Kunos oil from Livos is a natural oil for floors, counters and furniture
Livos is a Quebec manufacturer of natural finishing oils, and they are very transparent about the composition of their products which are mainly plants and some other natural materials. There are also no heavy metals used in the colouring pigments, so it is a completely sustainably-made and healthy product.
“We use a mixture of cold-pressed linseed oil and natural resins, such as damar, beeswax and carnauba, instead of polyurethane” says Marc-André Coulombe, Director of Sales at Livos Canada, “so it is a very eco-friendly and completely non-toxic product.”
Being safe to breathe, Livos products are suitable for everyone, but of particular value in the homes of pregnant women, young children and newborns, and anyone with respiratory issues or chemical sensitivities. Their Kunos oil is also approved for contact with food, so it is a great choice for sealing cutting boards or butcher-block counters, not to mention children’s toys – despite being inedible, they usually end up in young mouths anyway.
Kunos is an impregnating oil that acts as a dye, sealant and finish; it bonds with the interior of the wood but continues to let it breathe. This helps preserve the natural beauty of wood and enhance the grain and colour. As far as durability is concerned, the finished product is very resistant to wear, and individual sections of a surface can be easily repaired in case of scratching.
Ecohome’s general director Emmanuel Cosgrove is also a regular user – “I find it to be a great oil to work with because it doesn’t have a powerful odour, but mostly in that it doesn’t stress me out working with it as it would if I were breathing an oil with toxins, and my family won’t be exposed to the off-gassing that occurs with most other surface finishes as they cure.”
Emmanuel goes on to explain how easy it is to work with. “Anyone can apply this themselves. Just sand the surface of the wood well before oiling it to allow the oil to penetrate more deeply. And as with any finishing product, it is better to test the colour compatibility with your selected species of wood by doing a preliminary test on a small piece before starting your whole job.”
Source: https://www.ecohome.net/guides/3239/naturally-made-non-toxic-wood-finishing-oil/
