LPT: Stop using cotton swabs to clean your ears. Earwax is a self-cleaning defense mechanism, not dirt.

Earwax (cerumen) isn't dirt or a sign of bad hygiene—it’s a highly evolved defense mechanism. It traps dust, is anti-bacterial, and literally stops bugs from crawling down into your eardrum.

Your ear is basically a "self-cleaning oven." The skin inside naturally grows outward, so as you chew and talk, the old wax is slowly pushed out on its own. When you shove a cotton swab in there, you interrupt that process and just ram the wax deeper until it forms a rock-hard plug.

If you absolutely must clean your ears, just use a damp towel on your finger and only clean the outside part that you can actually see. Leave the inside alone!