AndyG Posted March 5, 2018 Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 Hi all, I have been experimenting with different mineral oil/beeswax finishes for my cutting boards lately and now I’m ready to try something new. I’d like to try using lemon and orange oil along with vitamin E and carnauba wax. Not necessarily all together, but I’ll experiment with different ratios to get a finish I like. Has anyone tried any of these with their board finishes/waxes? I’d love to hear from you. I suppose you’d have to use pure lemon or orange oil to get the benefits rather than just a scented oil. And did you use powdered vitamin e or liquid? I appreciate the help. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted March 5, 2018 Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 Andy, just out of curiosity, why the vitamin E? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted March 5, 2018 Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 I can't think of any benefit that orange or lemon oil may have, aside from aroma. Plain mineral oil and beeswax does a terriffic job. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted March 5, 2018 Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 The first finish I ever used was a lemon oil/wax and it smelled great. I'm also interested in why Vitamin E ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyG Posted March 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 To be completely honest, the vitamin E idea came about whilst researching commercially available waxes and finishes. They all seem to have it included with their mineral oil. Maybe someone in the know could shed some light? I like the smell of lemon and orange scented waxes for boards, and my understanding is that they offer some sort of additional anti bacterial benefits? I enjoy the process of making my own beeswax/mineral oil finishes. I give them away to friends with cutting boards, and they seem to really like them. So just looking to mix things up a bit and see if anyone else has used other products in their home made board finishes. I know the mineral oil/beeswax finish is sufficient, but just looking for something new. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted March 5, 2018 Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 Looks like vitamin E is commonly mixed in a nut or seed-based carrier oil. There is a good chance your E is mixed with flaxseed oil, a.k.a. linseed oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted March 5, 2018 Report Share Posted March 5, 2018 I read last night that vitamin e was added to preserve shelf life . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilgaron Posted March 8, 2018 Report Share Posted March 8, 2018 Vitamin E is used as a preservative in a variety of products. I've not made scented beeswax/mineral oil blend for wood, but if you're using it for cutting boards I would go to a spice store and get food safe essential oils or scents to use there. Essential oils are very concentrated, so you won't need to use much. The stuff at the store will be cheaper than whatever your friends on social media are selling alongside the tupperware. My wife took some of my cutting board wax I'd made and used a drop of peppermint essential oil to about 12 oz of wax/oil blend, and poured the molten wax into empty lip balm tubes she'd bought on Amazon. It worked well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyG Posted March 9, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2018 Thanks for the replies. I made a mix of mineral oil, beeswax and food grade orange oil. It worked out well. Next up I’ll try carnauba wax. I have been looking at food grade essential oils and it’s something I’ll try. I’m looking forward to it. Does anyone know what the shelf life would be for say beeswax, carnauba wax and mineral oil? The vitamin e sounds like it would preserve the finish, but was curious if after X years it may turn rancid? Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted March 9, 2018 Report Share Posted March 9, 2018 Just the beeswax should last a very long time if kept in a cool dark location. 1-2 years on the carnauba and mineral oil should be good for many years. But after they are mixed and heated then bottled who knows. Carnauba is from the leaves of a palm tree so maybe it would degrade at some point I read that light will affect the color of carnauba. Beeswax has been found that was thousands of years old and still good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilgaron Posted March 9, 2018 Report Share Posted March 9, 2018 Mineral oil won’t spoil, beeswax should be bacteriostatic and while I am not sure about carnuba wax I am going to bet that kept in a cool dry place it will last forever. Basically, without enough free water bacteria can’t grow. That’s why jelly lasts forever, too much sugar to have enough free water. If It separates and moisture beads on the surface, though, then sometimes you can find a mold that manages to grow on something that usually doesn’t spoil. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatCharlieDude Posted March 10, 2018 Report Share Posted March 10, 2018 I use this commercial product on my cutting board and wood bowls. It's just beeswax, carnauba, mineral oil and lemon fragrance, so it sounds very similar to what you're hoping to make. It's a great mix, I've almost finished my first tub and I'm about to order another. I'd make my own but I'm lazy and I suspect this is cheaper. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FE6IA5W/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatCharlieDude Posted March 10, 2018 Report Share Posted March 10, 2018 I don't think you need to worry about the shelf life of beeswax https://beeswax.co.nz/beeswax-information/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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