On another forum I recently posted this to somebody's leather care question. Thought it was worthy to share with others, especially since the question of "Which leather care products really work?" keeps coming up. If I've got something wrong here, please feel free to respond. Okay here's my ramble... If you read the labels or on-line product descriptions, almost ALL of the leather care companies nowadays are saying similiar boasts about their own products, that they are water and/or lanolin based creams or sprays containing only natural oils, having UV protection, ph balanced, safe to use, and effective in cleaning and/or conditioning, protecting and restoring needed oils and/or hydration. Virtually none of them anymore are greasy petroleum based, etc. Don't believe me? Check out the descriptions of the products on this page: Leather Care - Clean, condition & protect leather upholstery with premium, pH-balanced products by Pinnacle, Wolfgang, Lexol, Leatherique, Connolly, (you can look up other brands not mentioned here and find pretty much the same thing) At the same time many of the same companies say that most or all the other brands on the market are greasy, oily, harmful to your leather, etc. Now that just can't be true, that everybody has the one and only safe product and effective to use, and almost everybody else doesn't! As I understand it, even many of the rejuvenating oils such as Leatherique and Leather Vital use natural oils rather than petroleum base. Consequentally these are also safe and effective to use in the right situations. So I ask just what are all these harmful products we all need to be wary of? I've kind of come to the conclusion that some products are more effective than others in certain situations. Some are made with a little better care, chemistry, possibly ingredients (which is still no guarantee they will work miracles for every situation). Still others are just run of the mill, effecting some level of cleaning and/or conditioning. But very few are actually harmful to your leather. Rather they just don't do more than a light cleaning and moisturizing. Lexol for example is not a bad product. I think they changed their website now, but they used to have a picture of a couple chemists in white uniforms describing the history of when and how their secret formula was achieved. Kind of humorous, yes! But in spite of their being more run of the mill, it can't be argued that many swear by the results they get from their products. So my conclusion? Use what works for you in the kinds of situations you commonly run into. That apparently involves trial and error, not just believing one person or one company's claim to be the one and only right product. To the OP: For new leather I don't believe you need anything heavy duty like Leatherique. Regular cleaning and light conditioning or protecting should suffice. My disclaimer: I'm not a chemist, but I have some experience and I can read product descriptions. Not being a chemist, I may have some detail or explaination wrong or wrongly worded, but hopefully you guys get the gist.
I don't manufacture or sell leather care products, and don't need to meet sales quotas etc, but I will offer unbiased advice; research other options and products, test them and then make an objective decision based upon factual information not hype or brand loyalty. After all, how can you fully understand and properly use any product unless you have all the facts? I would also strongly suggest discretion, and that you verify any information that I or anyone else shares with you. Comparing automobile upholstery [finished pigmented leather] to a vehicles paint surface with a clear coat; 1. A base material (metal) with a colour coat of water-based polymer paint [Leather hide pigmented with a water-based polymer resin] 2. A water-based polymer clear coat to provide protection [Water-based polyethylene clear coating to provide protection] 3. Paint doesn’t need oils to feed it (whatever Zymol says) nor does leather; neither is a living thing. [Leather was removed from a dead animal, it’s then fat-liquored to preserve its oils and then sealed, and it doesn’t need oils or creams to feed or condition it, even if they could permeate the various coverings] See also - Leather Tanning Process- http://www.detailingbliss.com/forum/f36/leather-2454.html 4. The key to leather car; keeping leather (a) hydrated (b) clean, as dirt / grit and subsequent friction cause the finish to wear. A leather protection product is essential as it will protect the surface finish and makes dirt easier to clean off. For many, finding the best leather care product is as simple as using what is the most popular. While popularity can sometimes be a reliable barometer, it isn’t always the correct choice. Some even make their decision based on new car’s leather fragrance alone. My best advise; research other options and products, test them and then make an objective decision based upon factual information not hype or brand loyalty. After all, how can you fully understand and properly use any product unless you have all the facts? I would also strongly suggest that you verify any information that I or anyone else shares with you. I will say this, I used to use both Woolite and Leatherequi products for leather care, but as the materials used in the automotive industry are revised and improved and car care products are re-formulated; we also should re-evaluate our detailing methodologies and products to keep pace with these changes Protection is an essential element in leather care; inhibiting abrasive dirt / grit, brought in from the outside via the A/C system and stains from being absorbed. Its primary purpose is to act as a barrier between the leather surface and any dye transfer or soils that may settle on it, making maintenance cleaning easier, and also providing protection from ultra violet radiation (UVR) especially a Roadster’s upholstery See article "Basic Automotive Leather Care" DetailingWiki - Basic Automotive Leather Care - DetailingWiki
