Originally Posted by Madcow

Hey I just wanted to touch on this as there seems to be some misconceptions going around about wax, sealant, and layering them.

A sealant is essentially a synthetic wax. Wax is made of caranuba (an organic substance) and will degrade at a much faster rate than a polymer sealant will. A sealant does not, however, chemically bond to the paint (the poster may have been thinking of ceramic coatings).

There's actually an ongoing debate in the detailing community whether or not layering actually works, whether it be multiple coats of wax/sealant or any combination of the two. In my years of detailing professionally I have seen no evidence to suggest that topping a sealant with a wax actually works. Though there are some who swear otherwise.

I will say that you do retain the soft glow of a wax (which some people desire) for a few weeks after you've topped the sealant with it.

If you are still interested in doing a combination of sealant and wax though I would recommend the sealant to go on first as they are typically much more durable than a wax.