Best Carnauba Wax For Car Care (Review & Buying Guide) in 2018

Choosing the best carnauba wax for your car can be daunting especially for newbie car owners or those who are not really familiar with such products. You don’t need to fret though since we’re here to help you decide on the right carnauba wax to get for your vehicle.

Benefits of Using Carnauba Car Wax

Almost every other car detailer will recommend using a carnauba wax on cars and other vehicles. There are many reasons why this kind of car wax is preferred over other types of waxes. Here are some of the more important benefits of using carnauba car wax.

• Provides a deep, wet-look, shine on your car

No synthetic car wax can ever replicate the deep, showroom-shine that is characteristic of carnauba-waxed cars. They are especially known for their classic ‘wet-look’ especially when light is reflected off its surface, giving the car that now-sought-after visual appeal. The other good thing about carnauba car wax is that this showroom shine actually lasts up to 4 months. While this pales in comparison to synthetics that can reach up to a year or so of shine, the quality of the sheen afforded by synthetics is simply no match to the deep, rich, and very vivid sheen that carnauba waxes provide.

• Protects your car’s paint

Natural, unadulterated carnauba wax is exceptionally hard. That is why if you see a carnauba product that is formulated as liquid spray and they claim to be 100% carnauba, you’ll know better. All of the products that we’ve featured contain polymers or some other wax like beeswax to help soften carnauba; otherwise, it would be very tedious to apply it onto the surface of your car. That being said, studies show that carnauba wax has a very high melting point, about 3 times higher than beeswax at about 190^oF. It is also one of the hardest and densest natural waxes in the world. These properties are what protect your car’s paint job especially against UV rays. And since you’re keeping your car’s paint in tiptop shape, you know that you’ll be avoiding costly body repaints.

• Provides a waterproof layer for your car

One of the most unique characteristics of carnauba wax is that it is technically insoluble in water. This is observed from tropical forest trees that secrete such wax to help protect their leaves from excessive moisture. The same property can be applied onto your car. When it rains water will form beads and simply roll down your car’s body. The surface will be so slippery that individual water molecules will not have something to ‘hold onto’. After a shower you don’t have to worry about water stains.

• Prevents surface contaminants from scratching your car’s surface

We mentioned above that carnauba wax is one of the hardest natural waxes on the planet. It’s like putting a very tough invisible shield over your car. This helps protect it against scratches from dirt, dust, small rocks, tree branches, leaves, and even bird droppings, among others.

 How to Choose Carnauba Wax and What to Look For

Choosing the right carnauba wax for your car should be pretty straightforward. Unfortunately, as you may have seen in our selection of the best carnauba car waxes, it really isn’t that simple. The fact that carnauba wax can come in various forms makes it even more challenging to determine the best one for your vehicle.

In choosing a carnauba wax you may want to start with the age of your vehicle. If your ride is technically still new with less than a few hundred miles under its hood or with barely 2 years on the road or you can see that it still has, more or less, its original shiny finish, then you may want to start with a spray wax formulation. These are very easy to apply and produce instant results. Some products can be applied straight onto your car even without cleaning or washing it first. There are also products that can be used in either wet or dry conditions. These are perfect for weekly applications or even for those emergency or special-occasion situations. Unfortunately, do keep in mind that carnauba wax in spray formulations is relatively thinner and, thus afford your car with substantially reduced protection. In other words, you will have to apply more of this product more frequently.

If you’ve got a car that is older than 2 years old or you’re looking to preserve its sentimental value, then a good old wax should be your best choice. Carnauba waxes may be a bit more tedious to apply, but the results will simply be incomparable.

Now, if the issue is that your car is already showing signs of oxidation, you might want to get a cleaner wax. We’d like to caution you with these products as cleaner waxes typically contain abrasive chemicals that are designed to remove baked-on stains, dirt, and signs of oxidation on your car. These chemicals can produce swirl marks or very fine scratches or even haze on your vehicle’s finish. This is more evident on dark-colored vehicles, however. The point is that in choosing carnauba cleaner waxes you need to look for a product that is safe to use especially on clear coat finishes.

In addition to the age of your car you may also have to look at just how much plastic body parts it has. Plastic are exceptionally trickier to work with. For example, plastic body panels, bumpers, and door trims will typically have visible residues when applied with wax. As such you may have to look for a carnauba wax that works exceptionally well with plastics. If you cannot find such a product then you will need to avoid applying wax on these plastic parts on your car; unless, you don’t mind cleaning it up after with a plastic cleaner.

Choosing the right carnauba wax can be especially tricky. While we already mentioned spray waxes as great options for cars with still-excellent finish, there are other types of carnauba waxes as well. For instance, liquid wax is great for cleaning and is well-known for its exceptional gloss and durability. Unfortunately, applying and buffing this wax can be tricky as they dry to a haze in an instant. Paste waxes, on the other hand, are excellent because of their ease of application. However, they’re not as efficient as liquid waxes.

Pros and Cons of Using Carnauba Car Wax

There is perfectly good reason why some folks simply don’t want carnauba wax on their cars. While these products are excellent in providing your ride that classic, elegant, wet look there are certain drawbacks that somehow limit its usefulness for some car owners. Here’s a look at the pros and cons of using carnauba car wax.

Pros

• Superior wet-look, high-quality gloss, nearly show-quality appearance
• High melting point, making it extra-durable
• One of the hardest natural waxes in the planet
• Protection against UV rays, humidity, and surface contaminants
• Allows car paint to ‘breathe’ naturally, prolonging the life of your car paint

Cons

• Gloss and protection are short-lived; requires more frequent application
• Melting point may be considered low when compared to synthetics
• Some poor-quality carnauba wax can leave a yellowish chalky residue

Carnauba Car Wax FAQ

What’s the Best Way to Apply Carnauba Car Wax?

There really is no ‘best way’ to apply carnauba car wax as different manufacturers will have their own recommended procedures to follow. Ideally however you should be able to prepare your car beforehand. This means you’ve got to clean it, remove surface dirt and debris, wash it, and dry it thoroughly before applying any wax.

Some products are best applied using a foam applicator that usually comes with the product. Some may require a microfiber cloth or even a machine. Regardless of how you intend to apply the wax onto your car it is imperative to apply a thin layer instead of a thick one. This allows for faster curing which, in turn, can also facilitate the easier removal of any wax residue.

If you’re using an applicator it is recommended that you moisten it first with either water of a quick detailer to add some form of lubrication. Rub the applicator on the top of the wax so you’ll get just enough wax onto the applicator. Apply the wax onto the surface using small circular motions, covering the entire body of your car. Once you feel the applicator to be dragging, it’s a sign that you need to dip it again in the wax.

Do You Wax or Polish First?

Ordinary car owners believe that polishers and waxes are one and the same. The products they see in the market plus the advertisements they read also add to the confusion. To know which one comes first – to polish or to wax – it is important to understand the difference between the two.

Polishing means removing any surface contaminant from your car. It involves preparing the surface to be in its most pristine condition before a protectant can be applied. Technically polishes are waxes, too, except that they don’t provide the protection that car waxes provide. Waxing entails the addition of a glossy and protective layer onto your car paint. These are the principal objectives of car waxes.

Given that you cannot polish something that is already applied with a protectant, it goes without saying that polishing will have to be performed first before any serious waxing can be done.

Carnauba waxes provided a deep shine that makes your car look like it’s just been rolled out from the showroom. When applied the right way it can even protect your car’s paint job from the elements, humidity, and heat. Our list of the best carnauba car waxes should help you determine the best one for you.