One of the main reasons I became interested in our home environment and the effect that it is has on our health is because I have a high sensitivity to paint, well all chemicals actually.

I can tell whenever a room has been painted in the last 6 months because when I enter the room the inside of my mouth and lips become red and sore from the paint fumes in the air.

My dad used to joke ‘ you’re not meant to lick the wall’ ….but I wasn’t finding it funny! I actually had to resign from a job because of the bad effect the work environment was having on my health .

Working in property and construction I was constantly surrounded by highly chemical products and materials and against all my best efforts to the contrary my boss insisted on using the cheapest and most toxic paints to cover all surfaces including the office we had set up for ourselves on-site. I was having to take anti-histamines and other pharmaceuticals constantly to combat the auto-immune response my body was having to the fumes. Banging headaches, skin rashes, severe itching, trouble breathing until it became just too much and I just had to remove myself permanently from that environment.

Unfortunately, modern-day paints are mostly synthetic paints; with a high content of plastic and VOCs which off-gas into the atmosphere affecting indoor air quality and have been shown to cause allergies, skin and lung issues as well as much more serious disorders. It is estimated that about 15,000 different chemicals are used to make synthetic paint as well as heavy metals. Given that we spend a lot of time indoors , surrounded by painted walls, we are exposed to these pollutants for long periods of time whose damaging effects we are only just beginning to take note of. Plus, when you paint a wall with a coat of emulsion essentially you are sealing it with a layer of plastic which compromises the wall’s ability to breathe and collects dust and bacteria causing yet other allergy issues.

So whether you think you have a sensitivity to paint or not, the chemicals and plastics in them have serious repercussions for your health and that of the environment. Make the switch to natural paints now, believe me your body will thank you for it. Mine did !