn gray over time. In some cases, it may need to be removed before applying new pigment.

Working with trustworthy pigment brands can heal ensure that your long-term results are soft, safe, natural, and complication-free.

Final Thoughts

Permanent makeup has the power to transform your appearance and make you feel confident in your skin. But with great power comes great responsibility, and you have the right to demand that pigment companies are responsible, transparent, and informative with the products they are selling.

• Ask to see pigment labels. Look up the ingredients just as you would with food or cosmetics. Avoid azo dyes, allergenic ingredients, or mysterious ingredients that a quick search doesn’t clear up.
• Do not settle for “Trade Secret” on your PMU pigment label. You have a right to know what’s under your skin.
• Ask if your pigment contains carbon black, because this pigment may eventually migrate and turn gray, with most technicians requiring laser removal once the skin has become too saturated with old pigment.

A Word on SofTap Pigment Formulas

Softap pigments are meticulously formulated with clean, stable inorganic pigments and are manufactured to the highest quality standards.

If you want to use colors that are safe and heal naturally, ask for our original SofTap pigments, or our new Iconic SofTap pigment line (an advanced inorganic formula that doesn’t turn or accumulate in the skin over time). Clean fading, gorgeous colors, and great longevity.

All SofTap colors have been designed with clients and artists in mind.

Beautiful, natural, subtle, rigorously tested for safety, and with gentle ingredients that accelerate healing. The full SofTap pigment range is compatible with both hand method and pmu machine procedures, offering all professionals flexibility and peace of mind.

We believe in exceeding standards for safety, purity and international compliance.

We believe that transparency builds trust, and that everyone deserves to know what is being put in their skin.

Thank you for reading, and until next time, Happy Tapping!

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