Car waxes and sealants play a critical role in car detailing. They are the invisible barriers of protection that prevent contamination from damaging paint and clearcoats but they also help keep your car cleaner longer. They enhance shine, create a wet look, and produce slick surfaces which also makes it easier to wash away dirt and debris. 

 

In the automotive detailing industry, the term “wax,” “sealant” and “polish” are mistakenly used interchangeably. The following will clear up any confusion that the industry has created.

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CAR WAX

Car waxes are liquids or pastes that feature a specific ratio of naturally occurring carnauba wax as the main ingredient. They usually offer a wetter, glossier shine and are usually easier to apply than paint sealants due to their greater oil content. The tradeoff is less protection longevity usually providing protection for 1-3 months. There are much more expensive and exclusive waxes that can last 6 months or more with proper application and care.

 

SEALANT

Paint sealants are liquids containing man-made polymers, resins, and synthetics to mimic the properties of carnauba-based car waxes but have greater longevity of protection. Many paint sealants are easy to apply and offer an extremely tight molecular bond to a painted surface. Sealants usually provide protection for 3-6 months, some claim for up to a year. While sealants create beautiful shine and slickness, many believe carnauba-based waxes provide more depth of shine.

 

COATING

Paint coatings, commonly referred to as Ceramic or Graphene Coatings, provide the longest lasting paint protection for your car or truck, 2-10x longer than waxes or sealants. Coatings are made of synthetic materials that creates hard layer of protection that strongly bonds to surfaces. Ceramic coatings take effort to properly prep and apply but it is worth the amazing long lasting shine, gloss and protective hydrophobic properties.

 

POLISH

Paint polishes contain extremely fine abrasives that are designed to refine a vehicle’s clearcoat to create a dazzling finish. This process yields the biggest improvement to a vehicle’s overall appearance. Polishing is accomplished by using dual action or rotary polishers to remove scratches or oxidization. 

 

Light swirls and scratches may only require a single-pass with a machine polisher, referred to as a ONE-STEP polish. Severe cases with deeper scratches and swirls require the use of a more aggressive polish compound followed up with a finer polishing stage, referred to as a TWO-STEP polish. 

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Black or dark paint usually requires a two-step polish since all imperfections are much more visible than lighter colors. 

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GLAZE

Glazes are oil-rich liquids which provide great shine and gloss designed to fill and hide swirls and fine scratches but only lasts for a week or two. It's commonly used by car dealers who need to quickly hide paint imperfections or to make cars to stand out, for instance at car shows.

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