Ditch the store-bought leather conditioner and learn how to make your own DIY beeswax leather conditioner balm from natural ingredients.
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EHow to make a leather conditioner with beeswax
My leather furniture has seen some things in its time. I love second-hand furniture or handmade. I wonder who else sat in this leather chair, the books they read, or the things they created.
My dog’s claws are not very forgiving on the furniture so a good leather conditioner is a must! I make my leather conditioner balm with plant-derived oils and beeswax from my own honeybees to avoid any nasty chemicals.
I don’t use mineral oil on my furniture it’s nasty stuff that is formed from the distillation of crude oil for the fuel industry. No way that I want that on me or anything I care about!
Check out the video to make your own:
What’s in my homemade leather conditioner?
This simple DIY leather conditioner balm contains:
- Beeswax
- Coconut oil
- Almond oil
- Grapeseed oil
- Castor Bean Oil
- Essential oils
Let’s talk about why I use these ingredients so you know when you want to switch up the recipe and make it your own recipe for your homestead!
Beeswax
Protects the leather. If you have bees you can clean and render your own beeswax as I did in this post here. Or you can pick up beeswax pellets
Coconut oil
Great for conditioning hair and skin or adding to coffee or making carrot cake muffins but in a leather conditioner, coconut oil
Almond Oil
Just like the coconut oil, almond oil
Grapeseed Oil
The grapeseed oil
Castor Bean Oil
If you are wanting to give the leather a beautiful shine, add caster bean oil
Essential Oils
These are not required for the DIY leather conditioner balm but do make things smell nice! I’m using the Earth & Wood Blend essential oil
Homemade Leather Conditioner Balm Recipe
2 tbsp beeswax
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup almond oil
1/4 cup castor bean oil
1 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 tsp essential oil
If you prefer a firmer balm, switch the coconut oil for shea butter or cocoa butter.
How to make a leather balm
Good tools make the process so much easier. When working with beeswax it is best to dedicate tools for working with it as beeswax can be difficult to remove. To make this natural beeswax leather balm you will need:
- a double boiler
- measuring cups and spoons
- a stirring spoon
- containers
Double Boiler
A double boiler makes melting the beeswax and mixing the oils a bit safer. Take great care in melting beeswax and mixing the oils, you will be heating and using hot water and melted wax which can burn and scald. Always ensure you act safely when working with heat and flammable substances.
Containers
To keep your beeswax leather conditioner you will need to plate it into a container. I like these deep metal tins from SKS Bottle & Packaging Inc. which are easy to recycle where I live and the rolled edge on the lid makes them easy to open and they close easily.
Natural cleaning products don’t have a long shelf life as their chemically made counterparts, as such a secure lid helps to keep moisture and air out of the leather conditioner which helps stop the oils from turning bad. This is great if you are making a number of these for gifts to share or if you are trying to make in bulk.
Making leather conditioner
Firstly, measure out your ingredients.
Next, place the beeswax into the double boiler and start heating the water in the lower section of the double boiler to begin melting the wax.
When the wax starts melting, add the oils to the pan but don’t add the essential oils yet!
Keep heating through the double boiler until the beeswax is completely melted then remove from the heat.
Add the essential oils if you are using them and stir to thoroughly mix.
Carefully fill your tins. Place newspaper down if you are prone to spills to protect your work surface and be aware that the oils may be hot so take exceptional care to prevent burns and scalds.
Allow your homemade beeswax leather conditioner to cool completely at room temperature.
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Always ensure to operate safely. All projects are purely “at your own risk” and are for information purposes only. As with any project, unfamiliarity with the tools, animals, plants, and processes can be dangerous. Posts, podcasts, and videos should be read and interpreted as theoretical advice only and are not a substitute for advice from a fully licensed professional.
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