Carnauba
Carnauba is a type of wax extracted from the Carnauba Palm Tree found in Northern Brazil. The leaves of the tree are dried and then beaten to collect the wax, which is then purified and bleached for different industrial applications, with purer grades being used in cosmetics, food or medicine (It may be the coating that prevents your chocolate melting in your hand).
There are many carnauba waxes to choose from, and some of the oldest are still going strong.
Carnauba is very durable, has a high melting point, is glossy and has long been used in car waxes, which form a protective sacrificial barrier to protect against moisture, UV and chemical contaminants, and of course provide a shine.
Marketeers of automotive waxes have given carnauba a near-mythical status as an ingredient, with manufacturers boasting how much carnauba is in their product, or how pure their carnauba is, and charging a premium as a result, despite bags of T3 grade carnauba being available for about £3 on eBay. Like most products, waxes are a blend, and they need a mix of hard wax, soft wax, oils, solvents, and preservatives to be effective, and carnauba is just one ingredient amount of many.
With that said, carnauba paste waxes are the favourite among car detailers for producing a high shine with good durability and life, they are hard to beat, although synthetic waxes are giving them a run for their money. Some people might argue that synthetic waxes don't have the warmth of natural waxes, and there is something to be said for tradition.
Written by Danny Argent. Last updated 02/05/2023 18:16