Should I use polish or wax to remove oxidized paint?

Most people in the detailing industry refer to the surface contamination of paint as oxidation. This baked on dirt and grime needs to be cleaned before waxing and in fact, regular application of Hot Body Wax® will keep these contaminates from adhering to paint.

In the paint manufacturing terminology, however, oxidation is the reaction of polymers in paint with oxygen. This process takes place on all surfaces continuously. Surface oxidation was a major issue with the older enamel paints that were not clear-coated, not because of paint oxidation, but because of the oxidation of colorants/pigments which affected their appearance by making them look dull.

By using abrasive containing waxes/polishes, the top oxidized layers of the colorants/pigments of enamel paints were removed, which exposed the fresh unoxidized colorants/pigments with the original gloss. This removal of paint was evident by the change in the color of the rag used in this process.

To keep the pigments/colorants from oxidation and color change, car manufacturers added a thin clear paint system with UV protectants on top of the older enamel paints. Removal of clear-coat paint with abrasive containing polish/wax products, reduces the thickness of clear-coat and its UV protection which leads to eventual failure of the paint system. There is no change in color of the rag anymore since the removed paint is clear.