This article is written by Ram Iyer of Geist. Read more about Ram, how he got into leather care, how Geist started, and more below!
I did not plan a career in leather care – who does? Didn’t even know it was a thing…let alone build a business around it. I was on my way to being a fully qualified accountant and while I enjoy studying numbers it didn’t feel it was my true purpose, felt I could do more with my life – honestly, it wasn’t adventurous enough.
Leather care, repair and restoration is something I fell into. It all started by offering some part time help to a friend who ran a car detailing business. Before long, I was mixing paint, studying the material, repairing and restoring leather – 90% of my work was restoring car interiors. I realised I could make the most impact and help people by providing products and advice which led me to build a product based business. My network started growing especially within the car detailing scene around the world.
Fast-forward 12 years, I have trained people in OEM’s, launched Colourlock products in the UK & USA and built a team that help customers with leather issues daily. During this time, I have found that the information out there about leather cleaning, protection and restoration is either plainly wrong or isn’t simplified.
Why is an APC or saddle soap not ideal for leather cleaning, does a leather conditioner provide any benefit – if automotive leather is top coated/clear coated how will a conditioner penetrate? Why not develop a long term coating for leather that prevents dye transfer and staining.
These are all valid questions and ones that I have asked repeatedly – to be absolutely certain that the products we offer are not ‘just another liquid in a bottle’ but actually perform a function.
My thought process behind introducing and developing the Geist product range was to provide the correct advice that is easy to understand for anyone new to Leathercare. My aim is to simplify leather care and be a ‘better’ leather care company.
While developing Geist In the last 12 months I also became a dad for the second time. My two boys mean the world to me. Becoming a parent changes you and alters your thinking in more ways than one. Apart from the obvious changes (like spending more time in the bathroom to get ‘me’ time and valuing sleep a lot more), in some small way I feel responsible to make this world a better place for my kids. And my way of doing that, is by ensuring we use natural ingredients in our products where possible. To avoid using ‘forever chemicals’ that really hurt the environment just to stain proof leather and vinyl seating especially when there are alternatives available that are just as good in terms of performance. That is my new definition of ‘being cool’.
Looking at the bigger picture and having read a lot about ‘forever chemicals’, I am convinced the future for a lot of chemical companies and brands will depend on innovative products that perform just as well but without all the unnecessary harmful ingredients. A common myth is that natural cleaning products are less effective than synthetic ones but the truth is they are just as good as their chemical counterparts.
The surfaces in cars are today made with an almost entirely different chemistry than those of a few years ago. Advances in analytical methods, allow us to understand ageing processes better. The polymer surfaces, plasticizers, tanning agents, solvents, oils and pigments (to name but a few) are today, to the best of our knowledge, free of chemicals that can harm unborn children, harm marine life or accumulate ‘forever’ in the environment. Geist does not use forever chemicals in its formulations. The slowing of ageing processes is a central focus in the development of the products that Geist is introducing to the market.
I am no chemist but the developers behind Geist have worked in the design and testing processes of the German automotive industry for over 25 years. They have trained development and production engineers in Europe, Asia and the USA. One was instrumental in introducing testing methods that have become industry standards. They developed and introduced the first dye-transfer protective technology which has become an industry standard and initiated the process that made ‘purpose developed’ cleaning products (for leather and synthetics), part of secure production processes at automotive suppliers and OEMs. Today these Geist developers are focused on products that increase the useful life of modern flexible surfaces without the use of health and environmentally risky chemistry. A huge advancement has been made using ingredients made from plants and algae. The remarkable soil lifting properties of some of these new molecules mean that surface polymers (e.g., leather, PU, or vinyl finishes) can be freed of many stains and soiling with minimal or no polymer swelling (weakening) or strong rubbing. These products are now becoming available, through Geist.
Bringing this concept to market and seeing these products used by our customers, is already a big win for me and our team. We are making a difference, however small that may be. I hope you all try our products and look forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback.