Do you use cotton buds to clean the inside of your ears? This is why it's a really bad idea It might feel like you're getting rid of earwax, but you're actually making the situation worse.

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.

News; Health; Beauty trends; 9 smart beauty tricks using cotton buds that you might not have thought of before We've been told we can't clean our ears with them - but they have so many other uses ...

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 ...