Oil up, it’s Autumn

The weather has changed. It’s very definitely Autumn. So, it’s time to protect all the leather kit you’ve been using all Summer; boots, shoes, belts, bags.  This is an essential thing to do because after a while leather begins to dry out – so you have to actively replace the oil to stop it from cracking and to keep it supple. 

What’s in the bottle? Otter Wax Leather Oil is all-natural oil – so it hasn’t got any petroleum or silicon in it – which is good for you, the leather, and the environment. It’s made from Safflower – which is (apparently) one of humanity’s oldest crops.  Garlands made from safflowers were even found in the tomb of Tutankhamun.  It’s a yellow thistle-like plant that is now cultivated for its oil. It’s monosaturated, and it’s often used in cooking, but Otter Wax use it as their base and add in vitamin E and sweet orange oil (to make it smell nice and to add to more hydration).

Why use it? Leather Oils are all about soaking into the leather, rather than being a polish that sits on top of the leather (like a boot polish). Otter Wax Leather Oil is specifically designed to put some hydration (oil) back into leather, to give it some protection and, as a result, to enable it to stay waterproof (because the oil you’re re-inserting stops the water from infiltrating). 

How do you use it? Depending on what you’re putting the Leather Oil onto, there will be a bit of a change of colour. It’s a fact, and an often-asked question, about oils causing colour change. Yes - all oils or waxes do change the colour of the leather to varying degrees. So it is important to just try it out on a small patch first, to check you’re happy with this.  Don’t panic though – when you first apply it, there will be a bigger contrast in colour, as you’re applying it to the surface. It will lighten as it dries.

So, if you want to show your leather some love – you can buy Otter Wax Leather Oil in two different sizes – depending on how much leather you need to treat.