Ceramic Coating or Wax?

Ceramic Coating or Wax?

by Chasen Gibbel, Prescott Pro Wash and Detail

with Arizona’s monsoon season going strong, the paint on your car or RV likely is in need of some protection. Heavy rain fall changing to a bright and sunny sky leaves your paint or gel coat weathered and likely covered with water spots.

As you walk the detail isles of any given auto parts store, you’re now overwhelmed with products, specifically ceramics and waxes. Both offer protection to your vehicle, but what are the differences?

Ceramic coating and car wax are designed to do generally the same thing, protect your vehicle’s paint. While wax is mostly made of natural materials, like carnauba, it bonds only to the top layer of your vehicle’s clear coat or gel coat. Ceramics are a liquid glass that harden and lightly penetrate to the surface coat of your vehicle, filling in minor scratches and swirls. As such, the protection level of a ceramic is up to 10 times that of a wax, as its glass layer over the paint offers superior protection to UV rays and heat.

Traditional waxes usually wear off in a matter of a month or less, whereas store-bought ceramics can last months; professional ceramics, known as nanoceramics, can last years! And it’s not just protection that ceramics measure higher in. The anti-static nature of ceramics improve the ease of cleaning, while the gloss from these glass coatings gives your car that freshly painted look, even after a rain storm, or a wash.

With the application method of store-bought wax and ceramics being the same, it’s no wonder why ceramics are dominating the shelves and replacing the old gold standard for paint protection.