Many enthusiasts prefer the shine from Carnuba waxes. It is a deeper, richer shine and tends to mask and hide miner swirls and imperfections in the paint. While Carnuba has the highest melting point of all natural waxes it does start to melt at 180 degrees f. A dark color vehicle parked in the sun on a summer day can have a sustained paint temperature exceeding 200 degrees f!

     A good rule of thumb is to expect 50% of your Carnuba wax layer to be left after 30 days, 25% after 60 days and 15% after 90 days. You can extend the waxes life expectancy by parking indoors, using a car cover and by using spray-and-wipe detail sprays that contain Carnuba wax.

     Synthetic waxes contain man made polymers with melting points in the thousands of degrees f. These coatings can last 6 to 9 months or longer. Some of these products bead water while others "plate" the surface causing water to sheet off. This lack of visual cue (beading water) often makes it difficult to determine when to re-apply synthetic products. If you use a polymer Resin Polish a good rule of thumb is to wax your car once in the spring and again late in the fall. This should give your car good protection all year long.