Paint Guide

Paint Information

Why is it so hard to find non-toxic paint?

Completely, 100%, natural interior wall paints are quite rare. Even the majority of the healthiest brands will still have a small amount of petroleum-based polymer (another word for plastic) incorporated into them. This helps bind the pigments with the rest of the ingredients, and provides the shine or texture you see in a dried coat of paint. Historically, many paint binders were made of animal proteins like collagen, egg whites, milk casein, or beeswax. Plant gums, resins, waxes, and cellulose have also been used. Polymers are largely favored today for their higher stability and durability, less reliance on plant and animal matter, and lower cost, which can be important when using paint in the larger volumes required for interior walls. 

Why is zero VOC paint not the healthiest?

Many of the ingredients added to paint don’t release VOCs, but are hazardous to health in other ways. This includes things that are absorbed via touch, like APEs, PFAS, and endocrine-disrupting antimicrobials.

What does zero VOC paint mean?

Typically, zero-VOC or no-VOC paint means there are less than 5 grams of VOCs per liter, so the smell is virtually undetectable to you in your house when it’s painted on your walls. There is actually no formal set of rules for what qualifies as zero VOC, and different companies and standards define it differently. This is partly because people aren’t able to smell all VOCs or at all levels. Ideally, a company that states their paints are no- or low- VOC also has third party certifications from Green Seal, GreenGuard, Master Painter’s Institute’s (MPI) Green Performance standards, or SCS Indoor Advantage verifying their claims are true.

What does low VOC paint mean?

Typically, low-VOC means there are less than 50 grams of VOCs per liter of paint. Roughly translated to real life, this means that if someone comes over, they might ask, “did you paint?” but it wouldn’t be completely obvious. There is actually no formal set of rules for what qualifies as low VOC, and different companies and standards define it differently. Ideally, a company that states their products are no- or low- VOC also has certifications from Green Seal, GreenGuard, Master Painter’s Institute’s (MPI) Green Performance standards, or SCS Indoor Advantage verifying their claims are true.

What are APEs in paint?

APEs stands for alkylphenol ethoxylates. They are used in paints as surfactants, which stabilize paints in their liquid form, and help the pigments blend together better. APEs were used in almost every paint until recently, as their health effects became well known. APEs, and the molecules they break down into, don’t biodegrade, are associated with reproductive disorders in rodents, and are suspected to be endocrine disruptors in people, too.

Are there PFAS in paint?

Yes. The fact that PFAS are being used in paints is a newer discovery (2023). While whistleblowing groups don’t know exactly why PFAS are being used in paints, the suspicion is that they are replacing APEs, as APEs have fallen out of favor. PFAS are also often used to make products more water-resistant or shinier. Starting in 2025, the GreenSeal-11 certification will mean there are zero PFAS in their certified paints. Otherwise, the only way to know is to ask a company and hope they’re honest when they tell you if they have PFAS in their paints. Even better, they will have a Health Product Declaration or Declare label listing all ingredients down to 100ppm (parts per million). This may still mean there are PFAS under 100ppm — so, 0.01% of the total volume or less— but it is a good start, and far better than a standard paint.

Once a paint is dry, is it safe?

From an off-gassing perspective, yes! But from a touching perspective, it can still be unsafe. Not all chemicals are bound up into the paint in an inert way and will migrate out over time, with frequent touching or abrasion.

What are mineral based paints? What are plant based paints? And, what are bio based paints?

These all-natural paints have been used for thousands of years. Three popular options include:

• Mineral paint: examples of this include clay paints made of clay, pigments, and water. Or, limewash paint, made of crushed limestone and pigments.

• Plant based paint: an example of this would be soy based paint.

• Bio based paints: an example of this is milk paint, which is made from milk casein protein, pigments, and plant-based binder.

Why are natural paints better than acrylic paint?

Yes, there are four main reasons natural paints are healthier than acrylic and other synthetic paints:

1. Mineral and clay paints can absorb VOCs, actually improving indoor air quality (similar to how baking soda can absorb fridge smells).

2. Natural paints are breathable, making them resistant to mold. This means no antimicrobials or fungicides (which are endocrine disrupting chemicals) need to be added.

3. No harmful synthetic chemicals are added like plasticizers, defoamers, stabilizers, benzene, toluene, chlorinated solvents (dichloromethane, trichloroethylene), xylenes, metals (cadmium, chromium, inorganic lead), styrene, PAHs, or aromatic azo dyes. Read about the health issues associated with these chemicals here.

4. Acrylic paints are one of the largest sources of microplastics in our environment, and they have made their way into most humans bodies, detected in blood samples.

What is in acrylic paint?

Acrylic paint is a mixture of polymers (plastics) and pigments. These are usually blended with water, and can also be blended with plasticizers, defoamers, stabilizers, benzene, toluene, chlorinated solvents (dichloromethane, trichloroethylene), xylenes, metals (cadmium, chromium, inorganic lead), styrene, PAHs, or aromatic azo dyes. Delightful! They do work really well to coat walls in rich colors, though.

What is the difference between acrylic vs latex paint?

Acrylic paint is a mixture of polymers (plastics) and pigments. Latex paint is similar, but the polymers (plastics) used are different — usually vinyl. To make this more confusing, latex in this context refers to synthetic, lab-made latex. This is different than natural rubber latex, which comes from a tree. Ultimately, there aren’t a lot of health differences between the two, as both are types of plastic blended with many chemicals.

Is zero VOC paint from Home Depot healthy? Is zero VOC paint from Lowe’s healthy?

These are better options than paints made with standard levels of VOCs. They’re affordable, and you can see them in real life instead of buying them online at a premium. These hardware store zero-VOC paints almost certainly have PFAS or APEs and other harmful additives, but a zero-VOC paint that you can afford is still a better choice than a standard VOC paint. It isn’t fair that healthy paint costs more than unhealthy paint, as is true for many things in the non-toxic world. I hope that will change. I have purchased a zero VOC paint from the hardware store before, then got it color matched to a healthier paint through ECOS.

Are mold killing paints safe?

No, these are not healthy for people. These contain mildewcides and fungicides, which are types of antimicrobials. Some advertise that they have “EPA registered mildewcides” to appear healthier or safer, but just a quick reminder that as of 2016, the EPA had only banned 9 chemicals, and since then, a couple more. It still hasn’t banned asbestos. So this isn’t much of an endorsement, and in my opinion, is more of a healthwashing tactic. A better option, if it’s available to you, is to remove the moldy area, mitigate the source of moisture that caused the mold, and use a breathable paint that won’t lock moisture in the wall like a plastic-based acrylic one does.

What is GS 11 paint?

VOCs are not the only dangerous part of stains, paints, adhesives, and finishes — there are many chemicals that do not smell that are issues for health and this is what GS-11 covers. Green Seal’s GS-11 certification means that a stain or finish is safer for human health than regular options. They limit the levels of VOCs, as well as carcinogens, reproductive toxins, triclosan, phthalates, heavy metals, and others. You can see the full list here. They have long prohibited long-chain PFAS, which have been known for longer to be harmful to human health, and will prohibit all PFAS, including short chain PFAS, starting in 2025.

What is GreenGuard GOLD certified paint?

GreenGuard certification is useful for finding low or no VOC paint. There are two levels of GreenGuard— standard and GOLD. To meet the standard GreenGuard level, VOCs must be less than 500 ug/m3. To meet the elevated GreenGuard GOLD level, VOCs must be less than 220 ug/m3. In regular terms, most people are able to very slightly smell a low VOC paint, and find it difficult to smell a zero VOC paint.

A GreenGuard certification does not mean the paint is healthy overall (there are harmful chemicals that don’t off-gas as VOCs, like PFAS). It also does not mean there are no VOCs off-gassing from the product. That said, it is a step in the right direction and it is still a useful certification when choosing between a standard paint and one with GreenGuard certification.

What is SCS Indoor Advantage certification?

Similar to GreenGuard, this is a certification verifying the product is truly no- or low-VOC. It is a trustworthy and independent laboratory.

What is MPI Green Performance?

Similar to GreenGuard, this is a certification verifying the product is truly no- or low-VOC. It is a trustworthy and independent laboratory.

Why isn’t the paint rating scale based on certifications?

For other materials, like foam, and fabric, I rely heavily on third party certifications to determine a product’s health. That’s because third party certification ensures the material is truly as healthy as the company making it claims it is. For these other materials, there are multiple certifying bodies (like GOTS, GOLS, C2C, OEKO TEX, and others) with transparent requirement lists. For paint, there is only GreenSeal-11 that goes beyond just VOCs, and there are only 3 interior paints that are GreenSeal-11 certified so far. Only one brand (Ben Moore Eco Spec, listed above) is available in the US, where Interior Medicine is based. So, for this reason, at this time, I trust companies that explicitly state either on their website or via email, what is and isn’t in their formulations. I hope that more paints become certified in the future, but in the meantime, so you have more than one paint to choose from, I list these paints, and prefer ones that disclose every ingredient.

What is powder coating? Is powder coating paint?

Powder coating is a paint-like finish on many metal products, like steel bed frames, metal furniture, dish racks, appliances, and some decorations. Though it has a matte paint -like finish, it isn’t actually paint. It is applied to the object as a powder using static electricity to keep it on, then it is cured under heat or light. It is much more durable than regular paint.

Is powder coating toxic?

No, powder coating is safe for you to use because once it has cured, it is chemically inert, meaning nothing can escape from it, and it is resistant to chipping, scrapes, and corrosion.

Depending on the type of powder coating, it can contain polyester, other plastic/polymers, pigments and curing agents. These are not as healthy before they’re combined and reacted with each other, so workers must wear protective gear so they don’t breathe in any dust containing them.

Because it is a powder, it doesn’t have any solvents in it, and it emits very few VOCs. It is easy for companies using powder coating to comply with environmental regulations because of this. Generally, powder coating is seen as a much safer type of coating than paints that require solvents.