Our paint is as natural as it gets.
Why Were Plastics Used
The problem began just after World War II, when the push for modern building materials led to a massive increase in the use of concrete, steel, glass, and plastics. The post-war surplus of acrylics and latex, by-products of crude oil refining, fueled the demand for cheap plastics. This mindset persists in much of the building industry today. However, it’s widely acknowledged that plastics are harmful to our planet, not only due to waste but also because of their production processes. Most conventional paints from major brands are essentially the same: synthetic colorants mixed with acrylics or latex. In contrast, our paints are entirely free from plastics, phthalates, and microbeads. Linseed oil paint is highly effective and also healthy—you can have the best of both worlds!
VOC's
The Brouns & Co linseed oil paint is completely free of VOCs, while the Interior Wood Oil Stain contain less than 0.03%. The new international regulations mandate that paint contain less than 0.5% VOCs. However, main stream brands still use significant amounts of chemicals.
Their recent shift to name them as ‘water-based’ paints, implying that water makes them natural or healthy, is merely greenwashing. To reduce VOCs, these paints require the addition of various chemicals (stabilizers, chemical emulsifiers, anti-coagulants, and phthalates) to maintain their functionality. Consequently, these newer paints are marginally or no healthier than their predecessors.
Plant Extracted Oil
Linseed oil paint is made from plant seed oil (pressed flax seed) and, wherever possible, raw-earth pigments. Most of our pigments are natural, though some, like certain blues, would be prohibitively expensive if only raw earth pigments like lapis lazuli were used. When we show images of beautiful violet-colored flax or linseed plants, it’s not just for their healthy appearance—they are actually the main ingredient in our paint.
Historically, paint was a building product used for protection against the elements, acting as a sacrificial layer. Today, it is often viewed primarily as a decorative coating, regardless of its composition. By returning to the concept of paint as a structural element of a building, we can address a major issue: reducing the use of plastic.
Low Carbon - Low Embodied Energy
Low-carbon is still a relatively new concept among consumers but is significant to most architects as it measures the energy required for the manufacture and transport of materials. For example, concrete has one of the highest embodied energies. Traditional paints also have high embodied energy due to their base (acrylics and latex) and colorants being derived from crude oil. In contrast, linseed oil is obtained by cold-pressing flax seed, which requires no heat or refineries, resulting in our paint having a fraction of the embodied energy of conventional paints. Our pigments, mostly raw earth, are mined using daylight mining. The pigments and oils are ground into a paste using a triple-roller mill, a low-energy machine. Therefore, the majority of the embodied energy of our linseed paint comes from transport and packaging, both areas we continually strive to improve.
We primarily use recyclable and recycled cardboard for packaging, and pack at source utilizing a large cardboard shredder. We have created our US store so that we can bring the products closer to you and cut down on air-freight shipments. Our bulk shipments from the UK travel by sea thereby further reducing our overall carbon footprint to reach the US market.
