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Are Temporary Tatoos Safe for Kids?
For the most part, so-called temporary tattoos are safe for kids and
grown-ups alike, even if they do contain a long list of scary sounding
ingredients including resins, polymers, varnishes and dyes. But if they are
sold legitimately in the U.S., their ingredients have been approved by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FSA) as cosmetics, meaning the agency has
found them to be safe for “direct dermal contact.” The FDA has received
reports of minor skin irritation including redness and swelling, but such
cases have been deemed “child specific” and were not widespread enough to
warrant general warnings to the public.
Those who are concerned anyway but still want a temporary tattoo might
consider an airbrush tattoo—they are sprayed on over a stencil using
FDA-approved cosmetic inks. The rub on these in the past was that they
didn’t last very long, but new varieties are reported to last two weeks, and
can be easily removed prior to that with isopropyl alcohol, just like their
“press-on” cousins.
Another alternative way to go is henna-based tattoos, which typically do not
contain any additives whatsoever. Henna is a flowering plant used since the
days of our earliest civilizations to dye skin, fingernails, hair, leather,
and wool—and it makes for a relatively natural—although monotone—temporary
tattoo.
But the FDA warns consumers to steer clear of any temporary tattoos labeled
as “black henna” or “pre-mixed henna,” as these have been known to contain
potentially harmful adulterants including silver nitrate, carmine,
pyrogallol, disperse orange dye and chromium. Researchers have linked such
ingredients to a range of health problems including allergic reactions,
chronic inflammatory reactions, and late-onset allergic reactions to related
clothing and hairdressing dyes. Neither black henna nor pre-mixed henna are
approved for cosmetic use by the FDA and should be avoided even if they are
for sale in a reputable store.
Something else to watch out for are the micro-injection machines used by
some professional temporary tattoo artists such as might be hired for a
corporate event or a festival While getting a microinjection-based temporary
tattoo may not hurt, it does puncture the skin. The United Kingdom’s Health
and Safety Executive recently issued a warning that improperly cleaned
machines could facilitate the spread of infectious diseases including HIV
and hepatitis. As a result, several types of micro-injection machines with
internal parts that could carry contamination from one customer to another
have been banned there. Such machines aren’t as popular in the U.S., but if
you aren’t sure, it’s best to avoid it. The more familiar press-on temporary
tattoos are a safer bet regardless.
Just in case you’re worried that the FDA isn’t checking, the agency has in
the recent past issued import blocks on temporary tattoos that do not comply
with federal labeling regulations; buyers beware that the ones you get
should clearly list their ingredients on the packaging per FDA requirements.
CONTACTS: FDA, www.fda.gov; United Kingdom’s Health and Safety Executive,
www.hse.gov.uk.
EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a
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