Shoe Polish Wax Made from Bamboo Charcoal

Abstract

The researchers created a shoe polish wax out of organic materials. An

economical, sustainable, non-toxic, all-natural and chemical-free wax. The group
conducted 20 different experiments using activated and non-activated powdered
bamboo charcoal to test which one has the best outcome. 10 trials each used for non-
activated and activated bamboo charcoal. Ingredients are candle wax, beeswax, lemon
juice, cooking oil, olive oil, and coconut oil, adjusting the amounts of each every trial.
The product with small amount of beeswax and increased amount of olive and coconut
oil is more effective as of consistency, water permeability, color and shine. Adding more
beeswax made the product hard and unusable, therefore the amount of beeswax placed
is significant. In conclusion, shoe polish wax prepared from bamboo charcoal is
possible, however due to its natural and organic materials, effects doesn’t last long, and
need to reapply once a week to make a polished, waterproofed, and dark-colored
leather shoes.

Introduction

Shoe polish is a waxy paste, cream, or liquid used to polish, shine, waterproof,
and restore a leather shoes or boots thereby extending the footwear’s life. It has
different colors like brown, white, and black.  It is usually toxic and flammable, made
from a mix of natural and synthetic materials including naphtha, turpentine, dyes, and
gum Arabic using straightforward chemical engineering processes. Naphtha chemicals
contain heavy metals and salt that can deposit toxins to the skin causing irritations and
potentially carcinogenic. Turpentine can irritate the nose or throat when breathed in and
can also cause skin irritation and burn the eyes. Gum Arabic can interact with certain
medications (antibiotics in particular) which slow or prevent their absorption into your
bloodstream and allergic reactions are fairly common such as skin irritation, lesions or
even severe respiratory issues. Using these shoe polishes can often harm some people
who are susceptible towards these ingredients.
 The researchers created a shoe polish made from bamboo charcoal. Activated
charcoal is actually used by hospitals worldwide as an effective treatment for drug
overdoses and poison cases. This product is safer and will not cause any irritations
when used. It is also cheaper than the ready-made shoe polish that we can buy in the
grocery. It is environment-friendly due to its organic ingredients.

Materials and Methods

Materials used are ½ teaspoon, 1 tablespoon, 25- and 250-ml beaker, 2 long
candles, 1 pan, 1-piece chopstick, strainer, different sizes of polish wax container,
mortar and pestle, non-activated and activated bamboo charcoal.

The wax is used for the consistency of the product, oil is for polish, and the
bamboo charcoal is for dyeing.

The non-activated bamboo charcoal is made using dried bamboo, cutting it

equally into 6 inches then directly putting on fire for at least 5 minutes until dark, shiny,
and easily broken. After heating, it is crushed using mortar & pestle, and sieve to
separate big portions.

The researchers used experimental method. The first two trials used melted
candle wax and oil. Trials 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10 replaced the candle wax to beeswax.
Trial 8 did not use any kind of wax.

The rest of the trials have the same method of processing and adjusting the
amounts of each ingredients.
 Table 1. NORMAL POWDERED BAMBOO CHARCOAL

TRIAL AND NUMBER DATE INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp of melted candle wax
1 tbsp of powdered soap
Trial 1 November. 14, 2019
3 tbsp of normal powdered bamboo charcoal
1 tbsp of cooking oil
50 ml of melted candle wax
1 tbsp powdered soap
Trial 2 November 22, 2019
1 tbsp normal powdered bamboo charcoal
½ tbsp of cooking oil
50g of beeswax
Trial 3 January 17, 2020 3 tbsp of normal powdered bamboo charcoal
50 ml of olive oil
50g of beeswax
Trial 4 January 17, 2020 3 tbsp of normal powdered bamboo charcoal
50 ml of coconut oil
25g of beeswax
3 tbsp of normal powdered bamboo charcoal
Trial 5 January 25, 2020
3 tbsp of olive oil
3 tbsp of coconut oil
25g of beeswax
Trial 6 January 25, 2020 2 tbsp of normal powdered bamboo charcoal
3 tbsp of olive oil
25g of beeswax
Trial 7 January 25, 2020 2 tbsp of normal powdered bamboo charcoal
3 tbsp of coconut oil
30 ml of lemon juice
3 tbsp of olive oil
Trial 8 February 20, 2020
3 tbsp of normal powdered bamboo charcoal

Trial 9 February 20, 2020 30 ml of lemon juice

3 tbsp of olive oil
25 g of beeswax
 3 tbsp of normal powdered bamboo charcoal
30 ml of lemon juice
3 tbsp of olive oil
Trial 10 February 20, 2020 3 tbsp of coconut oil
25 g of beeswax
3 tbsp of normal powdered bamboo charcoal

Table 2. ACTIVATED BAMBOO CHARCOAL

TRIAL AND NUMBER DATE INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp of melted candle wax
1 tbsp of powdered soap
Trial 1 February 19, 2020
3 tbsp of activated bamboo charcoal
1 tbsp of cooking oil
50 ml of melted candle wax
1 tbsp powdered soap
Trial 2 February 19, 2020
1 tbsp activated bamboo charcoal
½ tbsp of cooking oil
50g of beeswax
Trial 3 February 18, 2020 3 tbsp of activated bamboo charcoal
50 ml of olive oil
50g of beeswax
Trial 4 February 18, 2020 3 tbsp of activated bamboo charcoal
50 ml of coconut oil
25g of beeswax
3 tbsp of activated bamboo charcoal
Trial 5 February 17, 2020
3 tbsp of olive oil
3 tbsp of coconut oil
25g of beeswax
Trial 6 February 17, 2020 2 tbsp of activated bamboo charcoal
3 tbsp of olive oil
25g of beeswax
Trial 7 February 17, 2020 2 tbsp of activated bamboo charcoal
3 tbsp of coconut oil
 30 ml of lemon juice
Trial 8 February 19, 2020 3 tbsp of olive oil
3 tbsp of activated bamboo charcoal
30 ml of lemon juice
3 tbsp of olive oil
Trial 9 February 19, 2020
25 g of beeswax
3 tbsp of activated bamboo charcoal
30 ml of lemon juice
3 tbsp of olive oil
Trial 10 February 20, 2020 3 tbsp of coconut oil
25 g of beeswax
3 tbsp of activated bamboo charcoal

Results

Each trial was evaluated according to the following criteria:

Appearance: matte

Color: very dark to dark-colored black

Permeability: waterproof
 Trials that fulfilled all of these criteria are labeled as pass unless stated
otherwise. Standards are provided so that it will help the researchers in which trial will
have the best outcome.

Table 3. NORMAL POWDERED BAMBOO CHARCOAL

TRIAL AND CONSISTENCY APPEARANCE/COLOR RESULT

NUMBER PERMEABILITY
Trial 1 Rough, separated Unusable FAILED
Trial 2 Dry, formed Unusable FAILED
Trial 3 Hard Matte, gray, waterproof FAILED
Trial 4 Hard Matte, white, waterproof FAILED
Trial 5 Soft, formed Matte, dark, waterproof PASSED
Trial 6 Rough, small clumps Matte, dark, waterproof PASSED
Trial 7 Soft, formed Matte, dark, waterproof PASSED
Trial 8 Watery, small clumps Shiny, transparent/clear, not FAILED
waterproof
Trial 9 Viscous, small clumps Matte, gray, waterproof FAILED
Trial 10 Smooth, small clumps, Shiny, transparent/clear, FAILED
waterproof

Table 4. ACTIVATED BAMBOO CHARCOAL

TRIAL AND CONSISTENCY APPEARANCE/COLOR RESULT

NUMBER PERMEABILITY
Trial 1 Very hard unusable FAILED
Trial 2 Hard Shiny, dark, waterproof FAILED
Trial 3 Soft, formed Shiny, dark, waterproof FAILED
Trial 4 Soft, formed Shiny, dark, waterproof FAILED
Trial 5 Rough, creamy Matte, very dark, waterproof PASSED
Trial 6 Smooth, creamy Matte, very dark, waterproof PASSED
Trial 7 Very smooth, creamy Matte, very dark, waterproof PASSED
Trial 8 Watery Shiny, transparent/clear, not FAILED
a waterproof
Trial 9 Very smooth, formed Matte, very dark, waterproof PASSED
Trial 10 Smooth, waxy Very shiny, transparent/clear, FAILED
 waterproof

Discussions

In conclusion, it is possible to make a shoe polish wax from bamboo charcoal

without using any harmful and toxic substances or preservatives. Due to its natural and
organic ingredients, the effects were shorter in duration. The process is time-
consuming. For future research, the group recommends using other ingredients that are
cheaper and can easily be found. Expand the various ingredients that can be used to
increase the lifetime of the product on leather shoes. Also, the group recommends using
protective equipment like gloves, goggles, and coats.

Based on this experiment, this shoe polish wax is economical, safe, and
environment-friendly.

Acknowledgement

The researchers express their highest gratitude to God, Sir Jihrel Tacadena,
Jerico A. Baybayan, Lorna G. Salonga, Eveneser G. Salonga, Nizy V. Esteve, Marla
Almira A. Santiago, Analyn R. Altea, Loreta M. Villegas, and Dr. Jennilyn V. Mataya, for
helping to make this research possible.

The members give their sincere appreciations for encouragement and guidance
throughout this experiment as well as financial support.

References
1. https://prezi.com/iixtuoxaxvcr/investigatory-project-coal-as-shoe-shine/
2. https://www.bamboogrove.com/why-bamboo-save-planet.html
3. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322609#possible-uses
4. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/activated-charcoal#section5
5. https://www.liveabout.com/shoe-polish-recipe-1387820
6. https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Shoe-Polish
7. https://www.tipsbulletin.com/homemade-shoe-polish/
8. file:///C:/Users/BrianJL/Downloads/IMRad-Cheat-Sheet.pdf
9. file:///C:/Users/BrianJL/Downloads/imrad-sample%20(1).pdf
10. https://www.pyroenergen.com/articles/how-to-make-bamboo-charcoal.htm