The Importance of Non-Toxic Paints for the Health of Your Family

🎨 Non-toxic "Green" Paints

Paints and finishes release low level toxic emissions into the air for years after application.

The source of these toxins is a variety of VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds) which, until recently, were essential to the performance of the paint.

The Three General Categories of Non-toxic Paints

Natural Paints, Zero VOC, and Low VOC. Even Zero-VOC formulations contain some small amounts of toxins.

🌿 Natural Paints and Finishes

These are paints made from natural raw ingredients such as water, plant oils and resins, plant dyes and Essential oils; natural minerals such as clay, chalk and talcum; milk casein, natural latex, bees' wax, earth and mineral dyes. Water-based natural paints give off almost no smell. The oil-based natural paints usually have a pleasant fragrance of citrus or Essential oils. Allergies and sensitivities to these paints is uncommon. These paints are the safest for your health and for the environment.

🆓 The New Trend: "Zero VOC Paints"

Any paint with VOC's in the range of 5 grams/liter or less can be called "Zero VOC", according to the EPA Reference Test Method 24. Many so-called "Zero VOC" products on the market reduce emissions that cause outdoor air pollution, but still contain a host of unregulated toxic ingredients (such as colorants, heavy metals, formaldehyde, ammonia, acetone, exempt solvents, odor masking agents, biocides and fungicides) that cause indoor air pollution.

🛡️ AFM SafeCoat

At Safecoat®, developed one of the safest, highest quality and least toxic paints and building products, and has become one of the leading provider of environmentally responsible, sustainable and non-polluting paints, stains, wood finishes, sealers and related green building products.

Safecoat® eliminated toxic ingredients from their paints. Their products are structured to literally create a "safe coat," with a unique molecular formulation designed to seal surfaces, thus reducing "offgassing," or the emission of toxins into your environment.

🥛 Milk Paint

The organic paint produced by The Old Fashioned Milk Paint Co is safe not only for people, but also for the environment. Their paint is made from milk protein and lime and is based on a centuries-old formula.

✅ Benefits of Using Non-toxic Paints

🧪 Non-toxic Paint Strippers

Most paint strippers work by melting the paint using methylene chloride, a potential carcinogen. A new generation of biodegradable paint strippers is now available that are water-soluble, noncaustic and nontoxic.