Can you make a functioning candle from earwax?

No. Earwax, or cerumen, is not really a wax. It is mostly dead skin, with some long-chain fatty acids and cholesterol and other compounds binding it. Normal candles burn from the top as the wax melts in the heat from the flame, is drawn by capillary action up the wick, vaporises and burns.

Earwax can’t do this because keratin in the skin cells won’t melt. Instead of a flame at the tip of the wick that burns down it, there would be a flame spreading across the surface until the whole candle was alight.

Read more:

• I love watching Dr Pimple Popper and teeth descaling videos. Is there something wrong with me?
• Why is snot green?
• Why do we get belly button lint?
• Are there different types of earwax?

Asked by: John Bothwell, via email

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