Thread: Chemically/physically speaking, why does oil/glycerin make for a closer honing?

As an aside relating to glycerin, in the tattoo biz we used to mix our own colors with dry pigment, listerine, alcohol, and distilled water. The 45% alcohol would disperse the pigment. I used to mix my 1/2 pound packs of red, orange, green, what have you, in half gallon jugs and fill 4oz bottles as needed.

Three drops of glycerin in a 1/2 gallon made the ink 'slick' and it would go into the skin more easily, wouldn't clump up as it would if you didn't know to add the glycerin. Twenty or thirty years ago I would have never publicly stated that 'trade secret', but now the cow is so far out of the barn there is no sense trying to close the doors.