Ear Candle Scandal

 I flew too close to the sun but my wax wings just wouldn’t melt and I sounded like I was in a submarine for two days. In my misery—and also in the health and beauty section at an organic food store-–I saw a box of Wally’s Natural Ear Candles. Was it worth a shot? A plan was hatching in my mind.

My right ear I cleaned using a syringe with water (with fallout to prove that gunk was coming out). The other ear I left untouched. Once and for all, I would prove whether or not sticking a candle in your ear uses heat to siphon wax from your ear and into the rolled candle, as some sources claim. My reasoning was if both candles had a substantial amount of “wax” in them, then the wax inside is simply burnt candle wax, dripping down. But if the candle I used for the right ear has next to nothing inside compared to my left ear, then maybe the FDA and the Spokane Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic studies are wrong and the hippies and D-list celebrities are right.

So I stuck a candle in my ear and lit it using a match. While holding it to my ear, I heard a burning/crackling noise that could be described as relaxing, and it was described in that way on the side of the box.

In accordance with regulations in the US, Canada, and Europe, ear candles cannot be advertised as able to remove earwax or be able to “purify toxins” (good grief) anymore since it has been scientifically proven that they do not work. To get around this and still sell their product, companies like Wally’s Natural advertise their candles as being used to “Unwind and feel at ease as the warm air travels down each candle creating rhythmic sounds and soothing warmth.” The box encourages you to “take advantage of your precious moments to melt away your daily stresses and frustrations with Wally's ear candles.” This idea of an ear candle as a relaxing pastime and opportunity to unwind while also having a multitude of fire safety warnings including one urging the user to have a fire extinguisher handy is ironic.

 According to my research, ear candles are absolutely not effective at removing ear wax, but a syringe filled with warm water is. I can’t really judge if they’re relaxing to use, because that’s a personal opinion, but in my experience of using this, I’m not imploring you to go out and buy one.

Sources:

Wally’s Natural Inc. (2014) Ear Candles: Luxury Collection. Instructions and Warnings.