Carnauba Wax
Carnauba wax is a resin produced by the wax palm tree Copernicia Cerifera. This tree grows in various parts of South America. Carnauba has a very strong grain structure and is the hardest wax known to man. In addition to being incredibly durable, carnauba dries to a deep, natural shine. Carnauba wax is produced by the leaves of the tropical carnauba tree as protection from the incredibly harsh conditions of the tropical rain forest — intense heat, harsh equatorial sun and constant moisture and humidity. Any surface coated with carnauba wax will be similarly protected.
Pure carnauba is as hard as a brick, so petroleum distillates and mineral spirits are added to soften the wax. Many name-brand wax manufacturers use only #1 yellow-grade carnauba, which is the highest grade available and also the most expensive.
Aside from automotive appearance products carnauba wax is used as a finish coating on a wide variety of items including: fine furniture, tobacco pipes and produce (apples, pears, etc. are sprayed with carnauba to achieve their polished look). It’s a major ingredient in lipstick and other cosmetics. Before the advent of vinyl it was used extensively in producing phonograph records. Carnauba wax is so pure it’s routinely used to coat pills in the pharmaceutical industry.
Many people prefer Carnauba waxes because of the deep, dark, rich shine that is often described as "three-dimensional". While Caranuba has the highest melting point of all natural waxes it does start to melt at 180 degrees. A dark color vehicle parked in the sun on a summer day can have a sustained paint temperature exceeding 200 degrees.
A good rule of thumb is to expect 50% of your Carnauba wax layer to be gone after 30 days, 75% after 60 days and 95% gone after 90 days. If you use a carnauba wax, you should plan on waxing your car 4 times a year. You can extend the waxes life expectancy by parking indoors, or using a car cover.
Synthetic Wax
While car enthusiasts love carnauba waxes for the way they make highly polished paint look wet, like a calm pool of water, they would appreciate more durability. Simply put, carnauba waxes quickly evaporate when your car is in the hot sun. To make a true wax coating more durable, some chemists have turned to synthetic waxes that mimic the valued properties of natural carnauba, but greatly improve on the limitations.
Made from modern polymers and acrylic resins, synthetic waxes offer maximum durability and ease of application. Synthetic waxes can last four to six months or longer and typically wipe on and buff off with very little effort. These waxes create a very bright shine and are resistant to clouding and streaking. On the down side, many enthusiasts feel synthetic waxes lack depth and richness.
Synthetic waxes contain man made polymers with melting points around 280 degrees. These coatings can last 6 months. Some of these products bead water while others “plate” the surface causing water to sheet off.
Teflon Paint Sealant
Teflon is an incredible chemical product that is highly heat resistant and corrosion resistant. The protective qualities of Teflon are available to all vehicle owners in a paint sealant. The sealant not only protects your vehicle's finish, but also adds a brilliant shine. Teflon paint sealant has been in existence for a number of years, but mostly used by major car dealers. Dealers apply the Teflon paint sealant to their new vehicles and they mark up the price. At Alex's Custom Detailing, we apply the Teflon paint sealant on your vehicle at a fraction of the dealer price.
A Teflon paint sealant seals your vehicle's paint, protecting it from the harmful effects of the sun's heat, and other elements. Teflon paint sealant gives your car long term shine and protection. Additionally, the sealant can remove oxidation in your vehicle's paint, and restore your vehicle to a showroom shine. Teflon Paint Sealant is designed to withstand heat of up to 600 degrees, which helps it last much longer then conventional wax products.
Unlike polymers, silicones or waxes our Teflon Paint Sealant doesn't drift into your paint or wash off and evaporate over time! Our Teflon Paint Sealant actually bonds to the top of your paint or clear coat and forms a non-sticking surface (Teflon) that blocks the UV's (Sealant) that cause fading and oxidation. Our Teflon Paint Sealant bonds with your paint through heat transfer giving it a hard like shell to stand up against the weather induced elements that cause your paint to fade and oxidize. Having an excellent Teflon Paint Sealant applied to your car is a very important step in protecting your cars finish from the harmful rays of the sun and other weather induced fading elements that cause oxidation, loss of gloss and faded paint!
The Teflon Paint Sealant will last up to one year on a vehicle. Teflon, being of tighter, slicker structure, when clean, causes water to run off it rather than stick to it, wax being different in its porosity causes a beading action. There is no need to wax your vehicle when the Teflon paint sealant is on it.