February 14 2012

Introducing the new CS80 range of Luxury waxes from Car-Skin

— Bert Youell

The Car-Skin mantra has always been to release a product only once we are confident that everyone will immediately realise it is significantly better than anything else in the price range. Despite working closely with experienced detailers and concours vehicles, we have never been happy to release a high end carnauba based wax.

When developing Rapid Wax, containing 18% Carnauba wax in emulsion, we realised that 80% of the benefits of this naturally occurring wax could be felt at relatively low concentrations. As these concentrations rise, it becomes harder to apply and more expensive. Thus for our midrange ‘wax’ we used a synthetic polymer system that combines the gloss of carnauba with the longevity of resin-based sealants. CS Pro remains one of the best waxes in the sub-£100 market, but with demand for something to rival the long-established, super expensive, brands from Europe we decided to commit considerable resources towards the project.

Six months later, after many prototype formulations and much consultation with our network of detailers, we have ended up with two waxes. As mentioned, using more than 20% of Carnauba by volume in an emulsion is impossible, thus a solid wax was the only option. Conventional additives to soften and condition Carnauba are good for up to around 55% by volume. Any wax beyond 60% will have bespoke, closely guarded additives that will make or break the product. At these concentrations the quality and consistency of the wax is even more important, so finding a reliable supplier from South America who complied with ethical environmental standards, using renewable sources, was crucial.

With retail prices of £249.99 (CS80 Road) and £299.99 (CS80 Show) we had to make sure our waxes would tick every box and score full marks against any competition this side of £1k. The key design parameters were a deep, long lasting gloss, that could be created easily and quickly by hand or machine. However, we found that the best gloss came at the cost of longevity and visa versa – thus it was decided to create two waxes. One for concours competitions where the ultimate finish was the one and only priority, and one for cars that are used on the road or track, where long lasting shine and protection were important. This leaves it up to the customer to decide which version is most appropriate for their needs.

We are in the process of arranging for objective detailers and enthusiasts to test and review both waxes – watch this space!