Traditional leather care assumes the product soaks into the hide. In a modern car it almost never does, because the leather has a polyurethane top layer between the product and the material.
What that changes
Conditioners marketed as nourishing oils sit on the surface, attract dust and leave a shine that reads as cheap. Worse, some solvent-based products soften the coating itself, which is the layer actually protecting the hide.
What actually works
Clean with a pH-neutral product and a soft brush, working the foam into the grain rather than wiping across it. Follow with a water-based protectant designed for coated leather, which maintains flexibility and adds UV resistance without gloss.
Where wear really comes from
Driver’s bolster wear is abrasion from getting in and out, not dryness. Dye transfer from denim is the other common problem, and it lifts far more easily from a protected surface than an unprotected one. Regular light cleaning beats occasional heavy treatment every time.