I made this up and it was very watery, so I made another batch and used just borax and Baby Oh Baby unscented herbal body lotion. Put both ingredients in a small glass jar with leakproof lid and shook it well.
Since I have my hands in water about 50 times a day I can only do this every evening before bed (I will wear my cotton gloves.)
Q: Is one application in evening going to be enough to help me in about a week or so?
Replied by Art from California on 07/26/2025
Hi CFit,
The reason for the hot water is to dissolve the borax thoroughly before adding the lotion. If the borax does not fully dissolve, it can make for a gritty mix. If you mix the Cetaphil Lotion at 50% and the water at 50% it will not be too watery, but it will be waterier than just Cetaphil Lotion. The thinner mixture actually spreads easier than straight lotion does.
She told me she only used one application in the evening before bed and she described how it worked for her. I only reported my friends experience in less than a week of use as she said she was willing to test it. No two people are exactly alike so you will have to test it to find out if it works similarly for you.
Art
Replied by Art from California on 07/27/2025
My friend texted me this morning to say that both of her hands are pain free! It has been about 1.5 weeks that she has used borax lotion on her hands.
Art
Replied by Art from California on 08/08/2025
I just got the following update from my friend who is testing borax lotion (BL) for arthritis in her hands :
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' UPDATE ON BORAX LOTION: '
' Art, I just realized that I can close both hands into a fist..... which I couldn't do before..... and I can wring out a washcloth using both hands. The right hand couldn't do that before without a lot of pain. '
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Art
Replied by Rob Yule from New Zealand on 09/27/2025
Quick query Art
Am going to make your lotion recipe.
Is it ok to add something like peppermint oil or something similar to your recipe and if so how many dips of essential oil to be added.
Thanks in advance
Robbie Y
Replied by Art from California on 09/27/2025
Hi Rob,
To be honest, I haven't tried adding an essential oil (EO) because I was trying to keep it as simple as possible to try and increase the number of people who would try it. If I were to try an EO, I would likely try a peppermint oil for the menthol content which should offer additional pain relief. Similarly for eucalyptus EO, for its potential pain relieving activity or possibly lavender EO for its potential relaxing effect. If it has a negative reaction with the lotion, not much lost at just 3 oz. per mix. So testing an EO in the mix seems worth a try, IMO.
Art
