Why does everyone say modern leathers don't need conditioning?

[spikepaga]

Hello everyone!

I have been searching and searching the archives here as well as the AG forums and have been finding that there are people who recommend modern (80's plus?) leather does not need any conditioners, which I don't believe.

I have 3 Jaguars and have been using the same method on all of them. Leatherique 4x a year, and then Lexol cleaner followed by Lexol conditioner every month. The 3 cars have totally different interiors which is why I was wondering if I was treating them properly to begin with:

1974 E type convertible recently (3yrs) finished in original Connolly Vaumol leather. 100 percent leather, no synthetics anywhere. This interior seems to eat up the conditioners the fastest.

1995 XJS convertible very recently finished in "new old stock" Connolly Autolux leather. 100 percent leather, no synthetics anywhere. The Connolly Autolux leather is like a modern "coated" leather. This interior takes longer to accept the conditioners, but does absorb them.

2004 X-type sedan. This car is a daily driver. It has it's typical modern synthetic blends, and only real leather on two small panels in the seats. The real leather is not Connolly and feels low grade but still seems to absorb the conditioners at a even slower pace. Obviously the conditioners end up sitting all over the synthetic parts until I wipe them away.

3 very different finishes.

Point is is I started getting paranoid that I was not treating the leathers appropriately or that I was going to "destroy" the coatings. I emailed Connolly, but never got a reply. I emailed Leatherique and they said that the product does get thru the modern coatings. No risk of destroying it, which put my mind at ease.

I am am still curious as to why some folks insist that nothing can get thru newer leathers. It seems like the coatings have to be pourous, otherwise it would just dry out completely or if it had an impenetrable coating, then it would not feel like leather at all.

[Buck91]

Re: Why does everyone say modern leathers don't need conditioning?

Very specific question and it sounds like you have answered it yourself. I believe the general idea is that the vinyl coated leathers used in many applications today are unable to benefit from most conditioners and will see the biggest benefit from being kept clean and with some form of UV protection.

[davey g-force]

Re: Why does everyone say modern leathers don't need conditioning?

I believe that even though modern leathers are coated, it is not a totally impenetrable coating. So they do indeed benefit from regular conditioning.

[Eldorado2k]

Re: Why does everyone say modern leathers don't need conditioning?

I'm surprised the coating on modern leathers can survive a steam cleaning.. Does it really? I dunno for sure.

[Top Gear]

Re: Why does everyone say modern leathers don't need conditioning?

In mine, a 2012 Genesis, the leather (black and some red) is definitely coated, perhaps infused as well, and the dealer also did some extra treatment, if memory serves. I've found that Lexol or Gold Class Rich Leather conditioners only give the leather an oily appearance that goes away after a day or two (onto hands, clothes or by evaporation). GCRLC (and Ultimate Protectant) can make the interior smell new, and I use them as much for simply dusting the interior as anything else. Anyway, I'd have to kinda agree, on my car's leathers, conditioners might be superfluous. I've seen very little change in them whether I condition them regularly or not.

[jfelbab]

Re: Why does everyone say modern leathers don't need conditioning?

If they are referring to "P" Protected leather when they say "Modern" leather I'd suggest to you that they would be mostly correct.


The three most common types of automotive leather are:


Aniline: Leather that has been dyed and coated with a pigment (paint) to yield uniform color and then clear coated. This type of leather does not reveal scars, pores and blemishes and has an artificial uniform grain pattern embossed.


Semi-Aniline: Leather that has been dyed and coated with a semi-transparent pigment then clear coated This type of leather may reveal some of the underlying scars and blemishes of the hide as well as some color and grain changes.


Synthetic: Much of the leather, and in some, all of the leather in many of today's vehicles is entirely synthetic or engineered leather. It looks like real leather but is really entirely synthetic. This is in use in some high ticket brands like Lexus, MB and Infinity for example. It is often difficult to tell what is real leather and what is engineered leather.


Everyone seems to like the term "conditioner" but just what is conditioning? When leather professionals speak of “conditioning leather” they are usually speaking about leather hydration. Properly hydrated leather will be soft, plump, and flexible making it resistant to creasing and cracking. Most traditional conditioners are typically oily or contain silicone, wax or things like Aloe or Neatsfoot or Mink oil. No protected leather needs or benefits from these things. Conditioning products were initially designed for a much different type of leather. Most oily conditioners leave a film on protected leather that can hasten the accumulation of soil. Conditioners do not penetrate the urethane painted top coat to condition the leather. True, some of the H2O in these conditioners evaporates and raises the relative humidity surrounding the leather which is beneficial as the leather will pick up the H2O through the process of transpiration but a damp wipe down will do this as well and not leave that soil grabbing film.Keep in mind that the topcoat was added to the leather for the purpose of preventing spills and liquids from getting to the leather, as well as hiding the leather’s underlying scars, and blemishes and making the leather more abrasion resistant.


Leather conditioners do nothing to prevent stains or dye transfer. If your leather has developed cracks, using an oily conditioner may further degrade the adhesion of the painted topcoat around the crack and make the damage worse.


So how does this protective coating work and still allow the leather to stay hydrated? Much the same way as a rain coat would protect you from a driving rain. At the same time the rain is being repelled, you will begin to notice that your clothing is becoming damp due to the 100% humidity level. That's basically how your leather stays hydrated, at the molecular level. If you want to test this put a drop of water on your protected leather in an inconspicuous place and leave for 15-20 minutes and you will see that it does not soak in. That is the urethane top coat preventing the absorption of the liquid as it was designed to do. H2O is a small molecule when compared to an oily conditioner so if water is not being absorbed by the leather, the larger molecules of a conditioner certainly are not.


Ok, so for those who insist that their leather feels softer after using a conditioner I can suggest three reasons for this. The first is that the conditioner has left an oily film on the leather and it altered the "hand" or feel of the leather. It has not really done anything to the leather, as it can't get to the leather, but it makes the hand feel nice for a short time until it is rubbed off or evaporates. The other reason is that the conditioner likely contains a good deal of water and that it is raising the humidity level in the proximity of the leather. If this happens, the leather may absorb the water molecules and plump up and feel softer. The thing about this is that a wipe down with a wrung out cotton towel would accomplish the exact same thing. The third reason is that the term conditioner has no defined meaning. Who knows what is in the bottle labeled Leather Conditioner? What one company calls a conditioner another might call a protectant. The industry has too many vague definitions.


Leather is made soft in the tanning process and then sealed. You cannot add oils back through the topcoat of protected leather. Leather becomes hard if it loses its needed hydration. Dry leather shrinks and feels hard. Much the same way a chamois gets hard when it is dry. Rehydrate the chamois and it becomes soft again. Rehydrate your protected leather and it should soften to the degree designed in the original tanning process.


I'll stick with cleaning and protecting.


I avoid products that contain neatsfoot, mink, or other oils, silicone, aloe, or any other odd, useless item but often the labels doesn't tell you what is in the bottle.


I prefer to use a water-based hydrocarbon protector on my leather. This prevents dye transfer damage from jeans and belts and keeps the leather looking like new. This protector dries to the touch so does not attract dust and dirt. It adds no shine to the leather but rather, it restores the showroom new appearance. I vacuum my leather and wipe it down with a wrung out towel weekly. I apply the protectant every quarter.

[davey g-force]

Re: Why does everyone say modern leathers don't need conditioning?

Great info - thanks Jim!

Can I ask which leather protectant you use?

[jfelbab]

Re: Why does everyone say modern leathers don't need conditioning?

Great info - thanks Jim!

Can I ask which leather protectant you use?

I use Leather Masters Protection Cream but I've been meaning to try Meguiar's protector.