Why and how to banish the cotton swab from your life
For both the planet and your health, cotton swabs are no match. In this new article, we explain why you should ban it from your life and what to replace it with.
Impact on our health
Do you know what 40% of ENT visits have in common? They are all caused by the same thing: the cotton swab.
If you push your cotton swab in too far, you can push the earwax deep into the ear canal instead of draining it, or worse, you can hit your eardrum. The results: damaged or perforated eardrum, infections, ear plugs. Moreover, cotton is fibrous....source of itching, irritation, complications.... Specialists are unanimous: bad practice, to be banned. Hello damage!
Impact on the environment
Do you know how many cotton buds are used every day in the world? It is estimated that there are 1.5 billion! Millions of tonnes of waste are produced each year and when they are not covering the ground on beaches, they are ingested by birds and fish.
It is a real danger for the environment, like any decomposing plastic object. Not to mention that a plastic cotton bud takes between 100 and 1000 years to degrade in nature!
On 24 January 2022, Belgium took a decisive step towards banning the sale of single-use plastic products. Cotton buds are the first item on the list.
The alternative to cotton swabs
Created in ancient times, the ancestor of the cotton swab is making a comeback in our bathrooms. It is the ear pick: the most ecological and sustainable alternative to the cotton swab. It has a "scoop" at the end (the part that goes into the ear). It allows excess earwax to be collected without the risk of a blockage.
Our favourite is the one proposed by Escurette, which is guaranteed zero waste and zero plastic. The Escurette ear cleaner is validated by doctors. It cleans the earwax deposited on the visible part of the ear without pushing it towards the bottom of the ear canal. Made of stainless steel, it also limits irritation and the risk of infection.
Not convinced yet? This alternative will do your wallet a world of good because it is reusable for life, just rinse the ear pick with soap and water after use.