The most common uses for cotton swabs include aural hygiene and cosmetics application.

Cotton swabs (British English: cotton buds) are used in first aid, other medical uses, cosmetics application, and a variety of other uses. They consist of a small wad of cotton wrapped around the end of a small rod, made of wood, rolled paper, or plastic. The most common type of usage is to dip the cotton end in a substance, then use the swab as an applicator for the substance. Sometimes swabs are also used for removal of substances. British English (BrE) is a term used (especially by Americans) to differentiate between the form of the English language used in the United Kingdom and those used elsewhere. ... First aid is a series of simple, life-saving medical techniques that a non-doctor or layman can be trained to perform. ... Closeup of a womans eye while wearing makeup Cosmetics or makeup are substances to enhance the beauty of the human body, apart from simple cleaning. ... Cotton ready for harvest. ...

The inventor of the cotton swab is supposed to have been one Leo Gerstenzang, in 1923 [1]. His product, which he named "Baby Gays," went on to become the most widely-sold brand name, "Q-tip". Leo Gerstenzang (?-) was a Polish-American who in 1923 invented the cotton swab or Q-Tips®. His product, which he named Baby Gays, went on to become the most widely-sold brand name, Q-tip where Q stood for quality. ... 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article is about Q-tips, a brand of cotton swab. ...

The traditional cotton swab has a single tip on a wooden handle, and these are still often used, especially in medical settings. They are usually relatively long, about six inches (15 cm or so). These often are packaged sterile, one or two to a paper or plastic sleeve. The advantage of the paper sleeve and the wooden handle is that the package can be autoclaved to be sterilized (plastic sleeves or handles would melt in the autoclave). Front loading autoclaves are common Image:Autoclave cassette. ...

These medical-type swabs are often used to take microbiological cultures. They are swabbed onto or into the infected area, then wiped across the culture medium, such as an agar plate, where any bacteria from the swab will grow. They are also used to take DNA samples from, most commonly, the inner cheek. As well, they can be used to apply medicines to a targeted area, to selectively remove substances from a targeted area, or to apply cleaning substances like Betadine. Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are unicellular or cell-cluster microscopic organisms. ... Agar is a galactose polymer (or agarose) obtained from the cell walls of some species of red algae or seaweed (Sphaerococcus euchema) and species of Gelidium and Gracilaria, chiefly from eastern Asia, Chile and California. ... Medicine is the branch of health science and the sector of public life concerned with maintaining human health or restoring it through the treatment of disease and injury. ...

Cotton swabs produced for home use are usually shorter, about three inches (7.6 cm) long, and usually double-tipped. The handles were first made of wood, then made of rolled paper, similar to lollipop sticks, which is still most common (although tubular plastic is becoming popular). They are often sold in large quantities, possibly 300 or more to a container. A lollipop in wrapper Lollipop (Candyman) is the title of a 1997 song by the pop-dance group Aqua, from the album Aquarium. ...

One recent innovation is to use a special type of double-tipped cotton swab for over-the-counter drug application. These swabs have hollow tubular plastic handles, which are full of the medicine. Breaking one marked end of the swab breaks an air seal, allowing the medicine to saturate the cotton at the other end so that it can be directly applied with the swab (the cotton on the broken end is apparently there for the user's comfort when breaking the end).

Swabs exist in a wide variety of colors: purple, fuschia, pink, green etc. However the cotton itself is white.