Except when you lower the swab, you can't help but notice… your ear wax smells. Is that ‌normal‌? Actually, it is, says board-certified ENT Neil Bhattacharyya, MD, a professor of ...

As lipids break down, they release volatile compounds—the source of body odor. In people with dry ear wax, ABCC11 is non-functional; this starves some bacteria and greatly reduces the smell of sweat.

But the truth is, your ears aren't as stink-free as you might think. Some of us have smelly ear wax, for one, and it's possible to get a bad smell behind your ears. Add piercings into the mix ...