Maintain a layer of sealant or two or the on the wheels and that will really help protect them. It will shield them from the elements, and make them much easier to clean, as well as protecting them from marring during the cleaning process. Wax tends to attract dust, so I wouldn't use wax on wheels unless it was for show.
If I wanted to minimize the scratching on those bare aluminum wheels, I would keep doing regular washes on them with car wash soap or mild wheel cleaner and a boar's hair brush. You can mar paint with just waterless wash if not careful. It might be ok in a pinch to use waterless wash, but you won't be able to clean the inside of the wheels.
Waterless wash is more expensive than car wash too.
From what I have been told, although powder coating is tougher than paint, the gloss is only on the outer skin, and so if you polish it, you will reduce the shine. The shop that powder coated my wheels told me that.
I just couldn't pass up that summer sale. I still have the first one. That's how I KNOW there is a big difference in fragrance. I can compare them side by side.
I got my second container of Americana recently, and it doesn't have the fragrance of the first one I have. The first one had a Pina Colada smell, but this new one has almost no fragrance at all, other than a regular car wax smell.