Abstract
There has been little research on emerging natural-pigment-based temporary tattoos and their constituents so far. This study focused on the characterization of natural henna and jagua tattoos and dyes in commercial samples. Sample manipulation and treatment were minimal to analyze natural pigments as they are marketed. The characterization of active compounds was performed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS). A novel untargeted characterization was also applied for these types of samples, searching for compounds ranging from the original ingredients to other additives of interest they may contain. The fact that these products may also be a source of unlabelled allergens was considered. This work showed that not all of the 34 samples analyzed contained their characteristic active ingredients, and in addition, 70 substances of a different nature were found. Therefore, a rapid and high-throughput methodology has been developed for the identification of the components of these dyes, providing a necessary approach for quality control or identification of suspicious substances.
Highlights
Temporary tattoos have been widely used since ancient times for body decoration, but in recent years, they have become more popularized and fashionable substitutes for permanent ones
Some temporary tattoos use natural pigments, but little is known about them. This is the case of traditional henna tattoos, which have long been seen at festivals, holiday locations, street fairs and even medieval marketplaces
The methodology used for the determination of lawsone is high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD), both in commercial henna products and in the tattooists’ own preparations [3,4]
Summary
Temporary tattoos have been widely used since ancient times for body decoration, but in recent years, they have become more popularized and fashionable substitutes for permanent ones. Regulations of natural-pigment-based temporary tattoos have not yet been formulated, and most of these commercial products of plant origin are not correctly or fully labeled. The methodology used for the determination of lawsone is high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD), both in commercial henna products and in the tattooists’ own preparations [3,4] In these works, sample preparation is based on simple dilution, followed by sonication and final filtration before analysis. Jagua tattoos have not even been regulatorily considered yet, their allergenic potential has already been documented, as mentioned above Because of their recent emergence and lack of regulation, the safety of these new ingredients is highly questionable because of possible unknown reactions.
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