In medical terms, earwax is known as cerumen. Basically, earwax(cerumen) is a gray, orange, red or yellowish waxy substance secreted in the ear canal of humans and other mammals. Earwax consist of shed skin cells, hair and the secretions of the ceruminous and sebaceous glands of the outside ear canal. Major components of ear wax are long chain fatty acids, both saturated and unsaturated, alcohols, squalene, and cholesterol.

Benefits of Earwax:-

Prevents Irritation-    Earwax protects skin in the ear from the irritation which is caused by the presence of water in the ear.

Cleaning-    Earwax acts as a cleansing agent. Moving from ear canal earwax cleans ear canal by removing dirt, dead cells, and other outside particles that have been trapped in the ear canal.

Prevents dryness-    The lubrication provided by the earwax prevents desiccation(extreme state of dryness) of the skin within the ear canal.

Antimicrobial Activity-    Earwax shows some antimicrobial properties. Recent studies have found that it has bactericidal effects on strains of bacteria. It has antibacterial and antifungal properties. which destroys cells of the microorganisms due to the presence of enzymes and lysozyme.

Reveals Health Conditions-    Earwax helps in indicating health conditions. The nature of earwax reveals health conditions (eg. less acidic earwax indicates diabetics) also finds pollutants in the ear.