About Q-Tips
Q-Tips are cotton swabs created for home or medical use. The "Q" in Q-Tips stand for "quality." Q-Tips are also known as cotton buds, or ear buds. They are a very popular product, and have spawned many generic brands and imitators. Does this Spark an idea?
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History
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Q-Tips were first conceived in 1923 by Leo Gerstenzang. He observed his wife making cotton-tipped tooth picks for use on their baby. Gerstenzang decided to create a prototype that he then marketed as "Baby Gay Q-Tips." He soon created the Leo Gerstenzang Infant Novelty company, and decided to drop the "Baby Gay" and keep the name "Q-Tips."
Function
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Q-Tips are used mainly as a beauty tool. Many use it to create a certain eye shadow technique, like the smoky eye look. Q-Tips can also be used to remove makeup in delicate areas of the face, especially when one wants to avoid removing the entire product. The beauty use for Q-Tips was first popularized by Ern Westmore in the 1950's booklet "Lesson in Loveliness with Q-Tips."
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Benefits
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Q-Tips are extremely easy to use. Because of the size of the applicator, Q-Tips are perfect for tiny jobs, or areas where it's hard for one's hand to reach. Q-Tips are easy to travel with, due to their compact size.
Warning
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Q-Tips are for external use only. Many people use Q-Tips to clean the inner ear. Per the product's warning label, these applicators should never be placed inside the ear canal. It is possible to push the wax further into the ear, creating impaction. Improper use of Q-Tips can also lead to hearing loss, or puncturing the ear drum. Great care must be taken when using Q-Tips.
Features
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Q-Tips are 3 inches in length, and usually double tipped with white cotton. The tubes are made of either paper-covered wood or plastic, and are frequently white, blue, green, or pink in color. The medical Q-Tips are 6 inches in length and single-tipped.
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Resources
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