Skins Therapy

[afrocubarico]

Hello all,
I'm not sure if this topic has come up before, if so, please excuse the redundancy. A friend of mine who has played for many years suggested I use manteca de corojo on my skins in order to extend the life of the skin. I have mostly mule skins on my drums and was wondering if this is a common practice and is it really beneficial. Has anyone here used this on their skins, or any other products? Are there other benefits aside from possibly extending the life of the skin? Mucho thanks!

afrocubarico

[Congadelica]

I have been useing manteca de corojo on my skins and my hands after long sessions it helps stopping them nasty calluses and keeps your hands conditioned . It is amazing stuff Id be liberal on the skin but it does keep them in good condition . and I was recomended on here by many who have used it for years .

So yes your friend is correct

[Mike]

It´s a question of preference whether you treat your skins with some kind of oil or not.

I used to oil the conga skin twice a year, but I haven´t done it at all for about one year, and there´s
been no negative efefect whatsoever so far.

Congadelica is of course right, the palm oil is good for YOUR skin, but I think unless you place your conga constantly
on the radiator, you don´t REALLY need to oil the skins.
The oily bits that come off your hand when you hit the drum should be enough. Especially mule skin takes the beating
fairly easy, remember what stubborn beasts they are - they don´t need to be marinated posthumously (sp?)

What I have just said applies the more to bongo skins. I like them dry at least.

I know opinions are split on that, and I´m sure you will get other statements.

These are my two cents only. Now I´m more into salad dressing - mmmh, olive oil

[No.2-1820]

I like to use a pure coconut oil that I poached from my wife, I don't apply it directly to the drums any more but rub it on my hands when I sit down to play, I'm a believer in the oiling of the skins, I really think it thickens and deepens the tones in a way that works for me, although I can also understand people seeking that bone dry cracking sound that seems quite elusive for many. I also love the smell, it takes me closer to drumming on a palm fringed tropical beach.....

Barrie

[Isaac]

Manteca de Corojo - an orange/yellow palm seed oil is very good - but use
very sparingly. Oversaturating can also deaden the tone of a skin.
On bad ringing skins, that might be desireable, but if a skin is good to begin with
it doesn't need much.

ISAAC

[afrocubarico]

Thanks guys! Very much appreciated.

afrocubarico

[bongosnotbombs]

I use shea butter, all natural from africa, often put it on my hands before and after
playing, then the hands transfer some to the conga heads while playing, I've
seen people put way too much on their drums and the skins get all greasy and stuff!

[windhorse]

I don't like to add oil to what I'm getting from hands playing them. So, I'm with Mike on this one. But, I''m sure that there are many good reasons for using oil.
Oh, I just thought of one.. I'll bet that in a rapid heat exchange, and the head rapidly shrinks, you might oil the skin and save it from certain doom.
Now, there'd be a good reason, other than basic skin/hand ailment.

[Joseph]

I have some old Patatos with LP “hand picked” skins.
I’m on Isaac’s wait list for muleskins ( Isaac can ya hear me buddy? Don’t fergit me!)
I have no idea how old the LP skins are, so I decided to give the skins some TLC.

After weighing various options, I settled on Lanolin, and here is why:
These facts all from Wikipedia
Lanolin is the only product (of all those discussed) for treating our drum skins which is produced BY animals for their skin (and wool).
It is secreted by the sebaceous glands of wool-bearing animals, such as sheep and acts as a skin ointment, and water-proofing wax.
It is made up of a mixture of wax, fatty acids and alcohols
As an ointment base, it is readily absorbed through skin.
Medical grade lanolin is used by some breastfeeding mothers on sore and cracked nipples....skin.


Vegetable oils come in two categories ( for this explanation)
Liquid at room temperature (unsaturated fat)…some of the oils discussed.
Solid at room temperature ( saturated fat)…shea butter.

Oil is oil…oil coats stuff.
It soaks in to a certain degree, then coagulates (for lack of a better description) and remains as a coating.
There are many oils for wood treatments that advertise how they “seal” the wood…in other words: coat it.
After many coats…at once, or applied over time, you have a “buildup”…that is, unless it wears off over time, which on a drum head skin is most likely to be the case...at least on the areas of the skin that get hit a lot.

I can happily say, that after 3 treatments with lanolin (first one totally removing heads and really globbing up top and bottom of skins), skins look and feel fresher , and don’t feel as if they have had any coating put on them. As stated above it is readily absorbed through the skin.

You can buy it at any drug/pharmacy dept. Look in the “nursing mother’s” section.
Comes in a tube, feels like grease, a little goes a long way.
Drum skin might feel a bit greasy for a couple of sessions afterwards…it’s good for your hands too.
...or you can rub it on your nipples.

[Whopbamboom]

I'm using 100% pure Shea butter. It's GREAT for my hands. I typically just apply before playing (have to wipe off the excess) and let the skins take in some of it so as to not over-oil. If the skins start looking a little dry, then I go ahead and apply a little to the skins.

[Mike]

Joseph,
thanks for the research on Lanolin & oil. Good ´n´greasy info
One more side thought:
From time to time many congueros even CLEAN the conga heads with cold water as
to get the coated layer of sweat, grease and worse off the drum. I think unless your conga skin
is seriously suffering from old age, e.g. wrinkles or even cracks, this is a very good thing to do.
I did it on a Meinl Marathon tumba with a very thick cowskin that was being played on by
literally hundreds of students. The sound has been close to deaf until I washed away all the remainders
of hand lotion, perspiration and also aspiration And now it sounds fantastic again!

[Whopbamboom]

Mike-- was the buildup physically noticeable before it got cleaned off?
Or was the only real indicator the deadening of the tones?
And, did you use a little soap to clean?

[Mike]

WBB, the skin I was talking about was - yuck - like you hit a frozen pancake that was soaked in something nasty.
So, yes, you could feel the build-up.
As to soap: NO! That would wash the natural grease out of the skin I think. The dirt came off easily as I scrubbed the
skin with some splashes of cold water and a nailbrush.

Hope I could be of assistance, Sir

[Joseph]

Before I gave my old LP skins the first Lanolin treatment, I made a warm soapy water solution from dish detergent, the anti-bacterial stuff, just what I had around the kitchen sink.

I used an old toothbrush and scrubbed it around a bit, working in small areas.
Never did soak the skin, I'd say barely penetrated the surface, and mostly loosened all the old dirt,
...and man, was it dirty!

Used a damp rag to wipe off each cleaned section (real obvious), then gave the entire to surface several generous wipedowns with fresh water. It barely felt damp when I was done.
Let it dry thoroughly, then did lanolin treatment.

I don't think you run any great risk of washing the natural oils out of the skin by cleaning the surface in this way.
I think you would have to soak the skin in a pretty strong detergent to make that happen.
Especially if you have oily build up, most of effort will be spent trying to cut through that, to get back to the skin.

Regards,
~ Joseph