Liu and Sakhai are incredibly proud of the inclusivity their space provides for clients new to getting tattoos. “One thing we commonly hear in the studio is, ‘wow, I'd love to get that permanently.’ This is one of the ways that Ephemeral benefits the tattoo industry by bringing in new clients who previously never would have gotten a permanent tattoo-we're effectively breaking the tattoo seal.' 'For most of our clients, Ephemeral is the first introduction to the tattoo experience,” he says.

Sakhai views Ephemeral as the stepping stone clients can take before deciding on getting a permanent tattoo and a way to try pieces before making the final commitment.

'The entire Ephemeral experience is centered around giving an authentic tattoo experience without any of the intimidation or pressure.' “Like traditional tattoos, Ephemeral tattoos are applied through an intrusive process in which the ink is being applied into the dermis layer by breaking open the skin.” Clients are encouraged to design their pieces, and Ephemeral offers one-on-one consultations for clients who need help deciding. 'Ephemeral tattoos are applied by real tattoo artists with real tattoo machinery,” Liu says. However, there are plans to add color inks in the future. At this time, Ephemeral only offers small to medium size tattoos, and the only color available is black. Hairstyles, clothing choices, music taste, jobs… these all evolve as we move through our own lives.' 'If there's one thing we know for sure, it's that we will change. 'We see Ephemeral as an opportunity to celebrate our journeys through beautiful artwork that fades as we unfold,' Sakhai says. Even the name 'Ephemeral' itself ties to the tattoos' fleeting nature, as the word means lasting for a short time. The studio fully embraces the 'nothing lasts forever' mantra that Gen-Z has relished in recent years, proudly displaying 'Regret Nothing' on its storefront and website. Ephemeral's ink is composed of medical-grade, bio-absorbable, and biocompatible polymers with high-quality pigments that are routinely used in food and cosmetics. Ephemeral's ink is designed to be broken down over time because of the smaller ink particles that work with the body's natural removal processes. With traditional ink, the molecules are too large to be broken down by the body, your body effectively 'walls off' the area, and the ink stays put. The moment you get a tattoo, your body starts fighting the ink because it views it as a foreign object. What makes traditional tattoos permanent is your body's inability to remove the large ink particles from the skin.

After six years of research, 50 different formulations, and hundreds of tattoos, the ink was finally ready. Two of Ephemeral’s five co-founders have PhDs in Chemical Engineering from NYU and started working on the formula back in 2014. 'The concept was based on microparticle encapsulation technology that was already well researched, so we believed that we could bring our vision of made-to-fade tattoos to the world,' Sakhai explains.