Choosing Wax

The car-care aisle in the average auto-parts store has a mind-boggling array of products. The wax section alone offers products formulated for new paint, old paint, clear-coated paint, scratched paint, oxidized paint—just about everything but roller-applied paint. Many of these products claim to restore routinely maintained paint to its original factory finish (when used as directed). So how do you know which wax is best for your car? We'll attempt to boil it down to the basics.

Synthetic Vs. Natural
Thanks to modern chemistry, car care products are easier to use than ever. In the olden days, rubbing/polishing compounds were used solely for scratch- and swirl-removal. Then paste wax was hand-applied Karate Kid style to protect the finish and bring out its shine.


These days, waxing and polishing can be "engineered" into the same step. Modern polishes eliminate fine scratches in addition to "conditioning" the paint by restoring certain oils. These characteristics combine to improve the overall gloss and protection/toughness of the finished job. (Conventional wisdom for dark-colored cars is to use a non-abrasive polishing product followed by a pure wax to produce superior results as opposed to a one-step polish/wax process). Better yet, liquid waxes can be formulated to withstand the heat generated by orbital buffers; paste waxes tend to melt and burn under high-friction conditions. In other words, superior paint-care results can be achieved in a fraction of the time it used to take.

Liquid Vs. Paste
This debate overlaps the synthetic/natural decision. In general, liquid waxes are synthetic (created in the laboratory) while paste waxes can either be "natural" (as in originating in nature) or a combination of natural wax and synthetic additives such as polishing polymers.


Paste wax is still preferred by many purists (those guys with handlebar moustaches who wear British touring caps). Because most paste waxes should only be applied by hand, the process allows passionate enthusiasts to literally pet their pride-and-joys while making the paint shine.