woman posing with Ephemeral forearm tattoo smiling

Creating a world of limitless self-expression

As the world moves away from fixed identities and binary boundaries—our made-to-fade tattoos offer a fun and fluid approach to body modification.

Now, more than ever, self-expression matters, and the world needs more means to take control of their own identities. We promise you can express yourself today with the flexibility to change your mind later.

woman posing with Ephemeral forearm tattoo smiling

Inspired to change an industry with life-long requirements.

Growing up in traditional immigrant households, the Ephemeral founders believed they could never get tattoos due to religious or cultural reasons, and the taboo social implications of how a person with body art was perceived within their communities.

While practicing for their Ph.D’s, our founders discovered an interest in how 
to make tattoos disappear, without the help of laser removal surgery 
(and what that could mean for those 
age-old stereotypes).

This question drove them to work for seven years to develop a revolutionary, biodegradable ink that fades; a new kind of tattoo that breaks down barriers and stands for self-expression, the spur of the moment
 and standing out from the rest.

We're innovating on a 12,000 year old craft.

Join The Movement.

2014

At NYU Tandon School of Engineering, our Ph.D founders embarked on a journey to create a novel ink that fades away naturally.

2017

Finally identified key ink components, FDA approved for use in other products, and manufacturing processes that would set a new bar in tattoo safety.

2018

Our earliest ink formulations were only capable of simple lines and dots. The first iteration of ink only lasted for a matter of days, then the next iteration a couple of months— the next step was to work on making it last longer.

2021

After several more years of rigorous testing, we found the formula: our ink was now capable of fine lines and complex shading with approval from the tattoo community. We opened the doors to our first studio in the heart of Brooklyn, NY.

2022

While we still only work in black ink, we’re developing the future of made-to-fade tattoos and continuing to improve vibrancy, make our ink capable of bigger and more complex designs.

2023

A year of record growth with the Ephemeral tattoo community growing to 20,000 strong.

2024

Ephemeral India is launched!

Coming Soon :)

Stay tuned for radiotherapy and new colors!

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A more expressive world is a more beautiful world.