Natural Leather Conditioner Recipe

[don thugz]

What all-natural oil have you tried using in your own homemade conditioner, and what was the consistency like? I have spent a long time reading forums about making your own leather conditioner, but nobody ever posts the actual recipe. It is not some big trade secret, and honestly, most of the ingredients are on commercial product safety sheets anyway. I figured out a good recipe and I want to share it with everyone.

I wanted an all-natural product so I skipped the petroleum products and cheap oils. I even use this mix as a finish after dyeing leather, though it takes more work to buff out than some synthetic options. I know people worry about natural oils going bad or attracting pests but I have never seen concrete proof that it is a real issue. I think that is just an old myth that keeps getting repeated. My recipe is a starting point and you can change the ratios a little to get the right consistency you want, like adding more wax to make it firmer. And if you can make soup on the stove, you can make a big batch of this conditioner for way less than what a small tin costs in the store.

Soft texture - Ratio of 1:1:2 beeswax, cocoa butter, and liquid oil
Cream texture - Ration of 1:1:3
Solid texture - Ratio of 1:1:2: .5: .25 add lanolin and Carbauba wax

I hope that helps.

 

[HandyDanny]

Cool, thanks for posting this breakdown and sharing your ratios! For the liquid oil, I've had the best luck with pure neatsfoot oil. It’s thicker than many plant oils and gives the finished conditioner a slightly softer, almost creamy or butter-like consistency, even with less liquid than your soft ratio. It's a traditional choice for a reason and really soaks in well! I also tried sweet almond oil, which made the final product noticeably firmer so it's closer to your cream texture with less wax added. I think I'll give your solid texture a try in my next project!

 

[damy2128]

I use a 50/50 mixture of pure neatsfoot oil and deodorized cod liver oil. It is based on a recipe I stumbled across long ago from the 1870’s.

 

[don thugz]

You are welcome! Those are excellent ideas! I might want to explore your preferred ratios. I have been trying to perfect my recipe and also exploring ideas from other people.