Keeping Your Earrings Fresh: Effective Tips to Prevent Odor Build-Up

Earrings are more than just accessories; they are often sentimental pieces that add flair to our outfits and express our personal style. However, one common issue that many earring wearers face is the unpleasant odor that can develop over time. This odor is usually caused by a buildup of dirt, sweat, and oils on the earrings themselves or on the skin around the earlobe. But fear not! With a few simple strategies, you can keep your earrings fresh and odor-free.

Tender Lobe & Care

Step One
Start by removing your earrings. Developing a routine of changing out and cleaning your earrings regularly will greatly benefit your ears. We all want our jewelry to sparkle and look its best, so sticking to a cleaning schedule will maintain their shine as if they were brand new.

Step Two
After removing your earrings and setting them aside for separate cleaning, it's time to cleanse your ears with a warm washcloth and mild soap. Consider using a moisturizing cleanser, such as an oil-based one used for facial care, to gently lather the outer ear.

Remember to wash behind your ears, an area where dead skin cells tend to accumulate near the crease, to help prevent any buildup commonly referred to as "ear cheese."

Ensure you use a fresh section of the washcloth and clean inside your ear, including the top part of your ear where oil and dead skin cells can accumulate.

Step Three
Next, rinse your ears thoroughly with warm water using a refreshed washcloth. Be meticulous in your rinsing to remove any remaining soap or moisture from inside the ear.

While cleaning, resist the temptation to use a q-tip inside your ear canal. Instead, we'll use a q-tip later, but strictly for external cleaning purposes.

Step Four
Using warm water on your ears helps soften any ear wax both inside and outside the ear. Avoid using q-tips that can push dead skin cells and ear wax deeper into the ear canal. Instead, consider using an ear irrigation tool to safely remove any excess buildup.

Moving on!

Step Five
Apply toner! Although not immediately obvious, our ears have pores that can become clogged (ever had those painful ear pimples?). Take your favorite facial toner and a couple of cotton balls. Swipe behind, in front of, over the top, and beneath your ear, making sure to reach inside the ear and the top of the earlobe.

Toner helps clarify the skin around and inside the ear.

Step Six
Moisturize the skin around your ear. Keeping your ear moisturized can help regulate sebum production and maintain skin health.

Step Seven
Prepare a saline solution by mixing about half a teaspoon of table salt into warm water in a shallow bowl until dissolved. Dip a q-tip into the saline solution.

Use the saline-soaked q-tip to clean around the piercing on both the front and back of your ear. You can repeat this process several times a week, especially when time doesn't allow for your entire routine.

Quick tip for when you're in a rush: remove your earrings, clean around the front and back of your ear piercing, and wipe the post and backing with the saline solution. This quick step will refresh your ears and help prevent buildup throughout the week.