Tessa (Okanagan) on 07/17/2020
I have just started using your lotion for my osteoarthritic fingers. I have Bouchard’s nodes on the middle joint of the fingers of my right hand. The nodes are ugly but only mildly painful so far. Lately, it’s difficult to clench my hand properly.
I use it every time I wash my hands (which is a lot these days). I dry my hands thoroughly then put a dollop of lotion and massage it into my fingers (especially the knuckles) quite vigorously.
I wonder if the massage is part of the effectiveness of the therapy lotion. I will also add lotion to my hands throughout the day for no other reason than it feels good and I love the smell.
I followed your protocol – except I did add birch essential oil.
I’ve also used this lotion to massage my ankles and swollen feet (it’s hot here so I’m prone to swelling). It had a cooling effect and did reduce the swelling by about half (once again, maybe the vigorous massage was part of the effectiveness of the therapy).
I really like it (never would have thought of adding borax to a lotion) and will continue to use it for any future pain (like a stiff neck, sore muscles, even a headache) - certainly can’t hurt!
Thanks again, Art!
Replied by Art from California on 07/17/2020
Hi again, Tessa!Thank you for posting how it is going with the borax lotion, that's so helpful! It's so much better for everyone when people come back and report their results!
I wish more would do it, even if the results are not positive because this increases the knowledge base on EC which means it increases the benefit to all of us on EC as well as those who are just visiting!
For some who read here and get benefit from the abundance of remedies on EC, I think it is easy for them to think they are better now, but do not come back to share their results for whatever reason. Those results let others know which remedies are most likely to be effective and that can be very useful and time saving information for all of us. This can make EC an even better place to come to and know that you are getting the benefit of many years of experience with the best remedies available whenever you stop in at EC!
Art
Replied by Marsh from Colorado on 09/01/2025
Hi Art, Considering that Borax doesn't penetrate the skin easily, would DMSO help this concoction penetrate the skin?Replied by Art from California on 09/02/2025
Hi Marsh,Yes, DMSO will act as a transdermal penetration enhancer and Deirdre has previously written about her formulation here :
https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/topical-borax-application.html
The borax lotion(BL) that I describe worked very fast in my friend that tested it and the lotion is very easy to make with just basic ingredients and that is why I wrote about it here:
https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/borax-lotion.html
Art
Replied by Deborah A from Texas on 01/25/2026
Art, what is the exact recipe? For whatever reason, I cannot find it. I just see the numerous comments and would like to try this on my covid hands - developed horrible arthritis right after covid diagnosis! Thanks in advance!Replied by Art from California on 01/25/2026
Hi Deborah,The recipe you are enquiring about is older and more complicated to make. More recently I had good results in a friend with arthritis in her hands using a very simplified recipe. This is the newer more simplified recipe for borax lotion for hands :
HOW TO MAKE BORAX LOTION
Materials :
DIRECTIONS
Add the 1/2 teaspoon of borax to the empty 3 ounce bottle and then add the 1.5 ounces of hot water to the bottle. Replace the lid and shake very well until the borax is fully dissolved. Add the 1.5 ounces of Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion to the bottle and shake very well. The lotion is now ready for use.
The empty bottles I used are available at Walmart and seems ideal for this particular use because the bottle is actually about 3.25 ounces and that extra space allows room for shaking the material once the Cetaphil Lotion is added to the bottle.
Here is a link to the bottle I used :
Here is the link to my friends experience with this lotion for her hand arthritis :
https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/borax-lotion.html
Good luck and please keep us posted on your progress!
Art
