A ceramic paint coating in a wax form does not require a ton of surface prep. While it’s a good idea, they simply don’t amplify existing damage on a vehicle’s paintwork like a spray coating or nano coating will. They are also a bit easier to maintain – as you can take your car to the local car wash or use a waterless wash to keep it clean. It is always best to use a good microfiber towel to dry the vehicle with any paint coating. Why Were Ceramic Waxes Made? One of the best ways to see the difference between traditional carnauba wax vs ceramic car wax is shown above. On the left is a car with a single coat of traditional car wax. The right has a coat of a leading ceramic car wax.

It seems every time you blink, there is a new ‘super ceramic coating’ introduced to the passionate car care enthusiast. The latest creation of chemists at direct manufacturers of car care solutions is ceramic car wax. Their intent was to infuse the hydrophobic properties found in ceramic coatings with the application found in regular wax. The product itself is easy to apply. I would not recommend just washing a car then applying it. To get the best results, you should to a full decontamination wash, pre-wash, wash, clay bar, polish, then it would be ready for the product. The general rule of paint protection – and reducing the potential of swirl marks, is the stronger or harder the top layer, the less likely scratches will occur. The clear advantage goes to a genuine nano ceramic coating. Ceramic wax doesn’t come close in this matter. Why a 9H Nano Ceramic Coating is the Ultimate Protection Let’s face it – even the best ceramic wax can’t stand on the same platform as a professional-grade nano ceramic coating like Ceramic Pro 9H. It’s simply not a fair comparison. The ceramic wax is a genuine starting point for those who prefer applying wax onto their car the old fashion way. As a Gen X car guy – I appreciate that – and know there is a passionate consumer market that loves it as well. The main difference between these two products is hardness and hydrophobic. Most ceramic waxes are infused with ingredients that cure stronger than natural carnauba wax and synthetic paint sealants. As the wax hardens, it provides a flatter surface, which amplifies the water shedding or hydrophobic properties.This is a classic example of a car that has suffered from severe swirl marks. The solution is to complete paint correction. The way to avoid it is to use a professional grade nano ceramic coating. While a ceramic wax will help, it’s not as strong as the Ceramic Pro 9H coating. This kits consists of a 250ml bottle of ceramic wax, application sponge, 320g microfiber towel, pair of nitro gloves and instructions. The instruction on the bottle are in polish, you can scan them in and translate, and there is a card, which is contradictory in places and repeats itself. When most manufacturers talk about longevity with their paint protection products, it’s extremely vague. For example, a leading DIY ceramic coating brand advertises an ‘expected longevity of 2 to 3 years’, but they don’t really explain what longevity means. Finally, conventional wax is separated into two categories – natural and synthetic. Ceramic car wax formulations are 100% synthetic and have no natural ingredients. Is Ceramic Wax Better than Carnauba Wax? Once buffed, both areas appeared to have a similar shine. When sprayed with water the area with the ceramic wax was very slightly more hydrophobic.

These new lab-created super waxes also offer superior protection against chemicals, both organic and non-organic. Bug splatters, bird droppings, tree sap, and other contaminants are less likely to penetrate the hard shell of protection vs traditional car wax. When using these ceramic wax products, washing your car is also easier. When I was given an opportunity to try this product, I thought I'd give it a go to see if it performs to expectations. This is the group of car-nuts that grew up with traditional car wax – like Turtle Wax, Meguiar’s and others. As companies started to introduce professional-grade nano ceramic coatings, the in-house chemists and product development experts started to notice a sizable shift in the amount of business being lost.Some people will judge the performance of paint protection wax, ceramic coat, or spray by the time it starts to lose some of its qualities – such as a loss of hydrophobic properties. Others judge longevity by the time they start to see faded paint. That’s ultimately the biggest issue we’ve got with ceramic car waxes in general. It’s just not known how long they will provide protection. How is Ceramic Wax Different from Conventional Wax? I am a member of a detailing club, have been for 10+ years, and as a result I have a plethora of detailing products in my garage from pre-wash foams, to various waxes and sealants.

A new crop of DIY ceramic coating kits also bit into the sales of established wax brands, but the Boomers simply didn’t buy into these watered-down coatings. They preferred the hand application and buffing associated with traditional car waxes. Thus – the ceramic car waxes were born to provide protection against UV rays for the car’s paint surface. Are Ceramic Car Waxes Good? Yes – if you’re a lover of the wax on wax off method of paint protection – a ceramic wax is a far better alternative to the traditional carnauba wax. It’s designed to apply easier, remove easier, can be layered with each application, and simply lasts longer. It gives your paint an added boost of luster and shine – at a depth that is superior to normal wax. What’s the Best Ceramic Wax for Cars? This ceramic car wax arrived in its own branded cardboard box which also contains a foam applicator, buffing cloth, protective gloves and an instruction card. Like boost sprays, a ceramic spray wax can be used on top of an existing nano coating or as a standalone product. In most cases, these formulations will provide about a year’s worth of hydrophobic properties, but simply do not cure as strong as a concentrated nano ceramic coating like Ceramic Pro 9H.Making DIY products easier to use has been a focus for all businesses in the automotive industry for years. At its core, that’s the intent of a ceramic coating wax – but with a little spin. The truth is that the most consistent demographic of car care products over the past 20 years has been the Baby Boomer generation. Ceramic waxes are a great option for those traditional DIY car lovers who prefer hand applied paint protection solutions for their car paint. It’s better than traditional products, as the added infusion of silicon dioxide and lab-created synthetic paint sealants cures harder, lasts longer, and provides enhanced hydrophobic properties. Titanium dioxide or TiO2 is the main contributor to the hardness of a ceramic coating product. SiO2 helps maintain a flat surface, which makes the top coat slippery. That’s the attribute most people associate with ceramic paint protection products. But, regardless, the percentage of SiO2 and TiO2 in a ceramic wax pales in comparison with their nano-technology infused older and more mature cousins.

So, what’s the truth about this new enhancement of traditional wax? How are these products different from a genuine nano ceramic coating? Is a ceramic wax better than natural carnauba wax or typical paint sealants? Is this product made to improve waxing your car? Or – should you avoid these products like the plague? The ceramic waxes are also formulated to allow you to build layers over time. That’s one of the nice features of these products. With traditional car wax, you need to remove the old coatings before you apply a new layer. That’s a thing of the past with ceramic car waxes. This whole area has seen quite an influx of new products, you only need to pop in to a well known retailer to see this. First there were these hybrid ceramic waxes like this and now we have hybrid graphene waxes.

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That’s difficult for us to answer. It really depends on your preferences. There are some ceramic wax products that are easier to apply – such as the spray-on hybrid ceramic wax products by Meguiar’s hybrid ceramic wax for example. They can be applied on top of you’re average DIY ceramic coating or used as a standalone solution, hold up for about 6 months, and can be layered on top of each coat. The question most of us ask is whether they’ve succeeded? Well, the jury is still out. In fact, there are some car enthusiasts that have tried these hybrid spray wax products and experienced less-than-stellar results. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s not a good product or offers some added benefits that traditional carnauba wax does not. Believe it or not, most ceramic wax products contain zero ‘natural wax’. They are mainly lab created polymer-based ingredients, sometimes infused with SiO2 or Teflon, which are “ceramic” by definition. These two ingredients help to produce a slippery surface or hydrophobic properties that nano ceramic coatings are primarily known. There are some products marketed as ceramic spray coatings, and others that are designed as paste wax. Some are infused with Silicon dioxide and others are simply chemical polymers that bond to clear coats. Regardless of their exact composition, it is safe to say that a ceramic wax is basically a paint sealant on acid that is applied to your clear coat.