• Ear wax is a powerful protective barrier to your inner ears and brain.ballyscanlon/Stockbyte/Getty Images
  
  Ear wax, also known as cerumen, is more purposeful than you may think. The sometimes annoying wax inside your ears lubricates, soothes and acts as a protective barrier. Wax comes from small oil producing glands lining the inside of your ear canal. These glands produce the substance commonly referred to as ear wax which offers a number of health and safety benefits.
  
  

Wax Trap

• If a tiny nat has ever flown inside your ear, there's a good chance he didn't make it past the wax. Insects are just one of the many foreign objects ear wax protects against. The sticky, oily texture of the wax effectively traps insects, dust and other tiny organisms from damaging your hearing or even your brain. Because ear canals are self-cleaning, the wax is always gradually pushing outward, expelling any debris trapped inside.
  
  

Lubricant

• You expose your ears to a lot: sun, wind and cold all dry out the skin inside your canals. Ear wax keeps your ear canals moist with a thin layer of oily protection. Inadequate ear wax leads to dry itchy ears which can cause scratching in this delicate region. Scraping and scratching your dry ear canal can lead to further infection if your nail punctures the skin.
  
  

Water Repellent

• Each time you shower, ear wax keeps water from entering your middle and inner ear, which can cause infections. The oily consistency of ear wax effectively repels water, forcing it back toward the opening and away from your ear drum. Although some people are particularly prone to ear infections, without ear wax, the incidence would be much higher.