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Ear candles, also known as ear cones, have gained fame as alternative medicines over recent decades. The market is practically alight with hundreds of these products.
When inserted into the ear and lit, auricular candles generate a negative pressure, enough to suck earwax, bacteria and other impurities. Holistic therapists highly recommend ear candling to treat earaches, tinnitus, earwax blockages and sinus congestions. In fact, it makes a good substitute for ear syringing. In addition, candling can equalise pressure in the ears.
Ear candles are available in selected spas, health stores, and healing centers on both sides of the Atlantic. Many come in packs of four, others in do-it-yourself kits. They usually range in length from nine to 11 inches, tapering to a diameter large enough to fit into the ear.
Ear cones are essentially wax-coated fabric tubes. To make one, a hollow tube made of either cotton or unbleached muslin is encapsulated in a choice of food-grade paraffin wax or unprocessed beeswax.
Ear candle makers ensure that the raw fabrics for their products are sanitized thoroughly before combining them with the wax. They remove the chock-full of dusts, moulds, mildews and chemicals hosted by the fabrics by washing them in multiple cycles. Washings often ends with cold rinsing and a dash of aromatic oils.
Meanwhile, makers place the wax in a pot within a pan of boiling water to melt. They need to make sure the wax is in liquid form. For this reason, many makers favour using beeswax for its low melting point.
Afterwards, makers submerge strips of the fabric in the molten wax. One strip makes one candle. Makers then retrieve the sheets of fabric—still dripping with molten wax—and wind them around a tapered stick. There must be no gap whatsoever in winding.
Following the winding, makers would try to pull the wound fabric free from the wood. The resulting funnel is the ear candle, ready for use.
On average, an ear candle is good for 10 – 15 minutes of use. An able ear candle therapist should be able to perform the method for anyone. As a precaution, patients should be shielded from the flame with a non-flammable sheet of paper or a metal plate. What remains of the candle should be properly extinguished and disposed.
Ear candles are truly panaceas in sticks. Since the ear canal is connected to the Eustachian tubes and sinuses, auricular candling can suck not only earwax, but also toxins, germs, fungus, yeasts and allergens. Even the brain stands to benefit.
Ear candling could be a very spiritual and meditative experience too. Many patients praise the practice for alleviating everyday stresses and simple headaches. All they had to do was light a candle.
