01
The binder
It forms the film and decides almost everything: adhesion, hardness, sheen, wash resistance, breathability.
Understand
Acrylic, oil-based, lime, clay, mineral: types of paint explained
A paint is a binder that glues pigments to the wall, thinned in a vehicle that evaporates. The type of paint is the binder. Acrylic is a resin dispersed in water: fast drying, little smell, water clean-up — today's paint for walls and, increasingly, woodwork. Oil-based (glycéro in France) is an alkyd resin in solvent: taut, hard and glossy, but slow, smelly, high in VOCs and prone to yellowing; water-borne alkyd is its modern version. Lime, clay and silicate are mineral binders that breathe and suit old walls, at the price of lower washability. Mylands paints are water-based, low-VOC, and the wall emulsion is loaded with crushed Carrara marble.
Page updated September 2026 · by the Mylands France technical team
The recipe
What a paint is made of
Four ingredients, always the same. When we say "acrylic", "oil-based" or "lime", we are naming the first.
02
The pigments
They give colour and opacity — earths, oxides, titanium white.
03
The extenders
Chalk, marble, kaolin: they give body and mattness.
04
The thinner
Water or solvent, it makes it all workable, then evaporates.
Comparison
The seven types, compared
| Type | Binder | Thinner | Recoat | Smell and VOCs | Where to use it | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acrylic (water-based) | Acrylic or vinyl resin in dispersion | Water | 3–4 h | Low; ≤ 30 g/L for a matt wall paint | Walls, ceilings; woodwork and metal with multi-surface formulas | Less taut than a solvent lacquer on poorly prepared wood |
| Oil-based / alkyd (solvent) | Alkyd resin in solvent | White spirit | 12–24 h | Strong; up to 300 g/L permitted on trim | Woodwork and metal, traditional lacquers | Yellows, slow, solvent clean-up, hazardous waste |
| Water-borne alkyd (hybrid) | Alkyd resin emulsified in water | Water | 6–8 h | Low | Woodwork, doors, furniture: the flow of oil paint without the solvent | Slower drying than acrylic |
| Lime (limewash) | Air lime that carbonates | Water | 24 h + | None | Lime renders, stone, old buildings | Chalks, cannot be washed, needs a compatible mineral substrate |
| Clay | Clay and plant binders | Water | 6–12 h | None | Dry interior walls, bedrooms | Barely washable, interior only, limited shades |
| Mineral silicate | Potassium silicate that bonds to the substrate | Water | 12 h | Low | Mineral façades, old buildings | Mineral substrates only, technical application |
| Casein and natural oils | Milk casein, linseed oil | Water or natural spirit | 12–24 h | Low to medium | Furniture, craft, restoration | Fragile, slow drying, variable durability |
The VOC limits quoted are those of the European decorative paints regulation (Directive 2004/42/EC), applied in France since 2010; the A+ to C label measures indoor-air emissions instead. Our low-VOC page explains both.
The question that always comes back
Acrylic or oil-based?
For a century the rule was simple: acrylic on walls, oil on woodwork, because only a solvent-borne alkyd gave a film hard and taut enough for a door or a skirting. VOC regulation changed that: manufacturers learned to emulsify alkyds in water and to harden acrylics. Today a good water-based multi-surface paint holds on a door, a radiator or a kitchen cabinet, dries in half a day, does not yellow and cleans up with water.
Oil paint keeps two advantages — the flow of a brushed lacquer and tolerance of moderately prepared wood — and three drawbacks that have removed it from most jobs: the smell, the yellowing of whites and solvent clean-up.
You can paint water-based over old oil paint on one condition: sand the old coat completely matt, degrease, and apply a multi-surface primer. Skip those three steps and the new paint peels — it is defect no. 6 in our paint problems.
The minerals
Lime, clay, silicate: what they share
What they share is letting water vapour through, which old buildings demand: a stone or brick wall laid in lime mortar must be able to dry through its surface, and a sealed film makes it blister. Limewash gives the cloudy, living matt of southern houses; clay paint a velvety matt that slightly regulates a bedroom's humidity; silicate a façade that lasts decades.
Their price: low washability — a handprint on limewash does not come off — prescribed substrates and a less forgiving application. On a cured, dry lime render, a breathable, very matt water-based emulsion is the washable alternative; our article on painting lime plaster covers when to choose which, and the one on old houses the context.
And Mylands?
Where Mylands paints sit
All our paints are water-based, low in VOCs, and compliant with the EN 71-3 toy standard once dry. Marble Matt Emulsion is a wall emulsion loaded with crushed Carrara marble and natural pigments: that is what gives it a mineral matt close to lime, with what lime lacks — class 1 wet-scrub resistance (EN 13300) and coverage of up to 15 m² per litre. It breathes enough for plaster or a dry lime render.
The Multi-Surface finishes — Dead Matt, Eggshell, Satin, Gloss — take, in water, the place oil paint once held: woodwork, doors, radiators, furniture, inside and out. Masonry Paint is a breathable paint for render, brick and concrete, not for limewash or lime render — there, stay mineral. Each product's composition is on its technical sheet; what goes into a tin is described in Our paint.
FAQ
Acrylic, oil-based, lime and plant-based paint
What is the difference between acrylic and oil-based paint?
The binder and the thinner. Acrylic is a resin dispersed in water: dries in hours, little smell, water clean-up, no yellowing. Oil-based is an alkyd resin in solvent: tauter and harder, but slow, smelly, high in VOCs, and its whites yellow.
Acrylic or oil-based for woodwork?
Water-based, today: a quality multi-surface finish holds on doors, skirtings and furniture, does not yellow and dries in half a day. Oil paint is only justified to reproduce an old brushed lacquer.
Can I paint acrylic over oil-based?
Yes, after sanding until the surface is completely matt, degreasing, and a multi-surface primer. Without that, water-based paint does not bond and peels.
Limewash or matt water-based paint on an old wall?
Lime if the wall is a lime render you want to keep as it is, breathable and cloudy, and you accept not washing it. A breathable, very matt water-based emulsion if you want the same mineral look with a washable surface, on a dry, cured render.
What is a "plant-based" or bio-based paint?
A water-based paint in which part of the binder is made from plant rather than petroleum sources. It applies and behaves like an acrylic; the difference is in the origin of the resin, not in the brushwork. See our article on natural paint and the one on eco-friendly paint.
Are Mylands paints acrylic?
They are water-based paints: a wall emulsion loaded with crushed Carrara marble for walls, and water-based multi-surface finishes for wood and metal. The detailed composition of each product is on its technical and safety data sheets, downloadable on the site.
References
Directive 2004/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (maximum VOC content, Annex II, phase II in force since 2010); EN 13300 (classification of interior wall paints); EN 71-3 (safety of toys, migration of certain elements). The Mylands characteristics quoted are those of our Glossary and Our paint pages and our technical sheets. Recoat times for the other types are orders of magnitude; a specific product's are on its tin.
"The binder makes the paint; the pigment makes the colour; the finish makes the room."
