Main Difference
The main difference between Parchment Paper and Wax Paper is that the Parchment Paper is a cellulose-based paper that is used in baking and Wax Paper is a paper that is made moisture-proof through the application of wax
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Parchment Paper
Parchment paper, baking paper, or bakery release paper is cellulose-based paper that has been treated or coated to make it non-stick. It is used in baking as a disposable non-stick surface. It should not be confused with wax paper or waxed paper, which is paper that has been coated in wax.
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Wax Paper
Wax paper (also waxed paper or paraffin paper) is paper that has been made moisture-proof through the application of wax.
The practice of oiling parchment or paper in order to make it semi-translucent or moisture-proof goes back at least to the Middle Ages. Paper impregnated or coated with purified beeswax was widely used throughout the 19th century to retain or exclude moisture, or to wrap odorous products. Gustave Le Gray introduced the use of waxed paper for photographic negatives in 1851. Natural wax was largely replaced for the making of wax paper (or paraffine paper) after Herman Frasch developed ways of purifying paraffin and coating paper with it in 1876. Wax paper is commonly used in cooking for its non-stick properties, and wrapping food for storage, such as cookies, as it keeps water out or in. It is also used in arts and crafts.