There is a great deal of confusion regarding polishing or waxing fresh paint. The majority of refinish paint supplied by PPG, Dupont, Sherwin Williams, and BASF (which covers over 90% of the market) is two component polyurethane paint. One component is polyisocyanate and the second component is polyol (acrylic polyol or polyester polyol). Whether these are waterborne (due to EPA requirements) or solvent borne (majority of what is still being used) once the two components react and form a polymer it is not affected by most solvents (with the exception of paint removers such as methylene chloride).

As far as polishing goes, factory paint is baked and cured rapidly and is polished as it comes out of the paint booth. Refinish paint is generally not baked and is polished within a day of being painted. So polishing paint that is at least a day old is perfectly fine.

While refinish paint is about 90% cured within 24 hours, it does take up to 30 days for it to fully crosslink and cure. During this period, using solvent based waxes and sealants is not ideal since the solvents penetrate the paint and soften it and if the wax or sealant contains abrasives (the white powdery residue that is wiped off), it can cause micro marring on the softened paint.