If you thought cotton buds were supposed to be used to clean your ears, think again. Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent. Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

So, put the cotton buds down and let your ears do their thing. If you think your ears need to be cleaned, do yourself a favour and leave it to the professionals. Images: Getty. Topics.

At some point or another, we've probably used cotton buds to clean our ears. After all, they seem to easily fit to do the job, and it can be really annoying when your ears feel like they just need ...

If you use cotton buds for make-up precision, you might know that make-up artists swear by the Muji Thin Cotton Buds (£3.50 for 200). Thankfully, these are made of a supple paper shaft that ...

Last Wednesday (May 22), the UK government made the decision to ban plastic cotton buds, straws, and stirrers, which will be brought into effect in April 2020. Despite this, it seems that brands ...

Despite many people using cotton buds to clean their ears, manufacturers actually advise against using them in the external auditory canal. Next time you reach for one of these innocuous-looking ...

Cotton buds could give off a fleeting sense of cleanliness, but because the ear canal is so delicate, they can cause harm to the ear and lead to hearing loss. Mr. David T. Sang, the Ear, Nose, and ...

Plastic straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds will be banned in England from next year as part of a government plan to tackle pollution and protect the environment. A ban on the supply of the ...