Dodo Juice Supernatural carnauba wax gets a lot of questions on many different forums. Because of Dodo Juice’s product and advertising strategy, their Supernatural wax is available for as little as $30 for their sample size pot.
While the 30ml and 200ml sizes come in acrylic cases, the full sized 250ml portion comes in an Iroku hardwood container. Not only is this 8.5oz container made from a sustainable resource, it looks beautiful AND can be sent back to the United Kingdom to be refilled (for a fee) once you run out.
Background:
Being the flagship of Dodo Juice’s wax lineup, it follows the same philosophy of their entire Supernatural line of products (many not yet available in the United States): ultra pure products with no added perfumes/scents, no added color, and nothing but the highest quality ingredients to achieve the best possible result. The consequence of having an ultra-pure high quality carnauba wax (sans ingredients that don’t actually add to the gloss or durability) is something unique to this product that gives it a supernatural result; giving the product its name.
Initial Observations:
Because carnauba is the hardest natural wax, it takes strong solvents to suspend it in a form that can be safely applied to paintwork. Car waxes that have ultra high carnauba contents are often much harder in their composition, and Dodo Juice Supernatural is no different. In addition to the hard feel, some people might notice a “lumpy feel” or “grain” to the wax itself, which are small amounts of carnauba. Dodo Juice has described their Supernatural as a “living recipe” that they continuously tweek as they see fit. Some of the factors that have influenced small changes to their formula seem to have been both real-world durability, and feedback from professional detailers and enthusiasts of their feelings of the wax. While I’m not sure how many times the formula has been changed, I can confirm it has been done so at least 3 times. I originally purchased a sample pot prior to buying the full size wood tub, and I can tell that while they both have the same look on a vehicle, they both have the same durability, and application is pretty much the same, they have different consistencies; with the small size being more grainy and my full size tub being much smoother.
In all cases, you’ll notice the color being the faint tan color that comes from the brownish/yellowish carnauba (there’s no “white” carnauba as it is either carnauba in shavings that appears white, or is bleached to appear white), combined with other ingredients such as the solvents that are used to keep the wax in suspension.
The last initial observation that you’ll notice is the bland wax smell. Unlike the rest of the Dodo Juice waxes, Supernatural doesn’t smell fruity, tasty, or exotic. It smells like nothing in particular as purity is a key to the Supernatural line.
Application:
Not a buttery type of wax like Pinnacle Souveran or Dodo Juice Orange Crush, Supernatural is harder to apply and takes much more focus to apply properly. The harder consistency means your applicator pad doesn’t pick the product up as easy, and the unusually high amount of carnauaba in the formula means that you need to apply the wax as thin as humanly possible to avoid re-hazing or sweating (I’ll address these two problems later in the article). The good news is that the solvents in this wax aren’t especially fast acting or strong. If you’ve ever caught a whiff of an old-school wax that has a strong solvent smell and is a pain to remove because it sets like concrete, this isn’t like that!
Apply a super thin layer to all areas you choose (any hard surfaces you have prepped for wax), and then wait about thirty minutes or so before removing the residue in the same order it was applied. Warmer or drier climates can wait less, cooler and more humid climates should give the wax longer to set as temperature (and humidity) can have a huge influence on how fast or slow liquids (like solvents) evaporate. Application should be thin enough that it is hard to see where you have waxed over already unless you look from the correct angle.
Once fully set, the wax residue will have a slightly cloudy appearance that should still be somewhat hard to see if applied thin enough. Buff the residue off with a clean and soft microfiber towel such as the DI Great White or the DI Ultra Plush microfiber towel. Deionized (pure) water can be spritzed to aid in removal if you’re having trouble (preferably ice-cold water).
Re-hazing and Sweating:
Re-hazing is the most common issue with a wax (or sealant even) and occurs when the product is applied too thick, isn’t given enough time to set, or a combination of both these factors. If you apply the product too thick to the finish, the wax that is touching the paint itself doesn’t dry properly or enough while the outside of the residue ends up hazing over giving you that “crust” that you’re looking for which is an indicator the wax is ready to be removed. Once you remove the wax residue that is dried, the remaining wax residue that hasn’t dried begins to set on your paint. This re-hazing can occur to part of the vehicle (if you apply wax thicker to certain areas), or the whole vehicle. Most people that have dealt with some of these high-end waxes have experienced this first hand: they get done performing some outstanding work to a vehicle, wax it, come back 30 minutes later, and observe some spotty cloudiness which makes them want to pull their hair out. If you encounter this problem know you’re not alone, and it will go away. If you see hazing, wait another 15-45 minutes before you wipe the car back down to give the wax more time to set. Carefully wipe away the residue again, give the paint another good 20-30 minutes and re-check for haze.
Sweating affects few waxes, but Supernatural is one of them. This is a problem that seems to be unique to ultra-high carnauba content waxes. While re-hazing gives a cloudy look right away, “sweating” will happen most often within 24-48 hours of application if the car is outside in the sun and will appear as what seems to be sweat drops on the finish. This is most notable on dark colored cars (you can see anything on a dark colored cars and dark colored cars absorb a lot more heat than lighter colors), and most often occurs on larger panels in direct sunlight that absorb more heat (the hood, roof, and trunk lid). The best solution is to wait until the paint is completely cooled off and wipe the affected area with deionized (pure) water.
Results and Benefits:
If you think Dodo Juice Supernatural is fussy, you might be right, but there’s a reason so many people swear by it. Few waxes seem to provide the combination of clarity and depth that Supernatural does. While I love some other waxes on red paint, I often hate them on black because I feel they don’t give enough shine and clarity to the paint. Supernatural, on the other hand, is my favorite wax on black cars without a doubt.
While I’m truly stunned at Supernatural’s look on black, its look is just as alluring and magnificent on red, pearlescent, and metallic finishes. Nearly any wax will provide a deep and wet look, but Supernatural somehow balances this while still shining true to the color’s origin; hence why I think it looks outstanding on metallics and pearls. It doesn’t dim the flake and pearl like some other waxes may. Even carbon fiber weave has outstanding clarity while appearing dripping wet.
A wet and liquid look? Supernatural can handle that:
Clarity of the finish underneath? Dodo Juice Supernatural can handle that as well:
As if using it on client’s cars continously doesn’t speak volumes of what our detailing company feels about this product, may I also note that this is the only product Jacob of AutoLavish has used on his stunning BMW M3 for the last few years.
So whether you’re looking for a wax you can use during all the non-snowing months of the year, looking for a product to compliment the hard work you’ve put into the finish of your vehicle, or want a high quality wax you can use on any car regardless of the color, you might want to consider Dodo Juice’s Supernatural wax.
Your car show results may vary 😉
Happy Detailing!
-Marc and Jacob from AutoLavish Fine Automobile Care of Michigan