What is Earwax?
Earwax is one of the body's most misunderstood substances. Most people want it gone — but it's actually doing several important jobs. Here's what it is, why you produce it, and when it becomes a problem worth addressing.
The Biology of Earwax
Earwax — cerumen, in clinical terms — is produced by two types of glands in the outer third of your ear canal. Sebaceous glands secrete oils, and ceruminous glands produce the waxy component. These secretions combine with shed skin cells and fine hairs to form the substance we recognise as earwax.
The composition of earwax is more complex than it looks. Research published in the journal Chemistry & Biodiversity identified over 100 chemical compounds in cerumen, including long-chain fatty acids, alcohols, squalene, and cholesterol. This chemical complexity is part of what makes it effective as a protective barrier.
The type of earwax you produce is genetically determined. There are two main variants: wet earwax, which is yellow-brown and sticky, and dry earwax, which is grey and flaky. Wet earwax is more common in people of European and African descent; dry earwax is more common in people of East Asian descent. Neither type is healthier than the other — they're simply different.
What Earwax Actually Does
Earwax performs three distinct functions, and it performs them well. First, it acts as a physical and chemical barrier. The waxy consistency traps dust, debris, and small insects before they can reach the eardrum. The acidic pH of cerumen — typically between 6.1 and 6.8 — inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungi, reducing the risk of ear canal infections. Studies have demonstrated that cerumen has measurable antimicrobial activity against common pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Second, earwax lubricates the ear canal. Without it, the skin of the canal becomes dry, itchy, and prone to cracking — which, ironically, increases infection risk. People who clean their ears too aggressively often end up with exactly this problem.
Third, and most remarkably, earwax is self-removing. The skin of the ear canal grows outward from the eardrum — a process called epithelial migration — carrying wax with it as it moves. Jaw movements during chewing and talking accelerate this process. In most people, wax migrates to the outer ear naturally and falls out or is washed away during bathing. The ear, in other words, cleans itself.
When the Self-Cleaning Mechanism Fails
The ear's self-cleaning system is elegant, but it doesn't work perfectly for everyone. Some people produce more wax than their ear canal can clear. Others have narrow or unusually shaped canals that slow migration. Older adults tend to produce drier, harder wax that moves less easily — which is one reason earwax impaction becomes more common with age.
Hearing aid wearers are particularly prone to wax buildup. The device sits in the ear canal and physically blocks the outward migration of wax, causing it to accumulate around the device. This is one of the most common causes of hearing aid malfunction.
Cotton buds are another major contributor. They don't remove wax — they push it deeper into the canal, compacting it against the eardrum. The NHS and NICE both advise against inserting anything into the ear canal, including cotton buds. The risks of cotton bud use go beyond wax impaction and include eardrum perforation and ear canal injury.
When wax accumulates to the point where it partially or fully blocks the ear canal, it causes symptoms: muffled hearing, a feeling of fullness or pressure, tinnitus, earache, and occasionally dizziness. These symptoms are often gradual in onset, which means many people don't realise how much their hearing has deteriorated until it's cleared.
Does Earwax Need to Be Removed?
For most people, most of the time, the answer is no. If your ears aren't causing you any symptoms, there's no clinical reason to intervene. NICE guidelines (NG241, 2023) recommend against routine earwax removal in the absence of symptoms, and the NHS advises that healthy ears don't need cleaning.
Professional removal is appropriate when wax is causing symptoms — hearing loss, tinnitus, earache, fullness — or when it's preventing a proper examination of the ear. It's also appropriate for hearing aid wearers who need clear canals for their devices to function properly, and for patients about to have audiological testing.
If you're unsure whether your symptoms are caused by wax, an ear health assessment will give you a clear answer. We'll examine your ears and advise on whether treatment is appropriate — and if it is, which method is most suitable for you.
What You Should — and Shouldn't — Do at Home
If you're experiencing symptoms of wax buildup, olive oil drops are the NHS's recommended first-line treatment. Applied two to three times daily for five to seven days, they soften the wax and often allow it to migrate out naturally. Sodium bicarbonate drops are an alternative that breaks down wax more actively. Both are available over the counter.
What you shouldn't do: don't use cotton buds, don't try ear candling (it doesn't work and carries genuine risks — see our ear candling guide), and don't use ear candles, ear picks, or any other instrument to probe the canal. If drops haven't resolved your symptoms after a week, professional removal is the appropriate next step.
For more on keeping your ears healthy day to day, our ear care guide covers the practical steps that genuinely make a difference.
Written & Reviewed By
Eleni Kiromitis
Ear Care Specialist — Earwax Removal Devon
Eleni is a qualified ear care practitioner based in South Molton, Devon. She holds a Certificate in Ear Care (Level 6) and is trained in both microsuction and water irrigation. She practises in line with NICE guideline NG207 on earwax management and carries full professional indemnity insurance. All clinical content on this page has been written and reviewed by Eleni to ensure accuracy.