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Which Ecological Paint to Choose? 3 Categories
You are thinking about redesigning the interior of your house or flat, and you know that choosing a healthy and eco-responsible solution will allow you to improve the quality of your indoor air while avoiding strong solvent odours. So, before going to the DIY shop and repainting all your walls, you need to ask yourself some questions: which ecological paint should you choose? Biosourced, cleansing or mineral paint? We tell you everything!
Which ecological paint should I choose? Pay attention to the labels!
First of all, check that the can of paint you buy is labelled “low VOC” or “no VOC”. These are Volatile Organic Compounds, which are toxic to health and degrade indoor air quality.
Next, look for the presence of a certified label, such as the European Ecolabel.
In addition, avoid coatings showing a “danger” pictogram.
Finally, choose water-based paints (called acrylic, latex or water-based) over oil-based paints (called synthetic or solvent-based). The latter often come from petrochemicals and emit a lot of VOCs.
However, water-based paints may also contain undesirable substances, such as metallic pigments or additives such as pesticides. This is why it is important to check the ingredients.
Cleansing paint: a non-toxic paint
It looks like a conventional water-based paint, but offers the added benefit of removing almost all pollutants from the air.
How does it work? Thanks to a chemical resin that absorbs the pollutants present in our indoor air, in particular formaldehyde. The latter is then transformed into inert molecules.
Rated A+, this coating emits very few harmful substances: it is therefore a healthier alternative for both your health and the environment.
Mineral paints for your walls
They contain mineral binders and can be classified into two types according to their composition: lime and silicate.
Silicate mineral paint has many advantages. It is VOC-free and resistant to stain and mould. In addition, it is biodegradable. This type of coating is mainly used for masonry, whether for plastered or earthen walls, and for exterior mineral surfaces.
Lime-based coatings, on the other hand, are recognized for their quality and their many advantages: they are anti-allergenic and anti-fungal, to name but a few.
Biosourced and natural paint
If you are looking for a quality coating product that respects the environment, then biosourced paints are for you.
It is renewable, since it is made of at least 95% natural raw materials (vegetable oils, beeswax, natural resins, pigments of vegetable or mineral origin).
Thus, natural paints contain little or no petrochemical products.
They are therefore distinguished by their low VOC emissions.
Other advantages include ease of maintenance and a much less aggressive odour.
However, even if they are bio-based, natural solvents can cause dermatological problems. It is therefore better to turn to bio-based paints that are mainly made of water.
