CI Numbers, Solutions, and the Label Most Artists Skip Past
- Michelle Rukny
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Table of Contents
Labels feel like fine print until something goes wrong.
A reaction. A client question you were not ready for. An inspection that asks for documentation you do not have. Most artists were never taught how to read a pigment label beyond the brand name and color swatch, so the rest gets skipped. This is the fine print worth understanding.
What a CI Number Is
CI stands for Colour Index, a standardized identification system used globally across textiles, paints, and cosmetics, including PMU pigments. Every CI number identifies a specific colorant by its chemical identity rather than its brand name. Two products from different companies can share a CI number and still be chemically similar at the colorant level.
That matters because a label is more useful when you know how to read beyond the marketing name. CI numbers are a shortcut to understanding what you are actually working with.
What the Code Can Tell You
The numbering system gives you clues about pigment type and chemistry, but it is not a complete replacement for a full ingredient review. In practice, CI numbers are most useful when paired with the product’s ingredient list or Safety Data Sheet, because labels and market names can hide important details. That is especially relevant in tattoo and PMU products, where the same-looking shade may be built from different underlying colorants.
Once you know that, a CI number stops being a random string on a label. It becomes a tool for documentation, product comparison, and better-informed decision-making.
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What “Solution” Means on a Label
The solution, sometimes listed as the carrier or base, is everything in the formulation besides the pigment itself. This often includes water, alcohols, glycerine, surfactants, thickeners, and stabilizing agents that keep the pigment evenly suspended and help it flow through the needle. The carrier affects how the product handles during application and how the skin responds during healing.
That means the pigment listing is only part of the story. A supplier who cannot provide a spec sheet on request is giving you less information than you need to make a professional choice.
How to Read a Spec Sheet
Start with the CI number for each colorant listed. Then review the carrier or solution ingredients for anything a client has flagged as a sensitivity in their intake form. Finally, check whether the supplier is transparent and willing to provide documentation that matches the product you are using.
This process is not about becoming a chemist. It is about being able to answer a client’s question with confidence, document what you used, and choose pigments based on informed comparison instead of brand loyalty alone. A label you cannot read is a liability you are not tracking.
The Takeaway
You do not need to memorize every pigment number. You do need to understand what a CI number means, what the carrier does, and why both matter when you are working in skin. That knowledge helps you communicate more clearly, document more carefully, and make smarter product choices.
AAM is launching a mini course, Inorganics vs. Organic, where we dive deeper into these exact points so you can feel knowledgeable and confident in this topic. If you would like to be a part of this amazing opportunity, visit https://american-academy-of-micropigmentation.mykajabi.com/signup and get signed up on the waitlist. AAM is the American Academy of Micropigmentation, which offers board certification, professional resources, and education for micropigmentation professionals.
