Originally Posted By: ZZman
I sent an e-mail to Leatherique company and got this response back:
All colored leather is surface coated. Since 1990 it has been a water based coating. The finish is water resistant, NOT WATER PROOF!!!! The Rejuvenator will easily penetrate the finish as will rain water, coffee, or anything else you spill on the surface and leave. The Rejuvenator is a natural water based protein collagen complex that will keep the actual hide, the backbone of the leather luxuriously supple and healthy. If you don’t do anything to keep the hide nourished, it will become dry, and the spongy fibers will pull apart creating cracks.
Interesting . . makes sense. When I clean the seats with Lexol Cleaner (water-based), I can feel the leather relax, so the 'plastic' or 'vinyl' top coat is permeable.
However, when I used Lexol Preservative (oil-based), it seemed to just dry on the surface. When I went to buff the seats after it dried, there were brown stains on my white towel. And my seats continued to crack. Obviously, it wasn't soaking in.
Since my earlier post, I've tried 303 and found it works great. The seat covers actually feel supple after using it. I also used the Megeuirs marine product I mentioned; same effect. Both are water-based, though the Meguirs has something else in it. It leaves a nice leathery-smell too.
I'll check out the leatherique stuff.