You could try a few coats of Danish oil. It penetrates well and is quite protective (and no hassle with brush marks). The good bit is that you can simply lightly sand and reapply to any damaged areas.
WARNING: Most of the finishes mentioned here involve flammable solvents of one type or another. They need plenty of time to evaporate before you go near them with anything hot - particularly on a flat horizontal sheet!
I'd second that, but say go for neat tung oil instead of Danish oil. Tung oil is one of the components of most Danish oil mixes (along with Linseed oil and other drying* oils). Tung is the most water resistant and chemical resistant of all the drying oils. It used to be used as the finish for laboratory benches. A small bottle goes a long way.
It's a little bit more of a effort to apply than Danish oil, but the effort is worth it and the effort is less than you'll have to make for any other finish like paint or glued laminate. Typical application is to apply a first coat diluted with white spirit (for penetration), leave it ten minutes, wipe off any excess with a rag** and leave it for 24 hours to dry. Apply a second coat of neat tung oil, ten minutes, wipe off, 24 hours drying. Repeat for a third coat, perhaps even a fourth for extra durability.
It has the same advantage as Danish oil, or any drying oil finish, in that application requires no skill to produce a good finish, and it can be revived by a light sanding and reapplication of one or two coats of oil. The latter isn't to be sniffed at as workbenches lead a hard life and it is nice to have an easy way to bring them back to pristine condition.
*'Drying' in this context actually means polymerisation in the presence of oxygen, not the evaporation of solvents.
**Beware of any drying oils and rags. As the oil 'drys' it heats up and trapped in a rag can catch fire - it's a recognised hazard in the fine furniture and decorating trades. I soak any contaminated rags in water, put them into a sealed polythene bag so they stay sopping wet and only then throw them away. Alternatively put them somewhere where it doesn't matter if they spontaneously combust like a metal tray on some hardstanding outdoors.