"Don't forget to wash behind your ears!"
November 15, 2022 8:12 AM Subscribe
This is such an embarrassing problem but I feel like I can never get my ears really, really clean. I don’t wash my hair every day but when I take a body shower, I still try to get my ears as clean as possible. It feels like by the end of the day they are oily, and the oil has an unpleasant scent.
Things I have tried...
~ Putting Neosporin on in case I have a skin infection (it does not seem extreme enough to be any kind of infection)
~ Using deodorant (this works I guess, but feels like it is just masking the issue and I would rather smell like clean skin than like deodorant)
~ Exfoliating with a Japanese scrubbing cloth (works okay)
~ Cleaning my glasses with alcohol wipes every day (assuming my glasses are contributing to the problem)
Is there soap you have found particularly cleansing? A toner I could apply in the evening with cotton balls? Some secret to clean ears I never learned?!
~ Putting Neosporin on in case I have a skin infection (it does not seem extreme enough to be any kind of infection)
~ Using deodorant (this works I guess, but feels like it is just masking the issue and I would rather smell like clean skin than like deodorant)
~ Exfoliating with a Japanese scrubbing cloth (works okay)
~ Cleaning my glasses with alcohol wipes every day (assuming my glasses are contributing to the problem)
Is there soap you have found particularly cleansing? A toner I could apply in the evening with cotton balls? Some secret to clean ears I never learned?!
Had an ex with unusually stinky ears, and it turned out to be a fungal infection, which required a different type of med than neosporin. So that's possible!
posted by restless_nomad at 8:18 AM on November 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by restless_nomad at 8:18 AM on November 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
When I wash my face at night, I scrub behind my ears with my washcloth (a soft bamboo baby washcloth) and then I also use toner behind my ears every evening as well.
posted by Medieval Maven at 8:23 AM on November 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Medieval Maven at 8:23 AM on November 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I asked this previously. :) Using an astringent seems to work; I use the Body Shop cucumber water. Also, once in a while I wash the antihelix area with Dawn, which also helps.
posted by Melismata at 8:37 AM on November 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Melismata at 8:37 AM on November 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: When I'm in the shower, I find that my ordinary soap doesn't really handle the behind-ear area properly; I assume because behind the ears shares qualities with the scalp rather than the rest of the body.
So, I like to dab a little dandruff shampoo on my scrubby body cloth and scrub behind the ears. It works great.
posted by theatro at 8:40 AM on November 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
So, I like to dab a little dandruff shampoo on my scrubby body cloth and scrub behind the ears. It works great.
posted by theatro at 8:40 AM on November 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Do you have dandruff/seborrheic dermatitis? Seconding trying a selenium sulfide shampoo like selsun blue.
posted by donut_princess at 8:50 AM on November 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by donut_princess at 8:50 AM on November 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
If you can, go see a primary care doctor or dermatologist! You may either have seborrheic dermatitis or scalp psoriasis like I do.
posted by yueliang at 8:56 AM on November 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by yueliang at 8:56 AM on November 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Definitely talk to a doctor. I had this problem when I was a kid. I have seborrheic dermatitis and use different "dandruff" shampoos and always use them behind my ears, and that's solved the problem.
That said, like donut_princess suggested, you could try an over-the-counter "dandruff" shampoo (I say "dandruff" because that's how they're marketed, but they work for seborrheic dermatitis) and see if it helps. I personally like Neutrogena T-Sal (salacyclic acid) because it's basically unscented. There's also Head and Shoulders (pyrithione zinc), Neutrogena T-Gel (coal tar, I hate the smell of it), the aforementioned selenium sulfide, and Nizoral (ketaconozole). I usually rotate between 3 of them, one each week.
posted by radioamy at 9:23 AM on November 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
That said, like donut_princess suggested, you could try an over-the-counter "dandruff" shampoo (I say "dandruff" because that's how they're marketed, but they work for seborrheic dermatitis) and see if it helps. I personally like Neutrogena T-Sal (salacyclic acid) because it's basically unscented. There's also Head and Shoulders (pyrithione zinc), Neutrogena T-Gel (coal tar, I hate the smell of it), the aforementioned selenium sulfide, and Nizoral (ketaconozole). I usually rotate between 3 of them, one each week.
posted by radioamy at 9:23 AM on November 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Y'all are so smart. This started after I STOPPED using dandruff shampoo and I never made the connection. I'm going to try that first!
posted by Threeve at 1:10 PM on November 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Threeve at 1:10 PM on November 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: lol Melismata I even commented on your thread! I bet that's when I first started paying attention and cleaning my glasses. Didn't see it when searching though.
posted by Threeve at 5:19 PM on November 15, 2022
posted by Threeve at 5:19 PM on November 15, 2022
You could also try using a medicated cream or rinsing with vinegar. When babies get this it is often related to a fungus or yeast infection - that's where the expression "wet behind the ears" comes from.
posted by Jane the Brown at 10:26 PM on November 15, 2022
posted by Jane the Brown at 10:26 PM on November 15, 2022
I find that harsh cleansers don't really help. I started oil cleansing (using an oil cleanser intended for face) once every few days and finding that a lot more effective.
posted by lolibrarian at 3:25 PM on November 17, 2022
posted by lolibrarian at 3:25 PM on November 17, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
Wash the arms of your glasses regularly
Use a little cornstarch based baby powder behind your ears after you shower to keep everything fresh and dry (pour a little powder into your palm, dip your finger in it, then run your finger behind your ear and dust up those folds)
posted by phunniemee at 8:18 AM on November 15, 2022 [1 favorite]