The perfect stain is 100% natural and is non-toxic (for people and pets) but is also durable to wear and to fading. When I looked at the other search results they were all homemade DIY stains based on foods that are not durable! There are a number of stains I love in this post that do tick all the boxes, and I have tried most of them.
The most natural options on this list use natural earth pigments to achieve the stain colors and use a 100% natural (non-toxic) carrier as well.
In terms of natural stains & finishes in one, natural oil-based stains are usually the easiest to apply and get an even tone with. Water-based stains are the most difficult to apply evenly to large areas.
I also mention pigments that can be added to an alcohol-based shellac finish.
Natural does not always equal non-toxic, however. Natural pigments are generally metallic elements and therefore not all are safe for all people or all applications. The Toy Safe certification is a huge help in discerning which pigments are truly safe for toys that could go in a child’s mouth or for food safe applications.
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1. Linseed Oil with Stain
This is my top pick. I love Tried and True! The base is linseed oil with no solvents, driers or any additives. The lines with pigments darken wood with beautiful shades.
Tried and True linseed oil is 100% natural. They offer lines with the stain and finish in one.
It’s only linseed oil and pigments so this is a very pure option.
They come in five different stain colors that will tint the wood, though none of them are a dramatic color change. I tried the Java (pictured) and it produced a beautiful finish/stain on oak.
Where to use: Interior use only.
Uses: These are perfect for all interior wood working projects, including tables and furniture, cutting boards, butcher’s block, cribs, floors, etc.
Buy Tried and True on Amazon.
2. Rubio Monocoat with Stain
This is the only one on the list that is not 100% natural but it’s worth considering because you can’t beat this color range and ease of application. I do find it to be non-toxic.
I tried Rubio Monocoat’s stains which are a modified linseed oil and wax that comes in 73 different stain colors, including bright, colorful, and lightening shades.
Rubio Monocoat comes in Part A and Part B. Part B is the accelerator, and this portion is definitely not natural (it’s hexamethylene diisocyanate oligomers). You don’t have to use Part B (though this will mean it will dry much slower).
They also have a product for the exterior called RMC Hybrid Wood Protector which colors and protects almost all exterior wood.
Compared to Tried and True: They claim the product is modified linseed oil and waxes. I would use the Part A again with no hesitation, though it’s not in the pure natural state the way that Tried and True is (they don’t claim it’s 100% natural). However, this does come in a lot more colors than Tried and True.
Where to use: Interior and exterior formulas.
Uses: Interior – furniture, floors, toys (all colors meet Toy standard EN 71-3), most other wood. Exterior – wooden façades, patios, shutters, portals, garden furniture, pontoons, etc.
Buy interior, exterior, and samples via Amazon or directly through their website.
3. Dark Tung Oil
For the purists, this option is 100% natural and creates a darker tung oil finish that looks cool and is super durable. It’s probably not going to work for those sensitive to odors!
Dark Tung Oil is natural tung oil with an added resinous hydrocarbon for color. On the SDS sheet the additive is listed as Gilsonite, which is a natural type of asphalt.
For those highly sensitive to odors, or who have chemical sensitivity this might not work for you. Be sure to test a sample.
Otherwise this is a natural option that produces a really cool finish.
Also take note that tung oil almost always needs a solvent when used on wood. You can use Citrus Oil or Odorless Mineral Spirits.
Where to use: Interior and exterior (tung oil is the most durable natural exterior finish).
Uses: Interior – furniture, floors, trim, doors. Exterior – wooden façades, patios, shutters, garden furniture etc.
Buy Dark Tung Oil directly from their website and use code mychemicalfreehouse for 10% off.
4. Milk Paint Wash
Milk Paint is also 100% natural and with a little creativity you can use the colors as a wash! Finish with the topcoat of your choice.
Milk Paint is a 100% natural product that can be used as a wash.
The top part of the dresser in the photo has a Milk Paint wash (in color Cheesecake) followed by the all-natural Wood Wax. (The dresser is by Christina Muscari @pretty_distressed).
You do need to seal over Milk Paint.
Keep in mind that any kind of sealer that has oil in it (like Hemp Oil or Wood Wax) will shift the Milk Paint color. Usually the saturated colors become darker whereas whites tend to lose some of their starkness.
Where to use: Interior or exterior (if you use an exterior grade sealer like Tung Oil and Outdoor Additive)
Uses: Furniture, toys (check which colors are Toy Safe here), doors, outdoor furniture, signage.
Buy Milk Paint directly through the Real Milk Paint Company (code mychemicalfreehouse for 10% off) or through Amazon.
5. Pigments with Oil
A little more DIY, you can mix natural pigments into a natural oil of your choice. You can really customize your finish this way and get a wide range of colors!
If you want to mix your pigment into a natural oil, don’t use Milk Paint for that, it doesn’t disperse well. You want to use pigment powders and mix them into your natural drying oil (like Hemp Oil, Linseed Oil, or Tung Oil).
The Real Milk Company carries 28 different colors of pigment. All of their pigments are certified Toy Safe in the US by ASTM F963-17 – Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety.
You should test your formula to make sure you didn’t use so much pigment that you get an opaque paint!
Where to use: Interior and exterior, depending on the oil.
Uses: Furniture, floors, toys (depending on the pigment and solvent), doors, outdoor furniture (depending on the oil – Tung Oil is an exterior oil).
Buy natural earth pigments through the Real Milk Paint Company. Use code mychemicalfreehouse for 10% off.
6. Shellac with Pigments
I’m semi-obsessed with shellac since it sticks to just about anything and blocks offgassing from underneath. You can mix pigments into natural shellac to get a semi-gloss finish!
You can make a pigmented shellac finish for wood by adding the same natural pigments mentioned above or mica powder to the mix. For a shellac finish to be 100% natural you need to mix it yourself.
The ingredients are:
- ¼ cup natural shellac flakes
- 1¼ cups Everclear (190 proof grain alcohol/ethanol)
- 2-3 tablespoons natural pigment or mica powder
Dissolve the shellac overnight and strain through a nylon stocking then add pigment or mica powder and shake the container vigorously to mix.
Where to use: Interior only.
Uses: Toys (depending on the pigment), furniture, instruments, decor items, even floors.
Buy shellac flakes through Amazon, Everclear at a store local to you, natural pigments through the Real Milk Paint Company (code mychemicalfreehouse for 10% off).
7. Fusion Stain and Finishing Oil
Another good ready-to-use option – this is a durable mix of oils with pigments. The downside is the odorless mineral spirits solvent.
Fusion Stain and Finishing Oil is made from safflower oil, linseed oil, tung oil, vegetable wax, odorless mineral spirits, a cobalt free siccative (that usually means manganese), and pigments.
Based on what they listed, it does look like it’s made from natural ingredients. Odorless mineral spirits is a low odor petroleum solvent (that I fully go over here). (The product is not food safe).
It comes in 5 different tones.
Where to use: Interior and exterior.
Uses: Table tops, kitchen cabinets, flooring, and most other wood surfaces.
Buy Fusion Stain and Finishing Oil via Amazon or directly through their website.
8. DIY Homemade Wood Stains
You can stain wood with foods and other items found in the home. I wouldn’t, due to their lack of durability. Though some could be considered for kids’ projects.
Most of these stains tend to fade really fast. This would be more suitable for kids’ crafts when you don’t want to use any mineral oxides.
It’s possible you could use a UV protective finish over the stains to lengthen their life. None of the natural oils provide UV resistance on their own so you’d be adding a synthetic topcoat.
The following are some DIY homemade stain ingredients: steel wool and vinegar, or pennies and vinegar, black tea, coffee, turmeric, beet, walnut hulls, blackberries, onion peels, indigo, woad, tobacco, and red wine.
What about non-toxic water-based stains?
There are also water-based stains that are non-toxic but they are not 100% natural. The following options are mixed with acrylic polymers.
Water-based stains are definitely more difficult to apply evenly to large areas (like a floor) compared to oil-based stains.
I did actually try pure pigments mixed with water to stain a floor (details here) and it was very difficult to apply. (I think this would not have gone too badly if I didn’t try to go from a very light to very dark color).
You might want to check out these three more professional options if you don’t want to go with an oil-based product:
ECOS Wood Stain– this is acrylic-based and 0-VOC and requires one of their clear topcoats. I wouldn’t use it on a floor, but I have used their stains and sealers on other wooden pieces.
ECOS Craft Stain – is a stain and acrylic sealant in one. Best for small areas, like crafts.
AFM Durotone – this also has some acrylic in it though it’s not a sealer and stain in one – it still needs a topcoat (like the ones listed here). I have used this one, it is extremely low odor and you could choose the topcoat that best suites your project.
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Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist Practitioner with 8 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.
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