Policy archive — decision dated 30 December 2025; government publication dated 15 January 2026. This article was added to our library on 31 October 2026. It reports that earlier announcement, not a new announcement today or a confirmation of the rules currently in force.

What Defra published

Defra published a decision concerning restrictions on substances in tattoo inks and permanent make-up under UK REACH, together with a draft amendment to Annex 17. The decision report explains why the government proposed a restriction following the Health and Safety Executive's assessment.

The report adopts a stricter approach to concentration limits than the agency's preferred option and sets out changes concerning labelling and proposed exemptions. These are features of the dated decision; this article does not reproduce a substance list or determine whether a particular bottle complies.

Read the official publication and its documents for the announcement itself.

Keep the dates separate

The decision date, the date a document becomes public and the date an obligation takes effect answer different questions. Do not calculate a purchasing deadline from the publication date alone. This archive entry does not establish an implementation date, transition deadline or current position for any UK jurisdiction.

For a current purchasing or compliance decision, check the applicable official legislation and guidance for your location and obtain an answer about the exact product from the supplier. A headline about a proposed restriction cannot settle those questions.

A practical follow-up for your records

Our editorial suggestion is to keep a short source note alongside any supplier response:

  • Which product and formulation does the answer identify?
  • Which jurisdiction and rule does it address?
  • What dated document supports the answer?
  • Which question still needs confirmation before purchase or use?

Keep the original reply rather than reducing it to a label such as “approved”. If the answer is unclear, ask the supplier to identify the document and scope it relies on. Do not infer that an entire brand is covered by information about one product.

The equipment planning guide explains how to keep evidence beside purchase decisions. This news archive records an announcement; the official sources remain the place to establish the requirements that apply now.

Sources & further reading

Sources checked .