DIY leather conditioner

[ScottWolf]

As mentioned above, I have found D-Limonene use in conditioners to be a great addition to any formulation of ingredients one may prefer. I will add this about it though, as its worth noting when sourcing D-Limonene from all the products out there. When looking at the different grades and terms, this is what they mean in simple terms.

 

D-Limonene vs "Citrus oil". Is there a difference?

The short answer is yes. But its not that clear cut, so I will elaborate. Both D-limonene and orange oil are citrus-derived, however there is a difference . "Orange oil" is a broad term that includes several different compounds in it, with D-limonene being one of its components, at a lower % level than pure D-Limonene. To compare it to another substance we use, 100% D-Limonene is like 100% NFO. Citrus oil is like NFO Compound.

Now, this is where it gets murky when trying to source your D-Limonene online. You absolutely can find products being sold with the words "Citrus oil" on the label and the words 100% D-Limonene right below and it is a clear liquid. You will also absolutely encounter products labeled "Citrus Oil" that will be dark orange-ish in color and when you look at the back label or the MSDS, you will see a % of D-Limonene it has in it, but it won't be 100%. I've seen it as low as 10%. When sourcing your D-Limonene, make sure it is a Clear liquid and or ensure the label say 100% D-Limonene. 

 

D-Limonene comes in different grades and you may see them listed as:

1. Technical grade (purity, +/- 95%) Comes as a clear liquid, which is clear/colorless to yellow tint with a strong citrus odor.

2. Food grade (purity, +/- 97%), Is a clear water-white liquid with a mild orange odor. Is often labeled as 100% D Limonene

Bottom Line: If you want the best quality/purest form, it should be clear in appearance and it should state the % on the label. It should smell like Oranges and nothing else. If it smells like oranges and anything else, its not Tech or Food grade. If the liquid is dark orange-ish or has an orange tint, it isn't Tech/food grade, it's likely a "Citrus oil" type of cleaning product.

*Safety note* D-Limonene is flammable. It also has a strong smell in a confined area and if you let 100% pure D-L  sit on your skin too long, it may cause irritation.

 

When I use it in a leather conditioner, I add the D-Limonene last. I start by melting the Beeswax over a heat source, as it is the one ingredient that will likely take the longest to liquefy. I then stir in and allow any of the other ingredients to liquefy, and mix them together until there is nothing floating around in the liquid. I remove the pot away from the heat source and will then pour in the D-Limonene while continuing to mix the liquid. I then pour it into tins and put the lids on and place them in the freezer.

When it comes to determining how much D-L to use in your product, I will say this. A little D-L goes a long way. I use it by the cap/ container lid full. If you know your batch of conditioner will fill 4 tins, then start with 4 caps/lids of D-L, which breaks out to 1 cap/lid per tin. This is a ballpark amount to start with, so you can add more or less as you refine how much you want in your recipe.

 

[dikman]

Thanks for an excellent summary, ScottWolf, something that even I can understand. Looks like it could be a great "softening" agent for making paste wax.

[SUP]

@dikman I have been using food grade D-Limonene for a while now and buy it by the gallon. The MSDS does say it should have a mild citrus fragrance with a slight turpentine hint, so what I get is pure.  It is a solvent so I am not  sure about its use as a softening agent to make paste wax. It might eat away the leather if it is present in too high a concentration, don't you think?

I started using it to make my all-purpose household cleaner and then, finding it convenient and because it keeps away insects and the area so clean, decided to add it to my conditioner. Just a little bit, for the fragrance and also the fungicidal and insecticidal  effect. Not sure how much is needed for that effect but I'm not sure I want to add much more either. I just follow my nose when I add it. Lanolin and D-Limonene together give a lovely fragrance and the advantage is that with the beeswax and oil, the conditioner is good for my hands as well and safe if my dog licks it off my fingers. I make my conditioner in small quantities so the orange fragrance, which keeps away insects, remains. I'm not sure how long it will remain if used in larger batches.

Edited January 12, 2024 by SUP

[Burkhardt]

6 hours ago, ScottWolf said:

The only ingredients I said I didnt recommend in this thread, based on my experience with them, is Vegetable oil and lard (pork).

What was the experience with the veg oil that you wouldn't recommend for?

[ScottWolf]

20 minutes ago, Burkhardt said:

What was the experience with the veg oil that you wouldn't recommend for?

As an ingredient in a leather conditioner. Both the Veg oil and lard (pork) used in the conditioners I made started to have a strong odor like it was going bad , over a short period of time in the tin.

[dikman]

Sup, ScottWolf has used it in his recipes so I'm assuming it's not detrimental to leather, BUT as you say it is a fairly strong solvent (used as a paintstripper!!) so I guess one would have to be careful about how much is added to the mix.

Burkhardt, it is difficult to find information about using vegetable oils in leather conditioners but when I searched for info on pork fat and macadamia oil it all related to using them in cooking. All mentioned about shelf life (1 - 2 years) and deteriorating after that, even when kept refrigerated, in other words turning rancid. Anything that can't be stored indefinitely at room temperature has to be considered suspect for long-term use on leather. I haven't looked at every vegetable oil but those I have all mention having a finite storage life.

Maybe we need a post (sticky?) of a simple list of stuff that is known to be harmless when used on leather?

[SUP]

@dikman I have been using D-Limonene in my conditioner for quite a while now,  and just about everything else since it is a very safe pesticide and cleaner as well. But in small amounts. My concern is only about using it as a softener for wax. Waxes are hard and need quite a bit of a thinning agent. I was wondering how it would affect leather in larger amounts and over time. It is supposed to be a good degreaser as well, because of its solvent properties, so I am not sure how it will work along with waxes, in larger concentrations. Will it dissolve the waxes? I have no idea. As an insecticide and for fragrance it is used in such small amounts, it does not seem to harm leather or dissolve the waxes either. I will probably look into it sometime and put it up here if I learn something new. I use so much D-Limonene, I like to know what else I can do with it.

As far as vegetable oils are concerned, I know that coconut oil, which is notorious for smelling awful when exposed to air, did not smell at all when applied to leather. Four different pieces of leather kept in four different locations and no smell.  I was surprised but there it is.   Of course, I used the fractionated coconut oil, so that might be one reason for that. So the treatment of the vegetable oils maybe something to look into, for anyone who wants to use vegetable oils.

 

Edited January 12, 2024 by SUP

[ScottWolf]

1 hour ago, SUP said:

My concern is only about using it as a softener for wax. Waxes are hard and need quite a bit of a thinning agent. I was wondering how it would affect leather in larger amounts and over time. As an insecticide and for fragrance it is used in such small amounts, it does not seem to harm leather.

If you want to soften up your waxes, adjust the amount of "oils" in your ratios of ingredients. Higher % of oils to waxes will result in a softer balm or to a cream like consistency depending on how much you increase the ratio of those oils. Increasing the ratio of D-L  in your mix might have the effect you want, but its an expensive one compared to just adding a bit more of the oil(s) you are using, which are less expensive.

 

 

[deboardp]

14 hours ago, ScottWolf said:

Safety note* D-Limonene is flammable. It also has a strong smell in a confined area and if you let 100% pure D-L  sit on your skin too long, it may cause irritation.

Instinctively, I am concerned about this product. It's a solvent that puts off heat as it evaporates. It can irritate the skin. If it evaporates it will no longer be in the leather. If I use an oil, I want it to stay in the leather so that the grease (my conditioner) will stay soft and not become cake. My leather will be in contact with skin, or separated only by the thickness of a sock, so for all those reasons I won't use it. 

Scott why do you buy so much of this orange oil in its various forms? What do you do with it? And why are you making so many batches of conditioner? What do you do with all those jars and tins of conditioners? From what you have written I get the impression that you have made quite a bit of conditioner in a number of configurations. Why? Just curious. 

What do think of coconut oil as an ingredient? Do you have any experience with it? I think that it would be a pleasant aromatic addition to my formula. 

Do you know what makes an oil go rancid? Is it the presence of unsaturated molecules in it? My friend and I thought that coconut oil would be stable long term because it is saturated. 

[chuck123wapati]

1 hour ago, SUP said:

@dikman I have been using D-Limonene in my conditioner for quite a while now,  and just about everything else since it is a very safe pesticide and cleaner as well. But in small amounts. My concern is only about using it as a softener for wax. Waxes are hard and need quite a bit of a thinning agent. I was wondering how it would affect leather in larger amounts and over time. As an insecticide and for fragrance it is used in such small amounts, it does not seem to harm leather. 

As far as vegetable oils are concerned, I know that coconut oil, which is notorious for smelling awful when exposed to air, did not smell at all when applied to leather. Four different pieces of leather kept in four different locations and no smell.  I was surprised but there it is.   Of course, I used the fractionated coconut oil, so that might be one reason for that. So the treatment of the vegetable oils maybe something to look into, for anyone who wants to use vegetable oils.

 

I cant really see/understand adding a solvent/degreaser to an oil based product. The only thing i can see it would do is break down the oils and waxes to possibly help move them through the leather but they don't really need the help if mixed properly and at the proper ratios and applied correctly. Does it evaporate out at some point or stay in?  I guess I'm saying, the two are opposite in the intent of keeping good oils and greases in the leather, why would you add a degreaser to grease?