
This liquid treatment comes with a handy rubber squeeze bottle (basically a syringe) which makes the drops easy to administer without causing a mess. Price: £6.80 | Buy now from Amazon Most of the ear drops you can buy are ‘clinically recommended’ to help remove ear wax, but Otex Express is one of few that are ‘clinically proven’. Otex Express Combi: Best ear drops for removing hardened ear wax The best ear wax removal treatments you can buy in 2023 1. Again, it’s not strong enough to break up hardened and impacted ear wax, but it’s brilliant for keeping your ear canal clean and avoiding the need to stick objects (such as cotton buds) in there. Salt water, in the form of saline or sterile sea water, is an increasingly common ingredient of ear cleaning products. It also does a great job of softening ear wax, and is recommended by clinicians as a gentle natural alternative if your ear wax problem isn’t too serious. It’s a form of salt that causes dirt and grease to dissolve in water, as well as being brilliant at absorbing odours, so it has all manner of household uses. Sodium bicarbonate is the chemical found in baking soda. It can be a bit greasy to work with (it is oil, after all), so we’ve included a less messy olive oil spray among our recommendations. Olive oil softens ear wax naturally, enabling it to trickle out on its own, so it’s been used for many years as a natural ear wax remover. When hydrogen peroxide comes into contact with ear wax, it releases oxygen and causes foaming (hence the fizzing sensation inside your ear) which helps to soften, break up, loosen and remove excess ear wax

Hydrogen peroxide, usually in the form of carbamide peroxide (aka urea hydrogen peroxide), sounds alarming but it’s the most common active ingredient in ear drops. What ingredients should I look for in an ear wax remover? The NHS’s Health & Care Video Library has a useful short film on dealing with ear wax safely. So if you’re suffering pain, see your doctor or a pharmacist for advice first. Hearing charity RNID says medical research has shown that ear candling is “both dangerous and ineffective”, and may even result in serious injury ( read more here).īut even the most innocuous ear drops should be avoided if you have, or may have, a perforated eardrum. “There’s no evidence that ear candles or ear vacuums get rid of earwax,” says the NHS ( more info here). We haven’t included ear candles (aka hopi candles) among our recommendations, even though they are freely available via Amazon. Some also come with special syringe-style applicators to help get the solution safely into your ear and deliver a measured amount with each squirt. Some ear wax remover liquids come in spray form, which you may find easier to administer than drops. A drop or two of specially-formulated liquid, left to work for a few minutes several times a week, is usually enough to make even hardened ear wax disintegrate and come out of your ear naturally – without the need to push foreign objects into your ear canal. Skip to discover our recommended products for dealing with ear wax, or read on for more tips on choosing the best ear wax remover for you.Įar drops are an affordable and effective treatment.

What definitely isn’t recommended is to stick a cotton bud into your ear, because it’ll just make the problem worse. Hydrogen peroxide is the only one ‘clinically proven’ to work, but all the others are deemed safe and clinically recommended.

Sodium bicarbonate and even sea water are also popular ear wax remover ingredients. The most common active ingredient is hydrogen peroxide (which “fizzes” in your ear and breaks down ear wax, so it then falls out), closely followed by olive oil (which softens the wax, and appeals to many people as a more natural solution). But too much of it can be uncomfortable and even interfere with your hearing, so the best ear wax removers help you get excess wax under control safely at home. Ear wax (‘cerumen’) is pretty useful for keeping infections and water off your precious ear drums.
