You have responsibilities as importers, manufacturers, and suppliers of inks under the Tattoo and Permanent Makeup Group Standard 2020.
Find out how you can manage the risks associated with tattoos and permanent makeup better.
One in three New Zealanders under the age of 30 has a tattoo. The risks from tattoos and permanent makeup come from both the chemical composition of the ink used and infection caused by unsafe practices.
All hazardous substances require an approval under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (HSNO Act). For tattoo inks and permanent makeup substances, the approval is the Tattoo and Permanent Makeup Substances Group Standard.
Tattoo and Permanent Makeup Substances Group Standard 2020 (PDF, 159KB)
The standard sets out the rules and conditions to manage the chemical risks associated with tattoo and permanent makeup substances.
If you are importing, manufacturing, or supplying inks for tattooing and permanent makeup, read on to know the recommended maximum levels of impurities in tattoo inks.
Recommended impurity and component limits for tattoo inks in New Zealand
Your responsibilities as an importer or supplier
Your products must comply with the standard
If your product fits within the standard, you do not need to register it with us. Check your product has only the hazardous properties allowed by the standard (see Hazardous properties of tattoo inks below). If the formulation of the product changes, you will need to check that it still fits within the standard.
Assign your product to a group standard
You must follow all the conditions of the standard. This includes:
- keeping a record of how you determined that your product fits within the standard
- complying with our notices.
If you are having difficulty working out whether your product fits within the standard, you can request a formal determination from us. There is a fee for this service.
Apply for a formal determination of the hazardous status of a substance
You have some obligations under the EPA notices
1. You must provide your business contact information
If you import or manufacture a hazardous substance, you must supply us with your business contact information. You need to provide us with this information within 30 days of the first time you import or manufacture a hazardous substance. Once you have provided it for the first import or manufacture, there is no need to provide this information again for any subsequent import or manufacture.
2. You must provide a safety data sheet
You must provide a compliant safety data sheet with any product sold or supplied to a workplace.
3. Your containers must be suitable
Ensure all tattoo and permanent makeup substances you supply are packaged in suitable containers that don’t leak. Containers holding less than 5 L or 5 kg of a substance that is toxic or can damage the eyes must also be in child resistant packaging.
4. Your containers must be labelled
Tattoo and permanent makeup substances must always be sold in labelled containers. The label must include the product name, the batch number or other reference used by the manufacturer, and the contact information for the New Zealand importer, supplier, or manufacturer.
You must also include any hazard warning statement (for example, HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED).
Provide a list of ingredients on the label, on a separate package sold with the container that the substance is stored in, or on a separate leaflet.
5. You must make the hazard warning visible
In advertising tattoo inks where the ink container cannot be physically inspected (for example, over the internet, by mail order or in magazines or newspapers), include the hazard warning of the product in the text of the advertisement.
Your responsibilities as a tattooist
Only buy products that fit within the standard
Any inks with hazardous properties not allowed by the standard are not approved under the Tattoo and Permanent Makeup Group Standard.
Ask your supplier to confirm their products:
- meet our recommended impurity and component limits (you can confirm this through a certificate of analysis from an accredited laboratory)
Recommended impurity and component limits for tattoo inks in New Zealand - do not contain any chemicals listed in Schedule 4 of the Cosmetic Products Group Standard
- do not contain any colouring agents listed in Schedule 6 of the Cosmetic Products Group Standard with the conditions:
- for use in a rinse-off cosmetic product only, or
- not to be used in the vicinity of the eyes, or
- not to be used in products that come into contact with the mucous membranes.
Ask for safety data sheets
Ask your supplier to give you a safety data sheet when you buy tattoo ink for the first time. The safety data sheet will provide you with important safety information including first aid information and how to safely store the ink.
All staff using the ink need to understand the information in the safety data sheet.
Keep your safety data sheets in a place where all staff can access them at all times.
Label your containers
Ensure your tattoo inks are always stored in labelled containers so that everyone knows what’s in the container.
Risks from infection
The greatest danger from tattooing and the application of permanent makeup is the transmission of infection between a tattooist and their client, or between clients.
Needles and other sharp instruments used to penetrate the skin will become contaminated by blood. The blood may be infected with a variety of blood-borne viruses and bacteria. Viruses such as hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and HIV and common bacteria such as Staphylococcus can be transmitted when contaminated instruments penetrate the skin.
Customary Tattooing Guidelines for Operators – Ministry of Health website
What risk looks like in your industry – Tattoo shops – WorkSafe website
Guidelines for the Safe Piercing of Skin – Ministry of Health website