This can vary based on the type of coating you’re using. How should you apply ceramic-based paint protection? Repeat the process on each panel until you’ve finished the entire car. Then, after it has hazed, buff the surface to a beautiful shine with a soft microfiber towel.
Allow enough time for the wax to haze, usually 5-10 minutes. Working one panel at a time, apply a thin coat of wax with an applicator pad.
Also, it’s best to make sure you’re working in a shaded area and that the surface is cool to the touch. We suggest applying any kind of wax (whether it’s a spray, cream or paste) with an applicator pad. If you choose to utilize wax for your paint-protection needs, we've got some general pointers for best practices. It does not create the chemical bond like we find with ceramic coatings. Wax on the other hand simply sits on top of the paint’s surface. They resist heat, UV rays, environmental contaminants & harsh detergents much better than wax. Once they’re applied & cured, ceramic-based protectants are extremely resistant to water, soaps, and of course environmental pollutants.Ĭeramic protectants (coatings) provide a much higher durability than wax. This curing creates a chemical bond with the surface on which it’s being applied, in this case our car’s paint. This new ceramic material acts very differently from a wax in the sense that it will actually generate a curing property once applied to a surface. Often times, when it comes to paint protection, both wax & ceramics are referred to as a sealant.Ī more recent development in detailing technology has been ceramic-based paint protection. (You’ve probably heard numerous terms/names, most commonly ceramic coating, silica, quartz, silicone-dioxide or even SiO2). They were slightly more robust than a wax, but still suffered from some of the same short comings (susceptible to high temperatures and car washing soaps). A paint sealant, in the past, has been a product that mimics a wax’s characteristics, but is made from synthetic material rather than organic materials. By blending different types of waxes together we can achieve different results like ease-of-use, clarity and color enhancement. We’ll also blend in oils that provide lubrication along with scents & colorants. To achieve the desired result we have to add solvents that the wax is soluble in. As you can see, it’s too hard to be spreadable and provide the protection we’re looking for. See the image below – this is what 100% carnauba wax looks like in its raw, refined form. You’ll frequently see marketing messages that claim a product to be 100% carnauba wax, but this is a little misleading as it’s typically referring to the purity of the wax in a specific product. The first thing to note is that wax you apply to your car is never in its 100% wax form. In the automotive world carnauba, montan and paraffin waxes are most commonly used, but there are synthetic variants as well. Wax serves as a protective, sacrificial barrier between your cars paint and the environment.
Wax can be a diverse blend of materials that are referred to as "malleable solids" – basically a substance that can change form from a solid to a liquid at ambient or slightly elevated temperatures. In this write-up we’ll go over some of the common misconceptions, the definitions of each and hopefully help establish an understanding of how these terms are different and when it’s best to use each of them. Waxes, sealants & ceramic coatings have distinct advantages and are specifically suited for different applications. In a lot of ways that’s true, but as detailing technology continues to evolve, paint protection materials have become more advanced and distinct differences between these terms have begun to emerge. The question gets asked a lot: what’s the difference between a ceramic coating and a wax (or sealant for that matter)? It makes sense that there’s confusion around the topic – terms like these are often used interchangeably and most people were taught to understand that a wax IS A sealant and both of them are a form of coating.