I first purchased Wally’s Ear Oil when living in Los Angeles four years ago and willing to try a natural solution to help my son. By the time he was 20 months old, he had three, nasty ear infections and each subsequent one was treated with a different type of antibiotic that was supposed to be stronger than the last. I just wanted another option that was natural when I stumbled upon Wally’s Ear Oil at a natural food store. This oil is made from a blend of herbs and oils including tea tree, almond oil, eucalyptus and Echinacea root, meant to soothe the ear from the pain of infections, yeast, fungus buildup, or swimmer’s ear.

When I would see the tell-tale signs: gunky nose, stuffy breathing, and ear pulling, I’d put a drop or two in each ear, while also giving him a small dose of cold medicine for the gunky nose, if necessary. Putting the drops in is the trickiest part, so making it fun is essential. I would squeeze one or two drops into one of my son’s ears, rub his ears lightly while singing something silly, and then switch ears. There is no way to know for sure whether these drops prevented or relieved any ear infections. I do know that after I started using the oil, my son only had one other infection that required antibiotics.

(I also recommend raising the head of your child’s bed when he has an ear infection and when using these drops, as it helps with drainage and makes breathing easier.)

A one ounce bottle of Wally’s Ear Oil now costs $9.95 and can be found at natural food stores and some drug stores.