Leather is an interesting material. While it's technically not living in the traditional sense it's a living material. Depending on the tanning process it ages and wears over time giving each item its own unique look and feel. High-quality leather goods are also an investment and investments deserve a bit of care and attention.
That's why I decided to make a leather balm -- to protect and nurture my goods, my investments. Squared Away Leather Balm is made in small batches by me using quality sourced ingredients. It's simple, effective, and organic, being only three ingredients -- filtered beeswax, raw shea butter, and raw coconut oil. That's it, that covers most of what dry and worn leather is looking for.
The coconut oil replenishes the natural oils from the leather that are lost with wear and age, the shea butter does too and adds a suppleness back, and the beeswax helps to give your leather a bit more weather resistance as well as acting a bit as a sealer.
This is a good, general-purpose balm for veg tanned leather goods as well as oil-tanned leather but is not suitable for suede. For exotic leather, check with the manufacturer and always test in a small, inconspicuous spot before applying to your leather goods. The balm may cause lighter leathers to slightly darken.
How to use
First, give your leather a good wipe down with a dry cloth to help remove dust and dirt. If needed, a very lightly dampened cloth can be used but let the leather dry completely before applying the balm. You can apply the balm with your hands or with a cloth and it's a good idea to start off with a small amount -- a little goes a long way.
Work the balm into the leather, I find a circular application pattern to be the best method. From there I let the balm sit and work its magic for 2-5 minutes before giving the leather item a good buffing with a clean and dry cloth. Unless your leather item is heavily soiled or neglected you'll really only need to use the balm 1-2 times a year.