Earwax is a naturally produced substance found in your ear canals. It is typically yellow or brown, and its texture can vary from dry to soft and waxy. Earwax is made in the outer section of the ear canal and helps keeps our ear canals healthy by collecting old skin cells and hair, keeping the ear canal lubricated, and protecting it against bacteria.

Everyone has earwax, but the texture and amount will vary from person to person.

If you are one of the people whose body produces a lot of earwax, or earwax gets stuck deeper in your ear canal, it can cause problems. These may include difficulty hearing, ear pain and other symptoms.

One of the most common ways that earwax can get stuck is when people use cotton swabs to try and clean their ears. This can push earwax further into the ear canal rather than taking it out. We do not recommend home use of cotton swabs.