Product Spotlight - Gilly's Cream Polish

Cream Polish - Beeswax for Maintaining Furniture

Our lovely, rich beeswax polish was developed by Gilly Stephenson, using a very old handwritten recipe, passed on to her by a friend.

When she arrived in Australia (from England) with her treasured antique furniture, Gilly was unable to find a suitable polish to use, which was more vulnerable in the harsh, dry Australian climate. A keen and creative cook, it made sense for her to experiment with making the polish herself. Thus, she began the journey, whipping up batches of this beautiful polish, never imagining that this product would lead to the creation of a successful family business.

This soft, velvety polish is beautifully soft and easy to apply. It nourishes the timber and protects with its rich waxes. Ideal over French polished furniture, Gilly's Cream Polish buffs to a superb sheen.

We recommend it for use as a general maintenance polish on a variety of timber furniture as well as being perfect for antiques. It can also be used over lacquered furniture, to protect from scratches and to maintain a pleasing sheen.

If you have restored a piece of furniture using our three step waxing process, you'll probably have either a tin of Carnauba Polish or Cream Polish on hand, which we recommend for ongoing maintenance.

Gilly's Three Step Waxing Process:

1. To moisturise the raw timber you can use either our Restoring Polish or our nourishing oils. You may consider using a sanding sealer (sold at all hardware stores) before the initial waxing/oiling, before step one, if the timber is very dry. Apply sparingly, one to three coats as required (one soft cloth to apply and one soft cloth to buff back), ensuring that the surface is dry to the touch between each coat. If the timber is very dry, the polish or oil will be absorbed rapidly. Provided the timber is not tacky to the touch, you can follow with the next application. If using other manufacturer's preparations such as a tung oil finish it is essential that these are properly cured before applying any wax. If not, the oils can bleed back out of the timber preventing the wax finish from hardening as it should.
2. Follow this with our Cabinet Makers Wax, which is most effectively applied using 0000 steel wool. Apply at least two coats, buffing thoroughly between. The Cabinet Makers Wax is designed to fill any very fine grooves, cracks or imperfections in the timber to give a super-smooth finish. The number of applications will depend on the finish required.
3. Finally, apply our Cream Polish for your final finish (one soft cloth to apply sparingly and another to polish back), which will give you a high sheen. Alternatively, you may prefer to use our Carnauba Polish for a harder finish and high sheen. The Cream Polish is an ideal and easy way for you to maintain your beautiful new waxed finish.

Natural waxes will wear down over time, depending on friction and environmental conditions.  If the finish looks a little dull or dry, a quick re-application of polish (every 3-6 months – although some people love the scent so much they like to polish more frequently) will rejuvenate your piece and keep it protected against drying and cracking. 

Along with pure beeswax, one of the other important ingredients in our formulation is carnauba wax flakes. Most people are familiar with this wax in the context of car polishes. Carnauba wax is harvested from the carnauba tree, a palm whose fronds are coated in this wax. When extracted from the fronds, this wax is in a brittle flake form, which can be melted and blended with other waxes. It is known as the queen of waxes, for its amazing protective properties and hard, high sheen when polished.

Our Cream Polish is not limited to timber furniture. It can be successfully used vinyl, leather (great for car upholstery) and even Linoleum floors! Available in three scents, lavender, rose and lemon – your house will smell lovely after polishing. Our Bamboo Polishing Cloths are perfect for applying the Cream Polish.