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.
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.
Shop SofTap Pigments
Now that you know what to look for (and what to avoid), shop SofTap pigments — formulated with proven, safe ingredients and no azo dyes:
1 comment
I used to use some other “big brands” of pigment for nano brows and lip blush and started looking into ingredients after one of my clients had a weird reaction. Turns out they were using some questionable dyes in many of their products and told me that’s “just what everyone uses.” Well, I went digging around to see if that was true and somehow found you guys. I have to say, I don’t think any other company takes pigment formulation as seriously as Softap and I appreciate it so much. I use your colors with both my Mast Pro and Softap hand tools and not only are your pigments easy to work with, they heal beautifully and I have the peace of mind that you are a manufacturer with integrity.