Are Sharpie Tattoos Safe?

If you’re on the fence about whether or not to get a tattoo, testing it out in Sharpie seems like a decent option. But are Sharpie tattoos safe for skin? Sadly, despite how cool Kylie Jenner’s Sharpie tattoos look, it’s not really the best idea for your skin.

Sharpie’s consumer affairs department employees Heather Cooper and Lola Walker run this nifty little Sharpie blog and broke down the details on Sharpie tattoo safety. They said, “We love that people use the product but we ultimately want everyone to be safe. Although the markers have been tested and are safe for art use by children and adults, we express caution and do not suggest using Sharpie markers on skin.” You've been warned!

Buzzle and Penn State University student bloggers elaborated on why Sharpie isn’t really safe on skin despite it’s non-toxic status. Buzzle shared, “Sharpie contains n-propanol, n-butanol, diacetone alcohol, and cresol, out of which n-propanol is considered safe, but n-butanol, diacetone alcohol, and cresol have harmful health effects. Penn State bloggers added how "the King / massive sized Sharpie the Touch-Up Sharpie and the Magnum Sharpie all contain xylene which can be very harmful to the body" if it enters the bloodstream.

Though I assume you’re not bathing in Sharpie ink, obviously the chemicals in them aren’t doing your body any favors. If you want to rock a tat like Jenner’s below, I’d recommend not doing so regularly.

Luckily, just because Sharpie tats aren’t the best idea doesn’t mean you can’t play around with temporary tattoos safely! Below are some of my favorite options.

1. Flower Tattoos

Pretty, easy, and all-natural!

2. Metallic Tattoos

(Metallic Tattoos, $6.95, Etsy)

These are too cool not to rock regularly.

3. Stick-On Temporary Tattoos

(Temporary Tattoo, $4.50, Etsy)

Stick-ons have come a long way since the '90s!

Image Credit: Rakka/Flickr; Courtesy of Brands