Safety Information

We take pride in the safety and quality of our products. It is important that you are confident in the testing and ingredients that go into them. That is why all products are manufactured to the highest quality and tested annually to ensure they meet applicable regulations and requirements. All manufacturing partners must meet with the appropriate government requirements and safety standards.

We manufacture our temporary tattoos in the United States using only cosmetic-grade materials. Our products comply with all applicable federal and state government requirements as outlined by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), California Proposition 65, and other government agencies. TMI ensures that all voluntary standards from agencies like American Society for Safety and Testing Materials (ASTM), International Standards Organization (ISO), and others are followed.

All products are tested by an ISO 17025 accredited third-party lab to ensure they meet all applicable US, Canadian, and European standards. In addition to the extensive testing conducted on our products, TMI is cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) certified and has a third party confirm social compliance annually to the SMETA 4-Pillar standard. Documentation is available upon request.

How can you tell if a temporary tattoo is safe?

There are several things to look for when you are choosing a temporary tattoo. First, make sure that the tattoos are non-toxic. This is especially critical if planning to apply the tattoos to your children’s skin. A non-toxic temporary tattoo is less likely to cause any kind of reaction on the child’s skin.

The second thing you want to look for is the ink used by the company. You need to make sure the dyes are FDA-certified colorants and comply with regulatory safety requirements. This means that dyes used in the tattoos will not be harmful to the skin. There are colorants on the market that can be harmful to health. TMI ensures that our temporary tattoos only contain safe, FDA-certified colorants.

The last thing to look for is that the tattoos are manufactured by a reputable company. California Tattoos has been the industry leader in temporary tattoos for over 30 years. California Tattoos, a division of TMI Acquisition, LLC, is the largest manufacturer of temporary tattoos in the world, printing up to 7 million temporary tattoos a day!  We design and manufacture our products in Tucson, AZ, USA. All products meet US, Canadian, and EU safety standards and have a worldwide reputation for quality.

How do I know the difference?

There are a few types of temporary tattoos you should be familiar with:

The most widely used temporary tattoo comes as a decal water-transfer temporary tattoo. The tattoo is an image printed on water-permeable paper. The paper is placed ink-side down and applying water transfers the image to the skin. The FDA requires that decal-type tattoos use only cosmetic ingredients; this means they are non-toxic. They are easily removed by makeup remover, baby oil, or rubbing alcohol. Some decal-type water-transfer temporary tattoos that are manufactured in China or Taiwan do not meet these standards. You should not buy decal-type temporary tattoos that give no indication of the ingredients used to manufacture them.

Airbrush temporary tattoos are increasingly popular. However, they do not always look as good or last as long as a decal temporary tattoos. The temporary tattoo design is sprayed on by an artist using a stencil with alcohol-based, FDA-approved cosmetic inks. If you are thinking about this kind of temporary tattoo, be sure to ask the tattoo artist what kind of ink is used before proceeding. Airbrushed temporary tattoos are also easily removed with makeup remover, rubbing alcohol, or baby oil.

Many temporary tattoos received at theme parks or on beaches are henna-based tattoos. Henna is a plant-derived substance painted onto the skin, staining it a reddish-orange-to-brown color. Henna typically lasts for a couple weeks if it is applied correctly, but it does not resemble a real tattoo. Due to the application process and drying time, Henna is typically not a good option for children. If you choose a henna temporary tattoo, ensure it is pure henna. Brown, plant-derived henna, tends to rarely cause an allergic reaction and is generally safe for use on all skin types.

WARNING: Serious problems can occur from the use of henna with certain additives. The FDA reports that “black henna” hand-painted temporary tattoos are especially dangerous, so be sure to ask what is being used. This does not apply to decal-style temporary tattoos with a henna design. Water-transfer henna temporary tattoos are safe!

What makes California Tattoos temporary tattoos the best?

All of the tattoos TMI manufactures are made in the United States with FDA certified ingredients that have been tested for safety and regulatory compliance. While the FDA does not certify temporary tattoos, it does certify the safety of the ingredients used to make them. TMI’s ingredients meet these safety standards, which is vital to our customers as well as a requirement to export to the countries we ship our products to. Here at California Tattoos, we make decal water-transfer temporary tattoos because we believe that this is the best temporary tattoo option for children and adults; safely delivering a high-quality, realistic effect.

The key is asking the right questions and knowing what to look for; this will ensure that you always have a safe and effective product for your family to use. If you ever have any questions about temporary tattoo safety, do not hesitate to contact us at California Tattoos so we can answer your questions to put your mind at ease.

Testing and Compliance

New FDA Compliance Regulations Coming in 2024

The Food and Drug Administration has announced that key provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act (FDCA) will take effect in 2024. Referred to as the Modernization of Cosmetic Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA), these provisions are the most significant expansion of the FDCA since 1938. As a skin-contact product, our temporary tattoos are classified as a cosmetic product under the jurisdiction of this act. The activation of these provisions are underway, and California Tattoos is now an officially registered FDA Cosmetic Facility (#3010547620). We continue to work closely with the FDA to ensure our full compliance when MoCRA takes full effect at year’s end.

USA

TMI ensures that all temporary tattoos meet all federal and state regulatory requirements. This includes applicable FDA requirements for colorants, adhesives, and contaminants, CPSC regulations for heavy metals, phthalates, and other requirements, microbial contamination, and state requirements for chemicals of high concern and other quality requirements. Please contact your sales representative with any documentation requests.

Canada

We have tested and reviewed our temporary tattoos to applicable Canadian regulatory requirements. TMI has registered our temporary tattoos with Health Canada to ensure that all items meet the proper regulatory requirements and government notification. The annual testing covers cosmetic requirements, consumer product testing requirements, and microbial analysis checks to ensure that everything meets the Canadian regulatory requirements. Please contact your sales representative with any documentation requests.

European Union

TMI’s temporary tattoos comply with regulatory requirements for the overall EU. Testing is performed to major EU wide testing requirements to ensure that REACH, microbial analysis, packaging, and cosmetic product safety are met with. Please contact your sales representative with any documentation requests.

In addition to the extensive country specific testing conducted, we conduct annual third-party audits at TMI’s world headquarters to ensure our company’s commitment and continued compliance with cGMP and social compliance standards. 

Please contact your sales representative with any documentation requests.

California Proposition 65 Material Certification

We certify that all products and their components sold by TMI Acquisition, LLC comply with the requirements set forth by California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as defined in California Proposition 65 for product safety and contamination. TMI screens all new products and ingredients against this list to ensure that all items meet the current California Proposition 65 requirements. Please contact your sales representative with any documentation requests.

Code of Conduct

TMI follows the social compliance requirements outlined in the most current version of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

Safety and Health in the Workplace - The safety and health of employees is a priority. We comply with all federal and state workplace safety requirements. Each employee is expected to follow safety rules, exercise caution, and common sense in all work activities. Our company believes that to maintain a safe and healthful workplace, the employees must be cognizant and aware of all company, state, and federal safety and health regulations applicable to the specific job.

No Forced Labor - We do not hire forced labor or prisoners nor do we engage or sub-contract with companies that hire into the prison system

No Child Labor - Our Policy does not allow for children under the age of 15 to work directly or indirectly for our company. To help our local community, we participate in a work program with Goodwill to help disadvantaged youth that have passed the “Goodwill Training Program” by providing on the job training. The youth are then placed in positions according to the need, interest, and skill.


No Discrimination - TM International will not discriminate against any qualified employee or job applicant with respect to any terms, privileges, or conditions of employment because of a person’s physical or mental disability, race, gender, religion, nationality, marital status, political opinion, ethnic background, or any other status protected by law.


Work Hours - Employees of TM International are classified as either “exempt” or “non-exempt.” This is necessary because employees in certain types of jobs must receive overtime pay for hours worked in excess of forty hours per work week. Every employee is assigned an employment status classification: regular full-time, regular part-time, temporary (full-time or part-time), regular hourly, etc. Full Time is an employee who is regularly scheduled to work 35+ hours per week. Part Time is an employee whose position has no termination date and who is scheduled to work 20 or more hours, but less than 35 hours per week.

Fair Wages / Overtime Compensation / Benefits - Overtime compensation is paid to non-exempt employees in accordance with federal and state wage and hour requirements. All overtime work performed must receive the supervisor’s prior authorization and the employee’s consent. TM International sponsors a comprehensive benefits program for eligible employees. All full-time employees enjoy the benefits after they meet the eligibility requirements.

Environment – TMI is concerned with our environment and continuously tries to limit the environmental footprint created by our factory and products. TMI has initiatives to reduce energy use and ensure that are goods are continuously produced more efficiently.