Stop. Before you pop those earbuds in for your morning commute or workout, there’s something you need to know. A celebrity dermatologist has an urgent message for the millions of daily users: your seemingly harmless habit could be setting you up for a host of skin problems, but a few simple seconds of prevention can make all the difference.
The message is about the environment you’re creating. A skin expert wants you to visualize what happens when you put earbuds in. You’re trapping heat, sweat, and oil in a confined space. You’re creating a dark, humid incubator for any bacteria that happen to be on the device. This environment is the direct cause of many breakouts and infections.
The dermatologist also wants you to consider the material. Is it silicone? Plastic? Metal? Your skin might be sensitive to one of these materials, and the prolonged, sweaty contact is a perfect way to trigger an allergic reaction. The resulting red, itchy rash is your skin’s way of telling you it doesn’t like the device.
So, before you put them in, take this one crucial step: clean them. The expert’s number one piece of advice is to take ten seconds to wipe your earbuds down with an alcohol-based wipe. This single action dramatically reduces the bacterial load you’re introducing into that warm, humid environment, slashing your risk of infection and acne.
And when you’re done listening, don’t just toss them in your bag. The dermatologist’s final tip is to clean them again and store them in a protective case. By taking a moment to care for your device before and after use, you can continue to enjoy your audio without turning your ears into a battleground for your skin.