Waxes versus Sealants versus Ceramic Coatings?

[Ralph III]

Hello All,
My routine for the last decade or so has always been as follows. I typically use a spray sealant or spray wax after every car wash. I then will apply a liquid wax and maybe a glaze every few months or so. I'm considering applying a Ceramic Coating to our 2018 BMW 650i though. All of our vehicles have a modern two stage finish (paint/clear), btw.

So, the questions are. Is there any benefit to continuing to use a wax or sealant on top of a ceramic coating? Is there any benefit to using a non abrasive glaze such as Meguiars M3 (machine glaze) or M0716 (show car glaze). Or is there absolutely no benefit and/or actually detrimental?

God Bless,
Ralph

[Murr1525]

Well, other than for scratch/defect removal, you wont want any polish/oils left on the surface. You'll use a wipe down product to get oils off the surface before using the ceramics.

But yeah, after the ceramic is applied, you can use a ceramic spray / booster product after washing to keep it glossy after washing, help with drying, etc, such as the Ceramic Detailer..

[Brenan Jiran]

Your BMW’s clear coat will definitely benefit from a ceramic coating, especially if you’re looking to cut down on frequent reapplications and maintain long-term gloss and protection. That said, applying a wax or glaze over a ceramic layer doesn’t do much and can sometimes cause streaking or reduced beading. Glazes, in particular, are meant to fill micro-marring and enhance depth before protection is added, not after a ceramic has cured. A better option is to focus on using a maintenance product designed to complement the coating. Many brands offer compatible toppers that refresh the hydrophobic layer without interfering.