Replied by John (MA) on 11/17/2022
Unrefined borax is naturally found in the soil and groundwater in Turkey and Israel. Twenty Mule Team borax from their Utah mine might have trace amounts of contaminants but would be about the same as what you'd find in the soil and water in Turkey and Israel.
Borax turns into boric acid in the stomach, so if you want further refinement in the manufacturing process, you can look into boric acid. I know someone who switched over to boric acid from borax after 10 years on Ted's borax solution for his arthritis. He's been doing it for over 2 years now with no issues. Haven't tried it yet (boric acid, that is) but I will at some point.
Replied by Katzie (Canada) on 11/18/2022
You need to know that Borax is simply a salt and is mined from dried up salt lake beds. It is perfectly safe to take internally! I've been doing so for years with no issues. I do not use it for arthritis as I do not have arthritis; I use it to help ameliorate my hot flashes. I lick my pointer finger, dunk it into the powder and redunk my finger into my water bottle and shake, shake, shake. It blends right in, and I cannot see it or taste it. If I do not do this, my flashes come right back.
As for why its in the laundry aisle, on a molecular level it is involved in a release of oxygen, which is how it helps keep your clothes white. If you're freaked out about the laundry aisle product, just don't store it with your detergent. I used to pour it into a mason jar and use it from that, and stored it in my kitchen.
As for trusting that the product inside the box matches what the outside of the box says, I don't know what to tell you; trust issues aren't really covered here on EC.
To make yourself feel better, you could read the borax threads here or do an internet search, and you will feel alot better about it!
Healthy healing!
