Non-Toxic Paint

Making your own paint with help from Earth Pigments.


Recently a mother-to-be asked me about what kind of paint she could use in her nursery to paint a baby's cot. I think that everyone, of all ages, should only have to be exposed to non-toxic paint.

Non- toxic paints are not only safe for when a child likes to suck, lick, chew(?) furniture, but also paints generally have substances in them known ans Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's), which release harmful fumes into the air. This is also known as "off gassing". You know that new car smell? Thats a toxic smell of VOC's and breathing them in is bad for you, causing respiratory problems and long term kidney problems. In Europe, most paints containing VOC's have been banned, as they are more advanced in health studies which show breathing in paint fumes (lasting for years after the paint has dried) have long lasting health issues. So of course you don't want a tiny baby exposed to the stuff.

So what to do? Lucky there are lots of good paints now available.
I personally like BioPaint, its one of the better priced non toxic paints (yes these non-toxic points can be more expensive but if you are just painting a cot its OK!) You can get non toxic paint in some eco type shops or on-line at somewhere like:
Colours by Nature
or
The Enviroshop
or
The EcoShop

Most big paint manufacturers also make low VOC paints, just look on the tin in the hardware store... but its what the paint is actually made from which adds to your thinking. The bio and natural paints are usually sourced from natural and not synthetic or chemical ingredients.

If its all to tricky... how about making your own paint! You can make traditional "Milk Paint"-
its just made of milk powder, lime, vinegar and some kind of coloring if you don't want white!
I made it once and it is great... but not smooth like a gloss paint... more textured like a light render. But at least you know what it is made of and its cheap!!!
there is a nice recipe at:
Earth Pigments

Good luck with your painting adventure!!
Jo