Choosing the right tattoo ink is crucial when working on darker skin tones. It's best to use dark purples, blues, greens, and reds to add vibrancy and texture to the image. Black and white inks are particularly effective, creating a striking contrast that enhances the design.
The best tattoo colors to use on darker skin tones are reds, dark blues and dark greens, says Michaels. It's about knowing what colors will compliment your skin tone—not trying to add in more color to make it brighter; that can actually do more harm than good (more on that later).
Darker colors — such as royal blues, dark reds, greens, and black — may show more clearly than lighter colors on dark skin. However, tattoo artists can still incorporate lighter colors to create a colorful design. For example, white ink on a dark skin tone may still be visible but heal as a slightly darker color.
The colors that work best with dark skin are often jewel tones, such as emerald green, sapphire blue, ruby red, and amethyst purple. These colors complement dark skin and create a nice contrast. Additionally, earthy tones like olive green, mustard yellow, and terracotta also look great on dark skin.
Dressing for Dark Tan Skin
Avoid pastels and neon hues that will clash with your cool-toned skin. Experiment with different shades of warm undertones like peach and navy blue to find what works best for you. Patterns like jade green or floral prints can also enhance the richness of your complexion.
Nourish Your Skin
It should not be harsh on fragile dark skin. You should avoid soaps or soapy face foam that can make your skin dry. Once a week, exfoliate and scrub off your dead skin with a gentle, non-abrasive scrub. Accumulation of dead cells and impurities often give you a dull complexion.
Historically, black, red, and green inks have been recommended for melanated skin due to their capacity to stand out and maintain vibrancy.
Yellows and Greens with Cadmium
Yellows and bright greens often contain cadmium, which can cause skin irritation and has been associated with other health risks. They also tend to fade or change color over time when exposed to sunlight.
Black ink lasts the longest and is least likely to blur, making it the best choice of ink color for long-lasting tattoos. Black ink is so reliable it is usually used to help hold in color molecules.
Black ink tends to outlast any other color because it is super pigmented. Other darker colors like dark blue, dark green, gray, and dark purple will have a similar lifespan to black ink. Lighter inks like yellows, reds, oranges, whites, and any pastel tones tend to fade a bit more quickly than darker inks.
Certain tattoo styles that use black and/or grey ink, such as Tribal tattoos, Greyscale tattoos, and American Traditional tattoos (as well as bold lettering or Zodiac tattoos) are known to age well. These different tattoo styles feature bold, detailed linework that is deeply injected into the skin.
The criteria for a tattoo to be deemed “classy” is highly subjective. However, there are styles that are more aesthetically pleasing to even the most highfalutin eye. You will want an artist that specializes in black and grey styles, and/or a tattooist with a penchant for clean minimalist lines.
Earth-toned shades and jewel-toned shades translate perfectly to darker skin. Some shades of green, yellow, and even white ink can pop with lively contrast.
Union Black is a REACH-compliant black ink with an ultra rich and smooth consistency. It's perfect for lining and packing in solid and super dark black areas. BLKOUT, which is EU REACH-compliant, is formulated specifically for tattoo artists working on - as the name suggests - blackout tattoos and heavy black work.
The reason tattoos turn green is that some of the ink gets absorbed into the skin, lightening the concentration and creating a green hue. Black ink is the most common culprit, but other shades change over time in other different ways.
Red ink is still the most likely color to cause skin problems. Why? Red tattoo inks are the most likely to cause health complications, including rashes and pseudolymphomas, both symptoms of an allergic reaction.
The primary pigments under restriction are Pigment Blue 15 and Green 7. The ban took place in January 2023 following an additional one-year derogation period granted for these two pigments. The European Union ink ban allowed the derogation period to allow businesses more time to find safe alternatives.
All of the lighter and brighter colours such as pink, yellow, light green/blue etc Will always fade faster than the darker colours, as well as the black and grey ink.
Choosing the right tattoo ink is crucial when working on darker skin tones. It's best to use dark purples, blues, greens, and reds to add vibrancy and texture to the image. Black and white inks are particularly effective, creating a striking contrast that enhances the design.
Quantum Tattoo Ink is known for its commitment to quality, safety, and innovation. Our black tattoo inks are carefully formulated using only organic pigments and vegan ingredients to ensure optimal safety, performance, and durability.
Technically speaking tattoos on dark skin do not fade faster than on light skin but the effects of the fading may be more noticeable because of the lower contrast between skin tone and ink color.
Stay away from anything with a very pale or cool undertone, like Ice Blue, Silver, or Mint Green. The contrast can look too harsh against your dark skin. White, however, is the one exception.
Avoid products that contain retinol and Vitamin A because they deprive your skin of moisture. It's much better to use a moisturizer that is specially designed for black skin. Our Healing Body Balm will keep your skin moisturized naturally. It also helps heal eczema, psoriasis, and severely dry skin.