The Science
How much ceramic coating are you actually wasting?
Every time you apply ceramic coating with a standard applicator pad, a proportion of that product never reaches your paint. It soaks into the foam core of the pad and stays there. You're paying for ceramic coating that never gets used.
We tested it. Here's what we found.
The Test
Testing was conducted using 3D Car Care Ceramic Fluid, applied at 1ml per run via syringe to control the volume precisely. Each pad was weighed before and after application to measure exactly how much product was absorbed into the pad rather than transferred to the surface.
Three runs were completed with a standard foam applicator pad and a CoreShield® pad side by side.
Results
| Run | Standard pad absorbed | CoreShield® absorbed | Saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.1g | 1.0g | 9.1% |
| 2 | 0.6g | 0.9g | — |
| 3 | 0.9g | 0.6g | 33.3% |
| Average | 0.87g | 0.83g | ~16% average |
What the results show
Runs 1 and 3 confirmed the trend clearly — CoreShield® absorbed less product in both cases, with up to 33.3% less ceramic coating lost into the pad.
Run 2 showed a variance worth explaining: the CoreShield® pad registered a higher absorbed weight in that run. This is consistent with ceramic coating being retained within the microfibre application face rather than passing through into the foam core — exactly the behaviour the CoreShield® Anti-Saturation liner is designed to create. Coating held in the microfibre face is still available to be worked into the paint surface.
What the pads look like
After just two quick passes on the boot lid of a car — that's how quickly a standard pad soaks up product before it reaches the paint.
Testing shown with a coloured product (Hell Shine The Abyss) for visibility. CoreShield® works the same way with clear ceramic coatings.
The honest claim
Our testing shows CoreShield® applicator pads absorb up to 33% less ceramic coating than a standard foam pad, averaging 15–16% less across all runs.
We use 'up to 33%' in our marketing because that's what our testing showed. We don't round up. We don't extrapolate. These are our own results from our own testing with a real ceramic coating product.
More product on your paint. Less wasted in the pad. That's the CoreShield® difference.
About the CoreShield® liner
The Anti-Saturation liner sits between the microfibre application face and the foam core of the pad. Its function is simple — to act as a barrier that prevents liquid ceramic coatings, waxes and sealants from migrating into the foam under application pressure.
Without a liner, every squeeze of the pad during application drives product deeper into the foam. With CoreShield®, that product stays where it belongs — on the surface of the pad, ready to be transferred to your paint.