Ephemeral, a cosmetic company that introduced its made-to-fade, semi-permanent tattoo ink in 2014, promised its customers that the tattoos would disappear within 9-15 months. The company’s motto, “Regret Nothing,” was meant to reassure those who chose temporary body art. However, some customers are now left with tattoos that have not faded as expected, with some ink remaining for years, causing frustration and disappointment.
A 2024 survey by semi-permanent tattoo maker Inkbox revealed that nearly a third of people with tattoos regret some aspect of them, with over two-thirds regretting the design itself. Among those who sought out Ephemeral’s unique tattoo solution, some now find themselves regretting their decision. One Ephemeral customer posted on TikTok that her tattoo now looks like a “skin disease.” Another shared her dismay over the “dumbest tattoo ever,” a chicken on a skateboard, which she had gotten under the assumption that it would eventually fade.
Sharon Lee, a content creator and influencer, received an offer from Ephemeral in 2022 for a free tattoo in exchange for a promotional video. Lee, who already had six permanent tattoos, saw this as a chance to experiment with a more visible design. On June 15, 2022, she got three butterflies tattooed on her upper arm at the company’s Los Angeles studio. In February 2023, Ephemeral sent an email to all customers announcing that the maximum fade duration had been extended to three years and offering refunds if a tattoo outlasted that period.
Despite the extension, Lee’s tattoo remained far from faded. When the butterflies didn’t disappear as expected, Lee tried laser treatment to remove them, but the process left her with large blotches where the tattoos had once been. Ephemeral informed USA TODAY that they do not recommend laser tattoo removal for their ink. The remnants of Lee’s tattoos have led to confusion, with strangers mistaking the blotches for birthmarks or bruises and expressing concern about her health.
Reflecting on the experience, Lee expressed regret over the visible tattoo, stating, “I don’t regret my hidden tattoos, but I regret this. I wish I would just have gotten an actual tattoo, or just have gotten nothing at all. It feels kind of frustrating and scary to try to remedy an Ephemeral tattoo because it’s so new, and you don’t really know what’s gonna happen.”
In September 2023, Ephemeral closed its in-person studios but continues to sell its ink to partner artists across the United States, with plans to expand to India in 2024. However, a disclaimer on their website notes that the company is not responsible for variations in fade time, the manner of fading, or the location of fading over time.
In response to the complaints, Ephemeral stated that its ink has improved over the years through extensive research and development. “With 10 years of ongoing research and development invested, our ink has gone through major improvement cycles,” the company said. “While it doesn’t change any disappointment past customer experiences may have had, the latest Ephemeral ink iterations on the market have greatly reduced the variability customers can expect.”
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