Sunday, January 25, 2009

Ever Heard of Ear Candles?

Dylan burning an ear candleLaura burning an ear candleIt's not every day you see someone burning a candle in their ear, right?

Well, the truth is, it's not really a candle... but I'll explain later.

My daughter, Rachael, is in nursing school. One day, her class was talking about different things and the subject of ear candles came up. She inquired further and found that many people use them to get the wax out of their ears.

Later, she went to the health food store and bought some for her and her husband to try out. They liked the results so much, a few months later, they bought some more, to keep on hand.

A couple of weeks ago, Rachael asked my son, Dylan, and I if we would like to try it. I don't have a problem with ear wax but I couldn't resist trying it (I'm such a daredevil)!

It was an interesting experience. First of all, they aren't candles. Ear candles are actually hollow cones made from strips of unbleached cotton or linen dipped in paraffin and/or beeswax and herbs.

It was relaxing because as the flame got closer to my head, the inside of my ear started to feel warm. Then the crackling began which also felt good. The whole process took about 15 minutes. My daughter lit the ear candle for my son and I, and she watched us closely to make sure we didn't catch the house on fire or something. You might think the burnt cone would cause ashes to fall on top of you but the candle is made of material and it doesn't come apart. I think the paper plate is there as a precaution. You think? :)

When the flame got within 2 inches or so from our heads, Rachael took the ear candles out and doused them in a cup of water. Then she cut the candles open to reveal the collected wax. Dylan had a lot more wax than me but I was surprised to see the amount of wax that came out of my ears!

The following night, my mom and aunt came to the house. My mom was scheduled to have a heart stent procedure done at Baptist Hospital in Little Rock the next morning. Since my mom and aunt live an hour and a half from Little Rock, I invited them to spend the night at my house so we could all leave together the following morning (Little Rock is a thirty minute trip from my house).

Jo Jo burning an ear candle
Jo Jo showing off her ear candle resultsAunt Losie showing off her ear candle results
I asked my mom and aunt if either of them had ever heard of ear candles and when they said they didn't, I proceeded to give them the scoop about how Dylan and I had done it the night before. Of course, they wanted to try it out!

And here's where things got crazy. You don't know how much I wish I had videotaped the whole thing.

We all laughed so hard we were crying. Of course, the video would've been of poor quality because I wouldn't have been able to keep the camera still. It was hysterical! It's a memory none of us will ever forget.

I told Mom, "This would make a great party idea!" Just when everyone is casually sitting around talking, pass out the ear candles and let the fun begin!

I would start out by asking everyone, "What do you think this is used for?" Hehehehehe!

And that's what we folks in Arkansas call a good time!

Thanks for reading!

Laura




P.S. You want to read something hysterical? Check out JD's post, "I Grow Potatoes in my Ears"

Related Articles:

Ancient Process of Ear Candling

The Heart and The Seed


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34 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi! Interesting! I've heard of this before but I just don't know where I could buy one. Basically, the purpose of ear candles is to remove the wax from one's ear to keep it clean. Especially those that can't be reached by Q-Tips. Am not sure how its done but the heat sucks the wax out of the ears. I'd really like to try this too! This is very informative! Thanks for the post!

Jane Doe said...

I've seen this kit many times at the Natural Foods store, but hadn't known anyone who tried it. Since I have a lot of problems with ear wax, I plan to try these out now. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Oh, boy. I could never try this! It looks so medieval! But I've read how it works well for a lot of people. I think I'm just afraid of a flame so close to my head! So, did you have one of those special moments as described in JD's post?

The Florida Furkids said...

Our Mom has heard about it, but never tried it. Pretty amazing!

Sniffie and the Florida Furkids

Anonymous said...

Umm...that's really gross LOL, but you know what, I'm gonna get some! I have major trouble with stopped up ears. I'm gonna check with my local Health Food store!

Tina @ The Zoo Crew said...

We have been ear candling for years, and I just love it! Your ears feel so wonderful afterward. I only wish I had known about it when my dad was alive. He had drainage issues, and this would have helped him tremendously. This is a great thing to share with everyone. It is certainly not mainstream knowledge!

MamaFlo said...

The Hispanic Culture does this - I remember when my children were little and one had an ear ache and my husband brought me this rolled up piece of paper and told me to put in in his ear and then he'd light it on fire - I said WHAT!!!!!!
Well since that time we moved to San Antonio and I hear about this "treatment" all the time.

Sandee said...

So this is your form of entertainment on a Saturday night? Bwahahahahahaha. You are a hoot.

Have a terrific Sunday. :)

Anonymous said...

That's interesting! I've never heard of ear candles, and I thought at first that you were kidding. I think it sounds like it's well worth the try! :-D

Laura said...

Doi - I had never heard of it before my daughter showed it to me. Weird and cool at the same time, huh?

Jane - You're welcome! Glad to help. :)

Kathy - Aw C'mon! LIVE A LITTLE! Hahahaha! I thought this would be right up your alley! No, I didn't have a 'special' moment ... DRATS! :) That JD cracks me up!

Furkidsmom - So are ya gonna try it? Huh? Huh? If Mom decides to give it a go, you kitties keep a close eye on her K? :)

Ruthie - Yes, I agree. Completely and utterly disgusting. But cool too!!! Hehehehe! If you try it, post back here and tell us all about it!

Tina - A veteran ear candler huh? Cool! You're right, you don't hear anything about these kind of things. If I had happened upon them in the health food store, I wouldn't have had a clue what they were used for and if I'd seen what they're used for, I probably would've never tried it on my own.

MamaFlo - Wow, I didn't know that. If my husband had brought me a rolled up piece of paper and told me to stick in my kiddos ear while he lights the other end, I would've freaked out too! :) It works though! And it feels good! San Antonio is such a neat place. I love to go visit - especially the River Walk!

Sandee - Yes, it's true. I'm easily entertained! :)

Lynne - I know! It's weird isn't it? But it works! :)

bluecrystaldude said...

OMG! I should try this! My ears are super sensitive. I just hope I could sit still till the ends. LOL. Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

Well, I had heard of ear candles, but didn't know about them, if you get me. That is amazing! Thank you so much for the information.

Babs (Beetle) said...

Wow! That's brilliant! I wonder if you can get them in the UK? I've never heard of them before. It would be such a giggle I can imagine. We could hold an 'Ear Candle' party with a prize for the most wax achieved!!!

Babs (Beetle) said...

BTW, if Kathy used it, with her hair, it might be dangerous hahaha!

Anonymous said...

How funny! I have never done it, but a friend of mine swears by it. I would be afraid to start a fire in my living room. LOL

Anonymous said...

That's so neat! I've never heard of those, but I'm going to look for them next time I'm at the pharmacy. My husband is constantly digging in his ears with Qtips.

On a side note - I didn't realize you lived so close to Little Rock! I have family near there. They live in Mayflower, which is between Little Rock and Conway.

Anonymous said...

That's kind of gross but definitely interesting. My 5 yr old autistic brother has such a terrible problem with ear wax...but I get the sneaking suspicion he wouldn't like something that close to his ears! Still though might be worth trying, it could be a lot less painful than when he visits the doctor and they have to hold him down just to try and see his ears!

tahtimbo said...

Yes! We use these and they work great. They are a lot better than the drops I used to stick in the ears of my kids. I just wish they weren't as expensive as they are.

Lilly said...

Oh I so want to try one of these now too. It sounds a great idea! I have never head of them before or seen them but I am going to go looking now. Your Mom and her sister look alike hey. And you have a daughter old enough to be married, never!!!

Anonymous said...

I've done ear candling before, and it does feel a little odd, but I am firmly in the "it does help" camp. I don't do it but maybe once a year, if that.

JD at I Do Things said...

Wow! Thanks so much for posting this. I'd never seen a demonstration of ear candling, and now I feel like I know everything I need to know.

The pix of your mom and aunt are hilarious -- really looks like you all had a great time.

I'm definitely trying this. Who knows? Maybe more eargasms are in my future! (And thanks for the link!)

Paul Eilers said...

Can you hear me now?

siteseer said...

I have heard of this before, but never tried it. I wonder if it would help my occasional problems with vertigo?

Julie said...

Hi..just found your blog...I'm a fellow Arkansan displaced in the desert. I remember doing the ear candles years ago. It was pretty funny! I think I'm a little too accident prone to do that on a regular basis, though.

Clara said...

I hate to throw cold water on everyone's ear candles, but they are fake. Have you ever tried burning one without it being anywhere near an ear? You get the same gunk. It's from the candle not the ear. And I know someone who's deaf in one ear because the wax from the ear candle dripped onto her eardrum and burned it. Before you risk year hearing try the test yourself. Or better yet, save your money!

Laura said...

BlueCrystalDude - That's what's cool about it. My ears are super sensitive too but I was able to do the ear candle. If you try it, post a comment back here and tell us what you thought about it.

Jan - You're welcome! I'd never heard about before my daughter told me about it. I think it's really neat the way it works.

Babs - Hahahahaha! JD would need some fire extinguishers on hand! I think any UK health food stores should have it. Yeah, I think it would make a super fun party gag. You've got to have a fun group, though!

Laurie - You ought to give it a try! You just need some supervision! :)

Sadie - Yeah, get your hubby to try it and post back here with all the gory details! Ha! It's a small world huh? Mayflower is a hop & a skip from Conway! :)

Chelle - Yes, definitely gross! Maybe if your nephew saw it being done on a couple of family members he might 'warm' up to the idea. There's no pain involved so that's a big plus!

Tahtimbo - Yeah, they cost $3 per candle here, which isn't too bad but once you multiply it out for everyone in the family it sure isn't cheap!

Lilly - Yes, my mom and aunt do favor. My daughter was born a month and a half before my 18th birthday. You might say we grew up together! Thanks for the compliment. :) If you end up trying the ear candle, post back here and let me know how it went!

Alli - You're smart not to do it too often. A little wax is healthy!

JD - Hahahaha! Yes, there are definitely more eargasms in your future! If you decide to give it a go, post back here and tell me how it went!

Paul - Loud and clear, Dear! :)

Siteseer - I don't know but it won't hurt to try it out! If you do try it, post back here and let me know if it helped you any.

Julie - I'm accident prone too! My daughter stood guard over my son and I to make sure we didn't do any damage. The desert huh? I have visited Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sedonah, Flagstaff, and Las Vegas. Nice! I'm a native Texan (Houston), but moved to 'The Natural State' 13 years ago.

Laura said...

Clara - I disagree with your fake claim. I know wax when I see it and wax came out of my ears, my son's ears, my daughter's ears, my son-in-law's ears, my aunt's ears, and my mom's ears and not one of us was injured in the process. There's no way wax could drop out of the ear candles we used to burn an eardrum. I don't want to argue with you - I'm just sayin'. Thanks for stopping by! :)

Waterrose said...

I have heard of ear candling and actually some high end spas here offer that service. I don't know what it costs to have done, but I'm sure your method at home was much more economical.

Anonymous said...

I've just got to say that I've never heard of anyone having that much fun with ear candles.

And I remember JD's post well. Perhaps she should be introduced to the ear candle.

Anonymous said...

There is debate about whether these work or not - if the debris you see is just waste from the wax and paper of the candle itself. Not sure how you would actually measure this though. Lots of spas out here offer this service $15-20 per session

VisibleSoulPhotography said...

We call the wax "ear beans"! LOL

Laura said...

Waterrose - Yes, it was very economical! The ear candles we used cost $3 each.

The Hawg - Oh yeah, it was a hoot! :) That JD's a nut isn't she? She just cracks me up. I know she'd like the ear candle though I doubt the experience will equal an eargasm!

Murderous Intention - I agree the debris probably comes from the candle itself but the ear wax is real. Thanks for stopping by and taking time to comment!

Charming Lamb - LOL! Ear beans huh? That's cute. Better than saying "You've got potatoes growing in there!" HA!

Anonymous said...

My hair stylist does this and is always telling me to try it. I actually tried to find the ear wax candles once and I couldn't find them. I showed my husband your pics and said it he was sure I would catch myself on fire.

Pure Beeswax Candles said...

Beeswax candles are my favorites. They emanate one of the most wonderful sweet aroma of heated honey filling up the space when they burn. This make you relax and enjoy the created atmosphere. Thanks for sharing.

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