Finally, I've been able to use the Chemical Guys E-Zyme Natura wax that was so graciously gifted to me in a contest earlier this year, compliments of DetailedImage. While not particularly thorough, this review should provide a decent view into the function of this wax and give prospective purchasers an idea of what to expect.
The test subject will be my 2004 Triumph Speed Triple dressed to kill in Tornado Red.
This test was done after a fresh wash with ONR and an Uber MF. No other products were used such as glazes or quick detailer, only the E-Zyme wax.
First Impressions:
The packaging for this product is elegantly simple. An opaque tub with conservative decor and text wrapped around it only slightly hinder the view of a warm-looking solid wax contained within. Included are two soft and puffy foam applicator pads that mirror the conservative appearance of the product itself. One hit against it is that in it's simplicity, instructions were left absent from the packaging. No harm or foul as applying wax is not rocket science, but it is always nice to see that the manufacturer has tested their own product extensively and have provide suggestions for the best results specific to it.
Upon opening the tub you are welcomed with a nice aroma of the various oils and waxes that have been combined together with only a slight 'chemical' scent following them.
Application:
This wax appears very hard but with moderate pressure it sort of 'liquefies' and soaks easily into the supplied applicator. For this review I used two coats, one thin and one thick following it, however, I found the best application was of two or three moderate coats with 45 minutes to set in between. Thin coats will ease in removal but may necessitate additional coats. Removal was slightly taxing, requiring a good bit of rubbing.
Coat:
Once wiped down, the coat feels very thin, which had me initially concerned about it's functionality, hence the second 'thick' coat I applied. Despite the deception, the wax leaves the surface very slick and smooth.
Filling:
E-Zyme Natura does not fill, at least to a noticeable extent from my experience with it. I do not look at this as a negative as it is not meant to hide imperfections such as a glaze would but instead enhance and protect the quality of the surface.
Appearance:
Bear in mind that I don't have a gratuitous amount of exposure to many waxes or a schooled knowledge of the various descriptions that they can carry with their affects on a surface, however I will provide my thoughts and opinions of how it affected my motorcycle's paint as best that I can.
The look, despite my thought of how this wax would appear is not warm on the surface, but instead much cooler and deep. Gloss was enhanced GREATLY bringing more of the surroundings into the surface and reflecting them back with a fantastic radiance in sunlight.
Durability:
At present, this wax has been on my motorcycle for two full weeks, with three days exposure to moderate rain. The sun has beat down upon it for 80% of those days and I purposely left it outside overnight on three evenings for exposure to morning dew. After all of this, the wax is still holding strong with no sign of fading. My gloss has not dwindled and the surface still feels very slick to the touch. Personally I feel a wax should be able to sustain for three weeks between applications, which is reasonable for my expectations of use on a daily driven vehicle. I typically also enhance a wax with quick detailer once weekly between applications, which I have not done in the efforts of this experiment.
UPDATE: Wax began to degrade quickly shortly after posting this thread. It would appear as if two weeks is the threshold of this wax without any enhancement through quick detailer, etc.
Beading:
Beading has never been an item that impressed me, I feel the perfect wax would cause the water to 'sheet' off instead. Never the less, it is considered a positive quality for wax to promote beading as it is an indication of lowered surface tension and thus the weight of the beaded water alone will often carry it away from the surface given an ever-so-slight incline.
Final Thoughts:
I'm very impressed with the results of this wax and have little negative to say concerning it, other than its price tag, which at a paltry $275 makes you second guess the value of wax. UPDATE: I would honestly probably have never tried it had it not been given to me, due to the cost alone which is sad as I find it to be a great product. I prefer slightly more durability in my waxes, however the shine is fantastic while it lasts and works as a good wax should. I'd enjoy seeing how it stacks up against other top-tier waxes such as Swissvax on both fronts of longevity and appearance.
Below are several images that I hope illustrate the finish that E-Zyme provides.
The test subject will be my 2004 Triumph Speed Triple dressed to kill in Tornado Red.
This test was done after a fresh wash with ONR and an Uber MF. No other products were used such as glazes or quick detailer, only the E-Zyme wax.
First Impressions:
The packaging for this product is elegantly simple. An opaque tub with conservative decor and text wrapped around it only slightly hinder the view of a warm-looking solid wax contained within. Included are two soft and puffy foam applicator pads that mirror the conservative appearance of the product itself. One hit against it is that in it's simplicity, instructions were left absent from the packaging. No harm or foul as applying wax is not rocket science, but it is always nice to see that the manufacturer has tested their own product extensively and have provide suggestions for the best results specific to it.
Upon opening the tub you are welcomed with a nice aroma of the various oils and waxes that have been combined together with only a slight 'chemical' scent following them.
Application:
This wax appears very hard but with moderate pressure it sort of 'liquefies' and soaks easily into the supplied applicator. For this review I used two coats, one thin and one thick following it, however, I found the best application was of two or three moderate coats with 45 minutes to set in between. Thin coats will ease in removal but may necessitate additional coats. Removal was slightly taxing, requiring a good bit of rubbing.
Coat:
Once wiped down, the coat feels very thin, which had me initially concerned about it's functionality, hence the second 'thick' coat I applied. Despite the deception, the wax leaves the surface very slick and smooth.
Filling:
E-Zyme Natura does not fill, at least to a noticeable extent from my experience with it. I do not look at this as a negative as it is not meant to hide imperfections such as a glaze would but instead enhance and protect the quality of the surface.
Appearance:
Bear in mind that I don't have a gratuitous amount of exposure to many waxes or a schooled knowledge of the various descriptions that they can carry with their affects on a surface, however I will provide my thoughts and opinions of how it affected my motorcycle's paint as best that I can.
The look, despite my thought of how this wax would appear is not warm on the surface, but instead much cooler and deep. Gloss was enhanced GREATLY bringing more of the surroundings into the surface and reflecting them back with a fantastic radiance in sunlight.
Durability:
At present, this wax has been on my motorcycle for two full weeks, with three days exposure to moderate rain. The sun has beat down upon it for 80% of those days and I purposely left it outside overnight on three evenings for exposure to morning dew. After all of this, the wax is still holding strong with no sign of fading. My gloss has not dwindled and the surface still feels very slick to the touch. Personally I feel a wax should be able to sustain for three weeks between applications, which is reasonable for my expectations of use on a daily driven vehicle. I typically also enhance a wax with quick detailer once weekly between applications, which I have not done in the efforts of this experiment.
UPDATE: Wax began to degrade quickly shortly after posting this thread. It would appear as if two weeks is the threshold of this wax without any enhancement through quick detailer, etc.
Beading:
Beading has never been an item that impressed me, I feel the perfect wax would cause the water to 'sheet' off instead. Never the less, it is considered a positive quality for wax to promote beading as it is an indication of lowered surface tension and thus the weight of the beaded water alone will often carry it away from the surface given an ever-so-slight incline.
Final Thoughts:
I'm very impressed with the results of this wax and have little negative to say concerning it, other than its price tag, which at a paltry $275 makes you second guess the value of wax. UPDATE: I would honestly probably have never tried it had it not been given to me, due to the cost alone which is sad as I find it to be a great product. I prefer slightly more durability in my waxes, however the shine is fantastic while it lasts and works as a good wax should. I'd enjoy seeing how it stacks up against other top-tier waxes such as Swissvax on both fronts of longevity and appearance.
Below are several images that I hope illustrate the finish that E-Zyme provides.
