The treatment is one of those classic grandma stories where parents would literally cut up some pure cotton and experiment with dipping the cotton in a pan of heated beeswax made in the kitchen. Over the years this raw process found a more reliable method of manufacture which is important as the way that the cotton itself is rolled and dipped is the crucial aspect, nobody wants to be using a candle which falls apart! Similar to home made creams the constancy of the ingredients is an all important factor. Over doing the percentages of any home made creams and their base can really make the difference to how home remedies perform and the same can be said for ear candles.
The beeswax has to heated to a consistent temperature similar to baking a cake in the oven , too much and it will burn easily or too little and and the wax will not bond correctly with the cotton which is important to the end performance of your candle.
In recent times we have seen the introduction of ear candles in all colour forms which is quite honestly a sad sight to see and an obvious marketing ploy by the cheap nasty Chinese brands. It does not take too much common sense to realise that the raw ingredients of these coloured candles have an abundance of non natural ingredients which contain artificial colouring and scents. Do yourself a big favour and avoid these type of candles at all costs. If they were of any benefit I am sure the grandma's would have been making these at home 50 years ago and I would rarely argue with my grandmother! Wisdom always prevails.
So if you agree with using absolute pure ingredients what is the difference with one candle to the next and why do some of the candles appear different in colour or perform differently? Well for a start bees and the beeswax they produce is a wonderful thing. The essential raw process of beeswax is seasonal and dependent upon where bees are collecting their nectar. The type of flowers that are in season and the actual environmental aspects of nature itself. It is said that the lighter the beeswax colour the purer the quality but this is not to say that ear candles which appear darker in colour are bad. The darker beeswax candles are simply ones which have used beeswax which has been harvested most probably in winter time. As an example bees that have been feeding from forests of Jarrah wood, will likely result in a darker colour beeswax. The pure quality is still not in question it is just the season which is affecting the colour.
The poor old bees have been having a bad time of it lately and have their own serious bout of virus which has affected bees around the world. The bee population has witnessed the same problem that cane toad frogs have seen and is wiping put the population due to an ever spreading virus. There have even in recent times been whole beehive populations being wiped out and it has become common for bee hives to be actually exported around the world to maintain production and quality. Lets hope the bees win the war as there is a multitude of health products and food items that totally rely on the superior beneficial attributes of honey or beeswax.
Whenever you next use or buy a pair of ear candles pay attention to the colour of the beeswax and try to spot the difference, even the same brand can look different within months of the year. Overall you should be looking for an ear candle which is consistent in it s manufacture and the way it performs. This is why generally most consumers stick to what they know, as with any product. Ignore the temptation of price or pretty colours. Like they say, quality sometimes comes at a price, but for a home based treatment that price should be respected at all times.