Bensmom saddle soap - the review thread (if that's okay with Bensmom)

[Charlie_amp_Me]

Leather Balm

So I finally was able to justify ordering the leather balm (I still have over half a tub left of my old leather conditioner) and I FREAKING LOVE IT! Fantastic product.

I’m definitely a tack cleaning freak - I clean and condition my tack all the time and have therefore tried tons of products. This is by far and away my favorite conditioner of all time. It conditions without leaving any sort of film - just a buttery softness and no tackiness to attract dirt.

I may be in the minority here but I like that it’s a bit hard in the tub - I feel I’m better able to control how much I get on my sponge (I use a dry sponge to apply it).

Great, great job Bensmom! Only regret is I waited this long to try it. Also, love the cinnamint soap. I need more tack so I can go through flavors faster!

[RiverBendPol]

vxf111, Mine is hard too, depending on the room temperature. I dig out a little blob at a time with a finger tip and rub it in with my hands-no sponge nor rag. Much easier and none wasted in the process AND my hands are so soft

Saturday I competed in the dumping down pour of an Aiken Winter rainstorm. I lugged all my soaking leather goods home and didn’t do anything about them till last night. Ooops. When I got to it, all the stuff was 1/2 dry and stiff as cardboard. These are lovely OLD pieces of tack…I got to work rubbing in the Higher Standards Leather Balm and guess what. Soft, pliable, shiny and perfect this morning. Even the 30 year old stirrup-leather-now-neck-strap. Thanks, Libby. Merry Christmas.

[vxf111]

I would prefer it to be softer at room temperature without the need to scrape it out so I can soften it in my hands. Maybe others prefer it harder. Can’t please everyone! But if BM is taking anecdotal reports-- my balm seems to be getting harder with time and at least this customer perfers a slightly softer formula.

[Bensmom]

I absolutely appreciate the anecdotal reports!! Veronica – the cold weather has a lot to do with it too, as far as I can tell. I have softened it up some, following the recommendations you made waaaaaaayyyyy back in the thread somewhere.

I am trying to be careful not to create it so soft that someone who has a winter time purchased jar, doesn’t end up with goop in the summer. I know that some folks have softened it for a few seconds in the microwave, before using it, but you have to be Very Careful doing that. Mr. Bensmom has discovered that the hard way as he has been doing manufacturing – it gets HOT when heated.

That is going to be my solution when I re-do my new wear-to-work boots later this week. I used cold balm on them last week, and it just doesn’t soak in as well. So, I’m going to warm it in a bowl of hot water, and then re-do them and see if that helps.

I did test the labels, before I ordered them, submerged in a big bowl of water for 24 hours and I didn’t have any problem, but if anyone warms their balm this way and has the labels disintegrate, please let me know!

Pol – I will be interested to see too, how the leather does during and after such a soaking. There seems to be some water repelling properties, but I don’t know how much – for it to act more like a water protectant, I’m guessing it would need a higher wax content, which might be appropriate for hunting/mud boots, but not for tack.

Thank you everyone!!

Libby

[vxf111]

I’m cared to nuke it… the hot water bath is an idea.

Mine’s stored in the house. So it’s not exposed to extreme cold-- and it does seem to be getting harder.

[jn4jenny]

[QUOTE=vxf111;7314900]
I’m cared to nuke it… the hot water bath is an idea.

Mine’s stored in the house. So it’s not exposed to extreme cold-- and it does seem to be getting harder.[/QUOTE]

I think I nuked mine at power level 3 out of 10, for 30 seconds at a time, twice. That was enough to make the stuff along the outer rim come loose with my fingers, so I stopped there. The plastic can didn’t seem too hot.

Mine is stored in the house too. Unless Libby switches to non-natural oils, like petroleum distillates, this is probably bound to happen. My kitchen honey crystallizes during the winter, so I wasn’t surprised to see that a safflower-oil-based balm turned hard in the winter too.

[WinsomeTK]

I tried mine tonight, it was on the kitchen table and a bit hard, but no trouble to use. I cleaned the dog’s collars - I’ve used multiple types of cleaners, and nothing seemed to really get the oily gunk in the inside of the collars (I’m all for natural body oils working with the leather, but that was just buildup dirt).

A touch of elbow grease, Fox’s vanilla lavender, and that stuff came right-out. The previous stuff I used just sort of slid on top of the dirt… The collars are like new, I’m super happy! Doing my boots tomorrow!

And, my very dry, eczema-riddled, cracking and often open-sored hands did not end up looking like bleeding raisins after using the soap, which is quite the accomplishment.

[amastrike]

[QUOTE=WinsomeTK;7318551]

And, my very dry, eczema-riddled, cracking and often open-sored hands did not end up looking like bleeding raisins after using the soap, which is quite the accomplishment.[/QUOTE]

Get the balm! Your hands will love it! I use it on my hands more than my leather (okay, that’s mostly because I haven’t been riding and therefore not cleaning my tack).

[WinsomeTK]

I’d want to know exactly what’s in it before I rub it into my open sores on purpose! But if the soap has no ill effects, I imagine the balm must be dreamy!

[sophie]

So I finally tried my own Citrus/ginger soap (I’d bought some months ago as gifts bit hadn’t tried it myself) and I LOOOOVE the smell of it! It did a great job removing the gunk on my filthy, filthy bridle and saddle.

Now I seriously need some balm as both are still pretty dry and stiff (but look beautiful!).

Any chance at all you’d make a citrus/ginger balm? Please?

Oh, and I love that you’re offering smaller containers now. I wish they were for individual sale…(especially the soap!)

[Renn_aissance]

Libby, one of our barn kids finally got her own soap (after several days of taking mine down the barn aisle so she could sniff it, and let her horse sniff it, and…) So now she is finally using it for purpose intended and she says “THIS IS AWESOME!” She is cleaning her tack every day now, which is a minor miracle.

[Bensmom]

Hey, we are all about getting barn rats to clean their tack!! I think her mom asked for business cards, so she could hand them out to other parents

Sophie – right now, we don’t have the setup to be able to make the flavors of balm and make it work. I’m afraid I’d need to make sure someone didn’t order lavender vanilla soap and cinnamint balm, which might clash a bit!

I also am concerned about having the balm, which is designed to stay on and sink into tack, smell too much like yummy edibles, so for right now, it is only scented with the natural scent of the cocoa butter.

Winsome – the ingredients in the balm are all edible even! :lol: It is a secret blend of cocoa butter, beeswax and a light oil, so while I wouldn’t dare to make any medical claims, I don’t know of anything that would be irritating. But, of course, the lawyer in me isn’t about to claim that it is healing of people skin.

So glad everyone likes the products!!

Thank you all so much!!

Libby

[Renn_aissance]

I was the one who asked for business cards and they have been duly distributed. That one was merely the ringleader of the cadre of girls who take my soap and go somewhere so they can all smell it… seriously, I’m worried about their extracurriculars. :lol:

[Tuesday_s_Child]

I am dying to try some soap and conditioner, but I have so many current products that I’m waiting to use them up before I order (since it sounds like I will be totally converted once I start!)… any chance you will bring back the Sugar and Spice scent? It sounds amazing!

[Frizzle]

I think we need to start a “Make Starla’s Sugar & Spice Available 365 Days a Year” petition. :yes: And I will gladly be the first to sign. Who else is in?!

[FlightCheck]

Too late, Tuesday - I bought up ALL the remaining Sugar and Spice!!

[Bensmom]

Welllllll, the Sugar & Spice will come back, but not probably until later in the year. And what FC actually lucked into, is a selection of products that are being tested All the S&S saddle soap has been gone since November

We hope that everyone loves their products for Christmas and wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! :yes:

Libby

[HorseKrazy]

[QUOTE=Tuesday’s Child;7326260]
I am dying to try some soap and conditioner, but I have so many current products that I’m waiting to use them up before I order (since it sounds like I will be totally converted once I start!)… any chance you will bring back the Sugar and Spice scent? It sounds amazing![/QUOTE]

Don’t wait. Just get some! It really is a wonderful product and it will replace your current stash. I know. It has kicked all my other mish mash soaps and conditioners to the curb. Do it.

[HorseKrazy]

I might have bought 2 sugar and spice…

[cobiemurphy]

I’m almost ashamed to post this because of how awful the “before” photo is… But the cinnamint soap and leather balm have worked absolute wonders on my poor, tortured boots.

https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/q71/s720x720/1468818_10153662646690187_1160515645_n.jpg