What Is Leather Food?

Leather food, or hyde food as it is known, is a product used to maintain and feed leather.

It’s a traditional type of leather care that has been used for hundreds of years. However, is leather food still necessary to use on today’s modern leathers?

For 99% of people the answer is no. Most leather produced for upholstery in cars and furniture is finished and has been for over 50 years. What this means is the leather is coloured and then sealed with a lacquer to help it wear. This lacquer prevents liquids from being absorbed by the leather and so will also prevent any leather food or hyde food from being absorbed too. Do a test – put a small drop of water on the leather, if it soaks in, so will leather food.

We have developed a product called Leather Protection Cream. This is what you should be using on leather. It helps maintain the lacquered coating on leathers, which will prolong the life span of your leather. Whereas if you were to apply a leather food, it would serve no real purpose.

The Leather Protection Cream can also act as a leather food. It is wax based and so if the leather is absorbent, it will soak in and nourish the leather in the same way a hyde food would.

When should I use a Leather Food or Hide Food

The main purpose would be to soften leather when it is old, hard and stiff. But remember, if the leather isn’t absorbent using such a product will not work. We manufacture a product called Leather Revive, which is an oil based conditioner. This is an excellent product used for feeding leather and will give much better results than leather foods.

What products should I buy?

To look after leather use Leather Protection Cream

If you need a leather food, use Leather Revive

You can also use Leather Revive to feed the leather and then use the Protection Cream to maintain the leather there after.

You can see our full range of Leather Conditioners here.