I've noticed something similar in my experience. A couple of years ago, I worked on a bathroom renovation project where we opted for an eco-friendly, low-VOC paint. Initially, everything looked great—coverage was solid, and the finish was nice. But after about six months, we started noticing some mildew spots forming around the shower area. To be fair, the ventilation wasn't ideal (older home, small window), so that definitely played a role.
I agree with your point about formulation being key. Some brands seem to handle moisture better than others, regardless of VOC levels. Proper prep and good ventilation really do make a huge difference, but it's also worth experimenting with different brands or formulations specifically designed for high-humidity areas. It's reassuring to hear others have had similar experiences—sometimes it's easy to second-guess yourself when trying out new products or methods...
I've run into this too—low-VOC paints can be tricky in bathrooms. Curious, did you use a dedicated bathroom paint or just a general eco-friendly one? I've found that even some eco-friendly paints labeled for moisture-prone areas don't always hold up as well as you'd hope. And yeah, ventilation is huge...but sometimes older homes just don't cooperate, haha. Maybe adding a mildew-resistant primer underneath could help next time?
I had a similar issue in my older place—tried an eco-friendly bathroom paint, but it still got moldy patches after a few months. Ended up repainting with a mildew-resistant primer underneath, and it's held up way better. Worth the extra step imo.
