As a part of the Detailed Image Ask A Pro Team, I get the
opportunity to try out a lot of different products long before
they reach the market. The manufacturers look to us for
everything from product development help to simple product
feedback. Some of these products and opportunities are
brilliant, some of them are “me-too”, and some need to go back
to the lab for further refinement.
Rewind to over a year ago
and I received a bottle of
Black Light from Chemical Guys that had been in development
for a while in their Thailand offices. I was told that it was
designed to meet the harsh environmental conditions of Thailand,
and should do extremely well in the North American market as
well. It was being marketed as a gloss-enhancing sealant, so I
figured that I would give it a try.
Chemical Guys Black Light Hybrid Radiant Finish
Since the product name is somewhat nondescript, let’s take a
look at the label to get more information on what the product is
exactly:
Black Light Radiant Finish is crafted and formulated
especially for car lovers who aim for the smoothest , sharpest
and wettest reflection possible with strong durability ,ease
of application and anti static property.
Black Light Radiant Finish has a fully synthetic nano
blended formulation with a massive emulsion of gloss enhancers
coupled with the new bi – blend technology that leaves one
crazy slick finish .
The new blending technology allows for vastly homogeneous
mixture resulting in an extremely smooth finish once the
applied layer is fully and properly cured.
So…did that description answer your questions on what it is?
I didn’t think so…
What is Black Light?
Fortunately for the readers of the AAP Blog, I have spent an
entire year testing and working with Black Light before writing
this review instead of simply reading the label and trying it
once or twice.
When you read into the product description, you kind of get
the idea that it’s a gloss enhancer. Then as you read it again
you may think it’s a sealant. Well you’d actually be correct on
both fronts, so let’s call it a “gloss-enhancing sealant”.
If you’re looking for a product that will add a tremendous
amount of gloss and color enhancement to your paint, then Black
Light does it perfectly. If you’re looking for a product to add
a layer of protection from the elements, then Black Light does
that well too. Either way you use it, you will be extremely
happy with how the paint looks…regardless of the color.
But wait, there’s more!
How to maintain the Black Light finish? To
keep the finish looking it’s best, I highly recommend using
Chemical Guys V7 spray sealant / detailer. Use it as part of
your drying process by spraying your waffle weave drying towel
with V7 before wiping down each panel. V7 won’t leave streaking
or smearing, it’s very easy to use, and will increase the
durability of your wax and / or sealant. As of right now (and
for the past 8 months or so), this is the only spray sealant /
quick detailer / drying aid that I use! I guess I need to get
busy and write a review about it as well!
Final Thoughts on Chemical Guys Black Light
As I said in my opening statement, I have been using Black
Light for over a year now on just about every single car that
has been detailed at the Esoteric studio. If I didn’t like it, I
wouldn’t still be using it, right?
This product does so many things well that I couldn’t imagine
dropping it from my arsenal (unless something better comes out
of course). I use it as a final sealant, and I use it as an
all-in-one product. I even have a pre-set starter package that I
offer where Black Light is the featured AIO (for you detailers
out there…that type of service with this product is where the
big profit is…it’s not in the full correction jobs).
No one product is perfect for all types of paints and all
conditions, and Black Light is no different. Because of the
light abrasives in the formula, I have found a few finicky,
ultra-soft paints where it would leave slight marring after
finishing up a full correction detail. When using it as an
all-in-one on neglected soft paint, this isn’t an issue. When
working on perfected soft (dark) paints however, I’ve noticed
slight marring (usually only seen under a bright LED light like
the Brinkmann). This is not a deal-breaker by any means because
these types of paints are rare.
In my professional opinion, Chemical Guys Black Light is one
of the great products available out there in the market, and it
most definitely gets my seal of approval!
Review Done By :
Todd Cooperider
Esoteric Auto Detail
Columbus, Ohio
