Tattoo ink generally has glycerin in it. And as most vegans know, glycerin can come from both an animal and a vegetable source.
Waverly, Classic (including their lining black), Unique (Permapro) and Dermaglo
Of coarse, we could just make our own...
A little update on black. Talens is NOT vegan. It contains shellac which is derived from the scale beetle. Pelikan is okay. Waverly black is the best!
Now, there may be more brands out there that don't contain animal products that I don't know of, but most places aren't specific about their glycerin. So, they could be okay, but, maybe not...
Other things to check include, soap ( I use Dr. Bronners ), razors ( make sure they don't have a lubricating strip ) and stencil paper ( Spirit masters use spirit gum as their base, some other brands may use gelatin ) and the lubricating ointment used during the tattooing process I now make. It is a mixture of vegetable oil, candililla wax and a little vegetable glycerin. (Recipe at bottom of this blog)Petroleum Jelly may be filtered through bone char, not sure, but better safe than sorryand A&D is not. Most A&D ointments contain lanolin and the stuff you get at the grocery usually has cod liver oil in it ).
As for healing I recommend Merry Hempsters tattoo balm ( the one without the spf. And yes, I know that they name of their company is lame... ) and Natures Gate hemp lotion ( again with the hemp ). I also have seen great healing from the unscented Alba that comes in a little tub. If you have been vegan for a while, you will know what lotions and ointments aren't vegan safe.
You can also check out
vegansloveink.com.
Ointment Recipe (still in the experimental stage)
So far this is what I've used. I'm going to break it into parts not exact measurements so that you can use whatever is available to make your own.
So...
6 parts oil (Olive, hemp, jojoba, you know, one or a blend of the oils good for the skin.)
1 part candililla wax (more wax will make it harder, less, more oily)
1/4 part Vegetable glycerin
Pour oil into a vessel with a round base. Place that vessel into a large pan or electric skillet. Something deep enough so that the water level on the outside of the vessel is equal to the oil level inside of it. The top of whatever you put your oil in should be taller than the water level or you'll get water into your ointment and as you know, oil and water don't mix!
Bring the water to a boil.
Slowly start to add the Candililla wax. Just a little at a time and stir it as you add it. It's going to clump together. Stir it until it melts, then start to add a little more.
Once all of the wax has been added to the oil, turn off the heat and poor the mixture into a bowl that can be used with a mixer (you'll REALLY want a stand mixer, 'cause your arm will get tired)
Blend on low speed for about half an hour (depending on the amount of ointment you're making, this time may be shortened or lengthened) Add the Vegetable glycerin and continue to blend.
Once the ointment starts to thicken, turn up the speed on the blender. To maybe, like medium. It's going to start accumulating on the sides, make sure to have a rubber spatula to scrape it off and get it blended with all of the other stuff.
Once it looks all nice like frosting, that's it!
Make sure that you have all new, clean equipment (Use the sterile chain here people!) Also, this stuff is hard to clean. You need a lot of hot water to get that wax and oil off of things. Also, make sure that you have something to store your ointment in. A ziplock bag works well for transporting it. And lastly, make sure that your artist will use it before you go out and spend a bunch of money on stuff. And artists, make sure that your clients aren't allergic to anything that might be found in your ointment.
Okay, good luck and happy ointment making!