⚠️ What’s the Deal with Sacred Ink? (Updated with FDA Warning)

⚠️ What’s the Deal with Sacred Ink? (Updated with FDA Warning)

Earlier this month, conversations were already swirling around Sacred Tattoo Ink—about ingredient transparency, labeling issues, and artists quietly pulling bottles off their shelves. Now there’s a formal update from the FDA, and yeah… it’s serious.

Here’s the quick breakdown (no fluff, just facts):

💉 The FDA Just Dropped This:

As of May 7, 2025, the FDA officially flagged two batches of Sacred Tattoo Ink as contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa—the kind of bacteria that can cause infections, rashes, scarring, and more when injected during tattooing.

The contaminated inks are:

  • Sacred Tattoo Ink – Raven Black
    Lot#: RB0624 | Best Before: June 28, 2027

  • Sacred Tattoo Ink – Sunny Daze
    Lot#: SD1124 | Best Before: Nov 1, 2027

These inks were pulled from the market following routine FDA surveillance and microbial testing. The bottom line? They shouldn’t be used or sold—period.

🧠 What This Means for Tattooers:

If you’ve used either of these inks recently:

  • Stop using them immediately. Pull them from your station and label them clearly.

  • Notify your clients if they may have been tattooed with these batches.

  • Watch for symptoms like red papules, rashes, or any weird reactions—especially ones that look like an allergic response but linger or spread.

  • Be ready to document and report anything unusual to help protect other artists and clients. (FDA's SmartHub is where to do that.)

✍️ Bigger Than One Brand

Whether you use Sacred or not, this is part of a bigger convo about accountability and safety in the tattoo supply chain. We deserve inks that are:

  • Honestly labeled

  • Properly tested

  • And backed by companies who take tattooer trust seriously

Sacred isn’t the first to screw this up—and sadly, it probably won’t be the last. But staying informed (and loud) is how we protect the craft and our clients.

🛠️ What You Can Do Now:

  • Audit your inks—especially anything from small or boutique brands.

  • Keep records of batch numbers and MSDS sheets on hand.

  • Ask questions. Hold brands accountable.

  • Share updates with other tattooers who might not have seen the FDA release.

We’ll keep watching this as it unfolds. Don’t let brands take your trust for granted.

Back to blog