Wax

For many years, wax has been a tried-and-true wood finish. It’s one of the oldest types of finishes available, and it features the most organic composition compared to other options. It consists of beeswax, carnauba, linseed, paraffin, or various other plant species. Sometimes it comes mixed with enhancements for added properties, but for the most part, it includes all-natural and nontoxic ingredients. Different wax compositions provide varying characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages, but overall, wax finishes create smooth wooden surfaces and protect against surface-level scratches. Compared to other finishes, they take the shortest amount of time to dry, taking only a couple of minutes. Once applied and slightly dried, wax finishes need buffering to smooth any bumps, remove excess drippage, and evenly distribute the wax. Although wax dries quickly and creates a ready-to-use finish in under an hour, it requires multiple reapplications in the long run.