Where Does Earwax Come From?

Earwax, also known as cerumen, is produced by glands located in the skin of the outer one-third of the ear canal. There are two types of glands that produce cerumen: sebaceous glands and apocrine sweat glands. The sebaceous glands release sebum — primarily made of fatty acids — which mix with the apocrine gland secretions to form cerumen.

While earwax isn’t often the subject of polite conversation, it performs some important functions. Cerumen mixes with dead skin cells, loose hair follicles and dust and slowly sweeps the debris out of the ear canal. Because the ear canal is constructed like a cul-de-sac, a build-up of dead cells, earwax and debris could become trapped if not for a unique type of migrating cells. These cells are continually moving from the interior of the ear canal to the exterior. They are, in a sense, self-cleaning. The cells embark on weeks-long migration bolstered by the natural movement of the jaw; as we eat, talk, sneeze and cough, we help move the cells of the ear canal along their path.

source: Howstuffworks