Ear Candling has gotten a bad reputation the last few years, which I blame entirely on two things.. the media and lack of basic common sense. Personally, I love ear candling and it has cured many earaches, sinus issues and relieved that “clogged” feeling that occasionally occurs. It’s not for everyone, it takes a little bit of dexterity if you’re doing it without assistance.
Let me also alleviate any concerns and tell you, this is 100% pain free, unless you somehow manage to burn yourself with the matches or lighter.
I remember very clearly the first time my husband complained of a stuffy feeling in his ear and I suggested ear candling. You’d have thought I suggested that I was going to perform a root canal through his eardrum. He VERY reluctantly agreed to it.. he was thrilled with the results and as you can see from the photos below he now candles his own ears regularly.
Before you begin here are some very basic Common Sense items that we’d like to point out..
1. Do not Use Ear Candles if your hair is full of Flammable products such as Hair Spray, Alcohol based gels, Mousse, etc. Your Hair Will likely catch on Fire. Wash your hair First.
2. Do Not use ear candles in bed. Pay attention to where the flame is, don’t lean back on a piece of furniture and expect it not to catch on fire.
3. Do not use ear candles if you have a perforated or ruptured ear drum, ear tubes, recent surgery on nose, throat or ears, bleeding of the ear, etc.
Here’s how we do it:
You’ll need 2 QUALITY BEESWAX EAR CANDLES, one for each ear (NOT Paraffin Wax)
a small bowl of water
a pair of sharp scissors
a lighter
First, check the bottom of the ear candle, this would be the narrow tapered end. If the hole is too small, you’ll need to enlarge it. You can do so by snipping it slightly, then use a pencil to ensure the hole is completely round. The goal here is to make it fit snugly at the entrance of the ear to create a vacuum.
Light the top and hold your finger over the hole on the tapered end for about 8-10 seconds. When you see smoke coming from the tapered end when you move your finger, you’re ready to begin.
Gently, but firmly, place the tapered end into the opening of the ear. It should be well seated and the person assisting you should not see smoke escaping from the bottom. If that is occurring the candle cannot work as it is designed. You can turn it gently to get it into place for you. The goal here is to create a seal at the Entrance of the ear, but be gentle. Don’t Cram it in, you’re not trying to bounce it off the eardrum.
Now, as the candle is burning you will hear cracking sounds of the fire throughout the entire candling process. This is normal and nothing to be alarmed about. Your head should be tilted slightly, to prevent any beeswax from ever dripping into the ear canal. I’ve been ear candling for over 20 years and have NEVER had any issue what-so-ever, but we ONLY use Beeswax ear candles. Paraffin candles do not burn as cleanly, in my experience and I was concerned that this might be an issue.
As the candle burns down the ash at the end will continue to get longer. Simply remove the candle briefly, snip off the ash into the bowl of water (careful not to extinguish the candle itself) and quickly re-seat the candle in the ear entrance.
At times you may notice that the flames on the candle are burning higher or brighter, this is usually due to burning the material that has been drawn out of the ear. When the ear candle has burned down to about a 3 to 4″ stub, withdraw it from the ear and plunge the burning end into the waiting bowl of water.
At this point you can unravel the remaining stub to see what was removed from your ear:
Dispose of the candle and the materials that were drawn from the ear and wash your hands thoroughly. We generally ear candle before going to bed as it will take up to 24 hours for the ear to generate a fresh coating of wax. (Which is precisely what it’s supposed to do!)
Ear candling is a popular home remedy for ear aches, etc but as with any home remedy there are times when it should be avoided, such as those who have recently had ear, nose or throat surgery, those with tubes in their ears, anyone that might have a ruptured eardrum or a perforation, etc. Should you have questions or concerns, check with a Naturopathic or Holistic Doctor in your area.
With all that aside, this is something that our family personally does on a regular basis and we’ve experienced excellent results. Please do not use the cheapest ear candles you can find, you get what you pay for in this case.
Now.. for those that think the debris is due to the candle burning- beeswax does not leave behind ANY residue when it burns. I have personally held an ear candle in my hand with my finger over the bottom to see if there was ANYTHING left at all after it burned, there was NOT, but then again, I buy Quality BEESWAX (not paraffin) candles.
If you were here you would personally see that the above yellow nastiness is, indeed, Earwax.
Ear candles can be found at Walmart, GNC, Whole Foods, Vitamin & Herb Shops,
If you’re concerned about the candle ash falling over onto you while it’s burning you can make a small x in the middle of a paper plate and then slip the candle through it.
