There is much confusion surrounding VOC low paint. The lines can become blurred between low voc paint, eco-friendly paint and vegan paint. We wanted to briefly explain everything you need to know about low VOC paint. This article aims to help you decide which wall paint is right for you and your home and why we think switching to a paint with low VOC's is a beneficial change, for your home, your health and the environment. 

We will discuss what low VOC paint is and what its benefits are. We will also cover why some paint brands can be misleading and why it is so important to do your research before buying what you think is a paint with low levels of VOC's.

What is VOC low paint?

Whether you are familiar with the term ‘VOC’ or not, you may never have realised they are a common ingredient in your wall paint. VOC stands for volatile organic compounds. These compounds are found in cleaning products and car fumes, but also in many household wall paints. Unfortunately not many people are aware of this, nor are they aware of the risk that comes with using them. 

Volatile organic compounds can lead to side effects such as nausea, headaches and dizziness. For those who have allergies or health conditions that affect their breathing such as asthma, paints with VOCs can be a particular irritant. This can worsen some people's conditions. Another side effect of VOCs are the nasty smells that come with a fresh lick of paint, by opting for a low VOC alternative you generally get to avoid this odours.

VOC low paint simply is just paint with low levels of VOCs. Using paint with minimal VOCS helps to significantly reduce any side effects that often come with painting. However, though many efforts go into completely removing VOCs during the production process, it can be hard to eliminate all of them. 

VOC low paint- The Benefits

So, we can see that VOC low paint is paint without volatile organic compounds. Now we are going to discuss the benefits of using Victory Colours low voc paints.

• Safe for humans
• Ultra low odour paint
• Toxic free
• Eco friendly 
• Not tested on animals

It is important to note that although Victory Colours wall paint is vegan as well as being eco friendly due to its low levels of VOCs, not all low voc paint brands are. This takes us on to our next point. How come not all paints with Low VOCs are vegan?

Is all VOC low paint vegan?

Unfortunately many paint brands that position themselves as VOC low paint or eco friendly paint are not necessarily vegan. Many paint brands still use animal derived materials, and even worse test on animals.

This can become an issue as brands who promote that they’re eco friendly or non toxic may not also provide vegan paint. Therefore, we suggest always checking the ingredients when purchasing a paint unless it specifically states that it is a vegan product. 

The issue of misleading customers regarding the assumption that ‘eco friendly’ products are vegan goes beyond just paint brands. One company that you may be familiar with that isn’t quite as green as they seem is lush cosmetics with 7.7 tonnes of parabens used in lush products as well as animal derived ingredients. We did some research and discovered that lush is not 100% vegan. Some of their products include ingredients such as milk or beeswax. Although this is a shock to some, and disappointing to many, this is why it is so important to do your research before investing in a brand that may seem vegan but doesn't explicitly say so.

Overview of VOC low paint

There you have it, VOC low paint explained. We think we have covered everything you need to know but if you have any more questions don't hesitate to ask. Contact us to get in touch with one of the friendly team members at Victory Colours to find out more.