Karna Purana: Why Ayurveda Says we Should Oil our Ears

You may have heard of using ear candles to clear wax out of the ears. You may even rely on cotton swabs for the task. But have you ever tried Karna Purana, the Ayurvedic method of ear oiling? It is no surprise that Ayurveda recommends using oil to maintain the health of the ears; after all, Ayurveda, India’s traditional healing system, is a huge proponent of using oil in and on all parts of the body. Oil is so highly revered in the Ayurvedic tradition that the Sanskrit term snehana means both “to oil the body” and “to love the body.” Even 5,000 years ago, people in ancient India understood a concept which is making a comeback today: self-care translates to self-love. When you oil yourself through Ayurvedic practices such as Karna Purana, you are also loving the body through self-care.

THE BENEFITS OF KARNA PURANA

Karna Purana is the Sanskrit term for the Ayurvedic technique of administering warm oil into the ear canals. Performed daily, this self-care ritual works as preventative medicine to maintain optimal health of the ears and jaw. Ayurvedic ear cleaning can also be done in a more therapeutic sense to pacify certain imbalances often caused by excess vata accumulation and aggravation brought on by cold and windy weather, overstimulation and travel. According to Ayurveda, the ears are a physical place in the body where vata resides. Vata dosha is considered to be highly mobile, cold, dry and rough, and these qualities are easily unbalanced through the daily pressures of modern life. The antidote for this is Karna Purana, which calms Vata Dosha by bringing in opposing qualities – warm, moist, stable and smooth. Some of the benefits of ear oiling, as explained by Ayurvedic Physician Dr. Manisha Kshirsagar, include its ability to:


  • reduce dryness or itching in the ears
  • prevent ear infections
  • reduce tinnitus or ringing in the ears
  • reduce tension in the neck and jaw
  • diminish TMJ symptoms
  • relieve headaches
  • assist in reducing vertigo
  • reduce congestion from wax or yeast overgrowth

Traditionally, sesame oil is used in Karna Purana, due to its warming, nourishing, anti-microbial and moisturizing effects. At PAAVANI, we like to take a modern approach to this ancient practice by infusing the sesame oil into our Karna Purana Ear Oil with organic lavender, which contains antibacterial, antifungal, analgesic, calming and soothing properties.

HOW TO PERFORM KARNA PURANA

Ayurveda recommends using an ear oil as part of your daily dinacharya, or morning self-care routine. It can also be beneficial to integrate Ayurvedic ear oil into your nighttime ritual, as well.

Daily Use:

Gently massage 1-2 drops of warm Ear Oil into each ear canal.

Weekly Use:

Lie down & rest on your side. Place 5-8 drops of warm Ear Oil into the exposed ear. Relax and let the oil absorb for 5 minutes. Release excess oil from the ear with a cotton ball. Repeat on the opposite side.


To warm the oil, submerge the glass bottle in hot water for 5 minutes. Make sure the oil is not too hot prior to administering.


When used regularly, our Ear Oil is a simple yet effective way to balance and maintain optimal ear health. We hope that learning about the many benefits of Karna Purana will help inspire you to begin incorporating ear oil into your own self-care routine 

PAAVANI Ayurveda is an artisan line of small-batch, pure, organic & Ayurvedic skincare & wellness products formulated with the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda to honor individual needs & nurture radiant health & beauty from within.

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22 comments

@Sabu, yes, we recommend oiling your ears prior to air travel to help reduce excess vata created by this gross form of movement. Please navigate to our Ear Oil shop page for our pricing: https://paavaniayurveda.com/collections/health-hygiene/products/ayurvedic-ear-oil-karna-purana. We typically ship ground but there are a variety of shipping options at checkout. Please navigate to the Contact Us page for more information: https://paavaniayurveda.com/pages/contact.

PAAVANI Ayurveda June 26, 2024

@Sandhya, yes, Karna Purana could be helpful for your symptoms. We encourage you to seek a medical doctor to assess your hearing loss along with incorporating Ayurvedic practices into your treatment plan.

PAAVANI Ayurveda June 26, 2024

Does using Ear Oil regularly help avoiding pain in Air Travel.
What is price of your Ear Oil? If ordered in how many days you deliver by courier?
What is your address and mobile number to contact?

Sabu G. John June 26, 2024

Iam suffering from tinnitus from past 2 yrs and also iam experiencing a bit of hearing loss approximately 30% of my hearing is this karan purnam is helpful for me can i use it on weekly basis

Sandhya June 26, 2024

@H.V. Thank you for sharing about what is happening with your ears, we hope that oiling your ears continues to help the tinnitus. We recommend that you consult with a local Ayurvedic doctor or practitioner. We also offer virtual Ayurvedic consultations with our Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist, Laurel Odom. Here is the link with information on booking a virtual consultation with Laurel, https://paavaniayurveda.com/products/ayurvedic-consultations. Please note, Laurel is next available in March 2023.

PAAVANI Ayurveda October 25, 2022

I am suffering from tinnitus in right eat since from one year, pl. help me, karna purana oil helps redusing the sound in ear

H. V. Basavaraju October 25, 2022

@EARLSCOTT Ringing in the ears may be due to tinnitus which is a excess vata imbalance in Ayurveda. If the ringing in your ear is associated with tinnitus, we recommend our Ear Oil to help warm, nourish and reduce the tinnitus.

PAAVANI Ayurveda April 26, 2022

I have ringing in my ears what should I use?

Earl Scott April 26, 2022

@siva, here is how you can use your Karna Purana or Ear Oil: DAILY USE: Massage 1-2 drops of warm Karna Purana Oil into each ear canal. WEEKLY USE: Lie down & rest on your side. Place 5-8 drops of warm oil in exposed ear. Let oil absorb for 5 minutes. Release excess oil from the ear with cotton ball. Repeat on opposite side. Ear oiling has been known to help reduce ear wax build up so it in indicated for excessive ear wax. Many ear and hearing issues are considered a vata imbalance in Ayurvedic medicine but you can use Ear Oil for more than imbalances in vata dosha. You could have a dual doshic imbalance or a tridoshic imbalance and Ear Oil / Karna Purana may be recommended. For individualized care and an Ayurvedic assessment, please contact your local Ayurvedic practitioner or doctor.

PAAVANI Ayurveda September 23, 2021

@aashni gandhi, the complete Ayurvedic treatment plan for helping to prevent or reduce hearing loss is quite thorough. Ayurveda looks at diet and the 5 senses in order to establish a treatment plan that is individualized for each patient or client. Generally speaking, if one is experiencing hearing loss, a vata pacifying lifestyle may be indicated along with plenty of oleation or oil therapies. For Ayurvedic care, please contact your local Ayurvedic practitioner or doctor.

PAAVANI Ayurveda September 23, 2021

@denzopaa, oiling one’s ears with a Karna Purana Oil is known in Ayurvedic medicine to help heal ringing in the ears as well as hearing loss. For a complete Ayurvedic assessment, please contact your local Ayurvedic practitioner or doctor.

PAAVANI Ayurveda September 23, 2021

Would I know who or how to use
Can I use this every day like daily regimen
Use only for ear wax or
Use only vata dosha

Siva September 23, 2021

Can you suggest the Ayurvedic treatment for improving hearing loss ?

Aashni Gandhi October 12, 2020

respected mamdam/sir,
i am suffering from right ear tinitus (very small buzzing) from 2019 jan till date
also my left ear is diagnosed as profound hear loss. am using hearing aid for left ear but only 10%
haaring results. suggest me some karna purana oil can boost up my left hearing with right ear tinitus will be cured? (also for miniere’s disease)

denzopaa September 24, 2020

@ANITA Great question! Ayurveda recommends oiling the ears throughout one’s life to maintain optimal ear health and ear function. When one oils the ears daily, Ayurveda believes this helps reduce the probability of experiencing hearing loss due to old age. If one is currently experiencing hearing loss, this Ear Oil can be a complementary practice to do daily to nourish and replenish the ears and ossicles, the small bones within the ears, which can easily dry out.

PAAVANI Ayurveda July 07, 2020

is this oil is beneficial in hearing loss?

anita July 07, 2020

@sreedhara we are so sorry to hear that you have been suffering with long term tinnitus. Tinnitus is considered a vata imbalance so focusing on grounding vata routines (including oiling the ears), foods and herbs is recommended to pacify vata dosha. We always encourage people to consult with a local Ayurvedic doctor or specialist after their ailment has been diagnosed by a physician in order to establish a holistic treatment plan for the diagnosed disease or condition. Perhaps this could be a helpful road map to ease your tinnitus.

PAAVANI Ayurveda June 01, 2020

Dear @GEETA, we hope you have found some relief with your vertigo and tinnitus since you wrote us. We recommend you consult with a local Ayurvedic doctor or specialist in your area that can help support you further with the tinnitus and vertigo you are experiencing. Tinnitus and vertigo are considered vata imbalances and there are a pleothra of Ayurvedic support beyond oiling the ears that can help restore balance!

PAAVANI Ayurveda June 01, 2020

Hi @VIKRANT, great questions! No we have not had any personal experience with Miniere’s Disease. If your friend has been diagnosed by a physician with Miniere’s Disease, then yes, oiling the ears with an Ayurvedic Ear Oil may help to reduce symptoms associated with the disease such as vertigo and ringing in the ears.

PAAVANI Ayurveda June 01, 2020

Suffering from Tinnitus in both ears from past 6 years.Tried allopathic medicine with no relief. Pl advise

Sreedhara June 01, 2020

I am suffering fro tinnitus followed by vertigo .
All reports are ok.. putting oil in my ears since 10 days .but no relief ..
Pls help

Geeta June 01, 2020

Hi, I have a friend sufferring from miniere’s disease. Have you encountered a similar problem in past and is there any way ear oil helps ease the problem?

Thankyou in advance for your reply.

vikrant June 01, 2020

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