I've been working with leather for years; and during that time, I've relied on store bought waxes and balms to finish and maintain my pieces. Since transitioning to doing leather work full time in September 2023, I started to do a little research, to make sure that I was using products with the best ingredients for the results I wanted, and just as importantly, products that didn't contain ingredients that may be harmful longer term.
With all products there are big companies that cut costs wherever possible. Using cheaper ingredients and adding fillers and then relying on a combination of good marketing and consumers who don't have time to research every product they purchase to sell their inferior products (and succeeding).
Leather care products are no different - I was alarmed to find that the mink oil I had been using for over a year actually also contained silicone - which isn't ideal. While there are positives to using chemicals and engineered ingredients - primarily that they provide very consistent results; there are long term costs. These man-made ingredients and chemicals aren't actually good for leather, they provide temporary results - but you can get these same results (or better) using all natural ingredients...to the long term benefit of your leather item.
I think a great comparison is shampoo - so many brands spend their money on nice looking bottles and advertising while cutting costs with the ingredients they use. A decent portion of the population have done some research and know to look for products that don't contain sulfates for example, but the majority of people simply don't have the time to research shampoo ingredients, and buy the product they've seen in an ad or that's in a bottle they like.
As a leather worker, I want to not only use the best products in my work, I want to be able to make thoughtful, informed recommendations to help my customers maintain their pieces to keep them looking their best and extending their use. I feel like that's part of my job - and I'm happy to do that work, so you don't have to.
Leather has been used and maintained by people for ages and ages, and while not everything they used to use to maintain leather is still best (or even hygienic) to use today, I started by looking into historical methods and ingredients, and a lot of the information was still relevant and useful.
High quality ingredients aren't cheap, so making a great balm with only the best ingredients and without anything else isn't the most cost effective way to do it - so there will always be alternatives that are less expensive, using inferior ingredients, yet still advertised as 'The Best'. But I'm someone who won't do something if I'm not going to give it 100%, and catchy advertising just isn't enough.
For brevity, I'll list the ingredients I do use, and why I use them (I'll provide you with the exact recipe - you're welcome to make this at home yourself; sharing culture is part of what got me to this recipe in the first place). But if you don't want to spend $70 on the ingredients to make way more than you need, and you don't want to stir something for 45 minutes, I've got you there too. This balm is now available in the shop - check it out here.
Ingredients
Beeswax
I buy this in pellet form, and bought organic (although you should know that 'organic' beeswax is a little misleading, since bees travel 1-2 miles to forage for pollen, so most beekeepers can't actually guarantee that all the pollen came from pesticide free flowers). Beeswax not only helps waterproof leather; it also improves it's durability by rejuvenating and hardening the leather. It absorbs right into leather and moisturizes the material so that you end up with more supple yet sturdy leather that won't crack and can withstand daily wear and tear. The fatty acids in beeswax also helps to gently clean leather.
Cocoa Butter
I also buy organic cocoa butter, it comes in chunks (don't do what I did initially, and accidentally purchase a TON of coconut oil). Cocoa butter has a unique composition of fatty acids that make it an excellent emollient and moisturizer. It's rich in vitamin E and has natural antioxidants that help fight the premature aging and deterioration of leather.
**One possible con is that it can darken leather - so you should spot test lighter colored leather in an inconspicuous area first, or avoid it as an ingredient if you'd rather be SUPER safe. The majority of my work is black leather, so it's a pro for me - give me that deep black leather, please!
Sweet Almond Oil
This sounds so decadent, right? But sweet almond oil and almond oil are actually very different: sweet almost oil comes from (surprise) sweet almonds, while regular almond oil comes from bitter almonds. The latter is not well suited for leather, while sweet almond oils is packed with nutrients that are beneficial.
Sweet almond oil is loaded with saturated fat, like the almonds they come from. All of that saturated fat enhances its ability to hydrate and moisturize leather, as well as soften the leather fibers to keep it nice and supple.
**If you have nut allergies, you may want to reconsider this ingredient, for obvious reasons.
Lanolin
Anhydrous Lanolin is what you want if you're making this at home - lanolin is a great moisturizer, and also helps to soften leather to keep it nice and pliant. Lanolin is great because it's very hydrating, penetrates the leather well, is breathable, and non sticky. It's also a great waterproofing ingredient (it helps keep those sheep dry, after all!).
**Lanolin is another ingredient that can darken leather, so use the same precautions you would with cocoa butter.
***If you're allergic to wool, you may want to avoid lanolin, as you're likely to be allergic to it as well. This is because lanolin is wax that comes from sheep's wool.
Carnauba Wax
Carnauba Wax is highly valued as it's among the hardest natural waxes with a high melting point. It's also known as the 'Queen of Wax' and comes from the leaves of the Brazilian palm tree known as the 'Tree of Life'. It is the toughest vegetable wax available (weird flex, but okay).
Carnauba wax is one of the best waxes for use on leather (although it's recommended for smooth leathers, not embossed leather). It's acts as a protective, water repellant barrier, and adds a ton of shine. I also like Carnauba wax because I wanted my balm to be on the firmer side, and while you can add more beeswax to achieve a firmer result, it tends to get sticky when you overdo it.
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So that is everything that goes into my leather balm. The result is a firm balm that is easy to work with,; it melts beautifully into the leather, rejuvenating, moisturizing and protecting...as well as adding a lovely shine.
If you want to make this at home, the ratio I use is 1 : 1 : 2 : 1/2 : 1/3 - to make a little more than 8 ounces, that'll look like the following:
2oz Beeswax
2oz Cocoa Butter
4oz Sweet Almost Oil
1oz Anhydrous Lanolin
~.75oz Carnauba Wax (you can reduce this to .5oz - so the ratio would be 1/4 instead of 1/3 - if you want your balm to be a bit softer)
I use a scale to measure the ingredients because many are solid at room temp and have wildly different consistencies, so it would be difficult to use measuring cups with accuracy, if not impossible. I combine all ingredients and use a double boiler over medium heat, stirring almost constantly until it's completely melted, which will take about 30-45minutes. You'll notice the last solids in the mix are little flakes - that's the Carnauba wax, which will take the longest to melt...but you'll want to stick with it until it's all completely liquid to get a smooth, consistent balm.
Want to use a different product? There are lots of great conditioners and balms available, but you should know what to look out for. Avoid harsh chemicals cleaners (such as ammonia) and silicone-based balms and conditioners.
At the end of the day, remember that leather is literally skin, and much like our skin, using all natural ingredients is usually the most effective and safe. You'll likely recognize most, if not all, of the ingredients in my recipe from skin and hair care products. That's because these ingredients do for leather what they do for our skin (as a bonus, this balm will leave your hands feeling great after you condition your leather - and it's completely safe, so feel free to rub any excess right in there).
My leather balm cleans and conditions leather, but if your leather is heavily soiled, you may want to start with a leather cleaner - I use and recommend Weiman products, which is what I use to clean the burnishing gum from the surface of my pieces as I work on them. It's important to let the leather completely dry after cleaning, before waxing or using balm; let it dry naturally - heat isn't good for leather!
If you do opt for any leather cleaners that require the addition of water, please do so sparingly - water can stain the surface of the leather, so if you feel your piece is due for a cleaning, just a lightly damp cloth should be sufficient, a sopping wet one will likely do more harm than good. Check out my blog on Leather Care, for product recommendations and instructions on cleaning.
I hope you found this helpful and informative - I enjoyed nerding out a little bit; and I know I'd rather understand why something is better, rather than just be told it is. And for what it's worth, I'm sure there are those who will not agree fully - like everything, there are several 'schools' of thought involved. (But I'm right.)
Take care of your investment - and it'll look fantastic for years to come!
xo - Emily
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