Paint, with its many vibrant colors and dazzling hues, certainly gives life to our indoors. Or does it? As a matter of fact, this seemingly innocent household product is one of the most notorious sources of environmental pollutants in the world. It is second only to automobile when it comes to producing volatile organic compounds or VOCs, all 11 billion pounds of them every year.

VOCs are carbon-based chemical compounds that easily evaporate into the air and cause pollution. They are linked to a number of health problems like respiratory disorders, dizziness, headache, nausea, irritation of the mucous membranes, fatigue, skin problems and kidney and liver damage. In addition to these, many of them are also known carcinogens.

A typical household paint contains three main ingredients: the pigment which gives the paint its color; the binders which hold the paint together; and the thinner or solvents which keep the paint in liquid form and allows the user to apply it on the wall’s surface. Most of the VOCs are given off by the last component, the thinner, although pigments and binders also have VOCs.

Low-VOC and VOC-free paints are good substitutes for conventional paints. Such paints make use of water-based solvents instead of the conventional oil-based solvents and thus contain smaller amounts of VOCs when compared to regular paints. To enable consumers to make an informed choice when buying paint products, certain regulations are enforced by different governments and non-profit organizations. Eco-labels are also attached on products that comply with these regulations. Different countries have developed their own labeling system including the Green Seal for the United States, the Nordic Swan for Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Norway, and the Blauer Engel (Blue Angel) for Germany.

Aside from low-VOC and VOC-free paints, there’s  also what are known as natural paints. They are made of natural components like water, plant-based oils, plant dyes and naturally-occurring minerals. Their binders are made from such materials as lime, clay, milk protein and linseed oil from flax. They make use of solvents from plants like turpentine from pine trees, essential oils from fruits like lemon for fragrance and earth minerals for pigments. Natural paints have the benefit of being non-toxic, more environment friendly and less allergy-inducing than conventional oil-based paints.

If you want to learn more about other environment-friendly and people-friendly products, visit BabyGanics.com today to read about our safe, effective and natural household solutions.