HOWARD PRODUCTS, INC.
Brand's website: HOWARD PRODUCTS, INC.Howard: restoring and nourishing wood, furniture and leather since 1969
It all started with one question. Back in 1969, Douglas G. Howard couldn't find an answer anywhere: „How do I remove streaks and scuffs from a wood surface and bring back its original color and shine — without stripping the old finish?" So he made the answer himself. Restor-A-Finish was born — to this day the brand's flagship and a legend among antique restorers.
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From a single idea grew a complete line of polishes, waxes, conditioners and restorers — for wood, kitchens, leather, upholstery and metal. The company is still family-owned, manufactures in Paso Robles, California, and lives by the motto that made it famous: restore, don't strip. Old furniture deserves to keep its patina, not hide it under a new coat.
Here you'll find a selection of the best of Howard for your workshop and home: the food-safe kitchen line for boards and blocks, the legendary Feed-N-Wax furniture nourishment, UV protection for outdoor wood and leather conditioners.
What do you want to treat? Howard has the answer
Choose a surface — and you'll see every product made for it, sorted from the basics to the add-ons.
Four worlds of care and restoration
From a cutting board to a leather sofa — all of Howard, clearly sorted.
Kitchen & boardsfood-grade oils, waxes and cleaners Nourish & shine
Furniture & interiorreviving the color, grain and shine of wood UV protection
Outdoor woodagainst fading, drying and moisture Conditioners
Leathersofas, shoes, bags and saddlesA board like new — oil, conditioner and wax
Three steps, one whole: oil nourishes the wood, conditioner seals it, and wax adds a final barrier with shine. For top-level care, start with soap.
The Howard ritualNourish, seal, wax.
Apply the 100% pure USP mineral oil generously and let the wood drink — overnight is fine. Tasteless, odorless, never yellows. Wipe off the excess.
Oil with beeswax and carnauba stays on the surface as a protective veil — against drying and water. Let it set and buff.
Pure food-grade wax as a final barrier: spread a thin layer, let it set and buff to a soft shine. Water just rolls off the board.
A natural wood soap: before oiling it removes dirt and neutralizes garlic or onion odors. The extra step that turns good care into perfect care.
The board before and after
Drag the slider — the same board, one dose of Howard care.
Before After Three places where Howard excels
From Sunday lunch to a flea-market find.
Kitchen
Boards, blocks & wooden utensils
Kitchen wood works every day — cutting, water, washing. The Howard food-grade line brings back its color, softness and water resistance.
Proven products Cutting Board OilConditionerWax-It-All Everything for kitchen wood →
Renovation
Furniture & antiques
A flea-market treasure or a piece from grandma? Feed-N-Wax revives dried-out wood in ten minutes, Citrus-Shield seals it with hard carnauba wax.
Proven products Feed-N-WaxCitrus-ShieldSunShield Explore furniture care →
Leather
Sofas, shoes & bags
Leather cracks without care. Leather Conditioner nourishes it regularly, Premium Leather Salve rescues even a dried-out saddle or an old armchair.
Proven products ConditionerLeather Salve Everything for leather →Feed-N-Wax, Citrus-Shield, or SunShield?
Three wood protectors, three different jobs — choose by what your wood needs right now.
| Feed-N-Wax | Citrus-Shield Paste Wax | SunShield | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form | liquid nourishment (beeswax + carnauba + orange oil) | hard wax paste with carnauba | cream conditioner with UV inhibitors |
| Strongest at | quickly reviving the color and grain of dried-out wood | long-lasting hard protection with a deep shine | protection against sun, fading and moisture |
| Best for | furniture, cabinets, antiques — interior | high-wear surfaces: tables, doors, floors | exterior doors, garden furniture, railings |
| Application | apply, leave 20 minutes, buff | rub in, let it haze, buff | apply with a cloth and buff out |
| How often | 2–4× a year (whenever the wood „fades") | 1–2× a year | before and after the summer season |
| Detail | Feed-N-Wax → | Citrus-Shield → | SunShield → |
We'll help you choose and apply
Guides and comparisons from our technicians.
Explainer
What „food-grade" means and why it matters
USP, FDA, food-contact safe — a guide to the certifications of materials that meet food.
Read the article →Coming soon
How to treat a cutting board step by step
A complete guide: cleaning, oiling, waxing and care frequency by use.
Read the guide →Coming soon
Wood furniture care: oil or wax?
When wood needs nourishment, when protection — and how Feed-N-Wax combines both.
Read the guide →See how Howard works in practice
Short demos straight from the maker — application step by step.
Restore, don't strip. For over 55 years.
Howard doesn't make „another polish" — it makes products that save pieces with a story. No sanding, no chemical stripping, no loss of patina.
- „Restore It — Don't Strip It!" — restoring the surface without removing the original finish
- A food-grade kitchen line: USP mineral oil, beeswax and carnauba
- Formulas proven by restorers and two generations of customers since 1969
- Still a family firm — developed and made in Paso Robles, California
What Howard's customers say
From thousands of happy ones — four voices for four worlds of care.
Our front door faces south, in the sun all day. SunShield with UV protection works incredibly well — I wouldn't trust another product with it. I've been in the trade nearly 40 years and for wood protection Howard is number one.
Joe C.SunShieldI made my wife a walnut end-grain board for Christmas and finished it with Butcher Block Conditioner. Easy to apply and a fantastic shine — I couldn't be happier.
Victor S.Butcher Block ConditionerI put off repainting the original 1968 kitchen cabinets for years. I tried Feed-N-Wax first and — WOW, look how much better they look! I didn't even use half a bottle on the whole kitchen.
Sally S.Feed-N-WaxMy husband brought home leather armchairs „decorated" with children's drawings. A no-name cleaner didn't help — Howard's Leather Conditioner completely amazed me. Both chairs look AMAZING!
Barbara A.Leather ConditionerFrom reviews on the manufacturer's site howardproducts.com, translated.
Restor-A-Finish is coming to our range
The legendary surface restorer that Howard began with in 1969: it removes streaks, scuffs and water marks and brings back the original color — without sanding and without stripping the old finish. We're stocking the range right now; as soon as it's available you'll find it here and in the Furniture & interior world. Want to know the moment it lands? Ask for a heads-up at info@topepoxy.eu.
Howard in kitchens and workshops
From kitchens, shops and flea markets — manufacturer photos. Click to enlarge.
All 10 Howard products in one table
From the kitchen to a leather sofa — the whole range you'll find with us.
| Product | World | Base | Strongest point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cutting Board OilTIP | Kitchen | oil | 100% USP mineral oil — nourishes boards, blocks and utensils |
| Butcher Block ConditionerTIP | Kitchen | oil + wax | finishing care — beeswax and carnauba as a protective veil |
| Wax-It-AllTIP | Kitchen | wax | food-grade wax for wood, cast iron, stone and countertops |
| Cutting Board Cleaner | Kitchen | cleaner | cleans and neutralizes odors before oiling |
| Cutting board care set | Kitchen | set | cleaner + oil + conditioner in one purchase |
| Feed-N-Wax | Furniture | nourishment | revives color and grain, protects against drying |
| Citrus-Shield Paste Wax | Furniture | wax | hard carnauba protection with a deep shine — even for floors |
| SunShield | Exterior | conditioner | UV inhibitors against fading and drying of outdoor wood |
| Leather Conditioner | Leather | conditioner | cream nourishment for smooth leather — suppleness, crack protection |
| Premium Leather Salve | Leather | salve | deep restoration of dried-out, worn leather |
Guides and brochures to download
Original Howard Products materials (EN, PDF). We'll gladly send safety data sheets for individual products — write to info@topepoxy.eu.
What you ask us about Howard
What's Cutting Board Oil for and what's Butcher Block Conditioner for?
Each does something different. Cutting Board Oil is a 100% mineral oil — it penetrates deep and nourishes the wood; feel free to treat a new or parched board several times in a row. Butcher Block Conditioner is oil with beeswax and carnauba — it stays on the surface as a protective veil. The ideal routine: oil as the base, conditioner as the finish and ongoing care.
How often should I treat the board?
A reliable cue: as soon as the wood lightens, feels dry or stops repelling water. With daily use, expect roughly monthly care with the conditioner; after heavy washing or cutting juicy foods, sooner is fine.
What's the difference between Wax-It-All and Butcher Block Conditioner?
Butcher Block Conditioner combines oil and waxes — it nourishes the wood too. Wax-It-All is a pure food-grade wax with no oil nourishment, but it's versatile: besides wood, use it on cast iron, stone, countertops or stainless steel. On new wood always oil first, then wax.
Can I use Feed-N-Wax on a dining table or a board?
Feed-N-Wax is meant for furniture and interior wood. For surfaces that meet food, reach for the food-grade kitchen line — Cutting Board Oil, Butcher Block Conditioner or Wax-It-All.
Feed-N-Wax or Citrus-Shield — which for furniture?
Feed-N-Wax is liquid nourishment (beeswax + carnauba + orange oil) for regularly reviving color and grain — it applies easily and fast. Citrus-Shield is a hard wax paste with a high carnauba content — long-lasting protection and a deep shine, suitable even for floors and high-wear surfaces. They complement each other beautifully.
Does Howard work on lacquered and stained surfaces too?
Yes — precisely on those. Feed-N-Wax is made for finished surfaces: it reaches the wood, nourishes it and revives the finish's shine without creating a sticky layer. SunShield protects finished outdoor surfaces from UV.
What should I do with rags after oiling?
Oil-soaked rags can spontaneously combust when crumpled. After work, spread them out outside and let them dry completely, only then throw them away — ideally soaked in water in a closed container. This applies to all oil products, not just Howard.
Product sorting
List of products
Howard Wax-It-All is a food-grade paste wax that is safe for any surface where food contact may occur. This thick, smooth blend of beeswax, carnauba wax, and food grade mineral...
The set includes three products that offer a complete range of care for your cutting boards, serving boards, and butcher blocks. The set includes: Howard Cutting Board Oil...
A deep-penetrating leather conditioner that restores suppleness, protects against cracking and drying. Contains lanolin, neatsfoot oil, coconut oil, and natural waxes. Ideal for...
Premium leather conditioner with deep nourishment and protection. Contains lanolin, neatsfoot oil, coconut oil, aloe vera, carnauba and beeswax. Restores flexibility, prevents...
High-quality wood wax with Brazilian carnauba wax, which enhances wood grain, protects surfaces, and provides a long-lasting shine. Suitable for furniture, floors, cabinets, as...