Borax: Unlocking the Health Benefits of a Natural Compound

I was reading earlier about Borax, so I went to the market to investigate. The label on the box says something like "Do not Ingest" and "Do not use for medicine" Is this just another ploy from the FDA to scare us into not using it? I read that it would help for asthma in the prevention of pnemonia and I just wanted to make sure I was looking at the right package.

Hi, I am considering the use of Borax, internally and topically, in an attempt to alkalize and rid myself of a skin condition that I believe to be rosacea or dermatitis. I am cautious, however, about the safety of this chemical. I am aware that 'natural' products beneficial to human health have and can be co-opted by pharmaceutical companies etc. but would appreciate any additional information or first-hand experience with Borax. Thanks mucho!

I've read many things on the internet stating that borax is toxic and should not be taken. How are you sure there are no long term effects that can be caused from taking it internally for a month? I'm not familiar with it at all, but most websites say it's just like bleach, and I would imagine something like bleach could cause stomach cancer or things like that if taken internally, not to mention just mess up your organs. I'm willing to give it a try if its completely safe, but why do so many sites say it's not? Are we thinking of the same "borax" or there is different types?

I was wondering if Boric Acid is safe for internal use. I'm well aware of the mass disinformation when it comes to alternative medicine, but when I see the word "POISON" surrounded by two skulls and crossbones, I get a bit intimidated. I've done enough research to say that it probably IS safe, but I'd just like to ask others for a bit more comfort. I have 20 Mule Team Borax coming in the mail soon, so it doesn't really matter...but is powdered Boric Acid safe to at least bathe with?

20 Mule Team Borax ingredients

Ingredients: 100% Borax, a naturally occurring mineral composed of sodium, boron, oxygen and water. That's it!
What Is Borax? Borax, or sodium borate, is a naturally occurring alkaline mineral first discovered over 4000 years ago. It is found in large quantities in the Western United States as well as in the Tibet area of China.

Note: I googled the above information.

I want to talk to people who have tried this remedy. I am interested but uncomfortable ingesting borax.
Thanks, Mary

I notice that many people on this site are advocating internally ingesting borax as a cure for various problems. This is not a good thing to promote, as borax is harmful when ingested. I use borax mixed with sugar as a natural ant killer - it kills off an ant problem in 2-3 days. This indicates a level of toxicity that shouldn't be treated lightly. When I cook up the mixture, I wear gloves and a facemask to prevent breathing in the fumes. The following excerpt about borax toxicity is from Wikipedia:

Start of excerpt:

"Borax, sodium tetraborate decahydrate, is not acutely toxic. Its LD50 (median lethal dose) score is tested at 2.66 g/kg in rats. This does not mean that it is safe, merely that a significant dose of the chemical is needed to cause severe symptoms or death. Simple exposure can cause respiratory and skin irritation. Ingestion may cause gastrointestinal distress including nausea, persistent vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Effects on the vascular system and brain include headaches and lethargy, but are less frequent. "In severe poisonings, a beefy red skin rash affecting palms, soles, buttocks and scrotum has been described. With severe poisoning, erythematous and exfoliative rash, unconsciousness, respiratory depression, and renal failure."

...Boric acid solutions used as an eye wash or on abraded skin are known to be especially toxic to infants, especially after repeated use because of its slow elimination rate."

End of excerpt.

Note the use of the words "acutely toxic". Just because Borax isn't acutely toxic does not mean that it isn't toxic, just that it doesn't kill immediately. Please don't fool around with internally ingesting this stuff - it may seem like a harmless white powder that seems to do some good, but there are good reasons why it's banned as an additive to foodstuffs in many countries.

Hello to all you who love this site as much as I do -Just answered my own question for Ted. Just printed out MSDS on 20 Mule Team Borax which gives its chemical formula as Na2B4O710H2O (sorry,apologize for not being able to get this computer to properly type chemical formulas) but it proceeds to give chemical names/synonyms: sodium tetraborate decahydrate, disodium tetraborate decahydrate, borax decahydrate, Borax 10 Mol

Goes on to say "this product contains greater than 99% sodium tetraborate decahydrate" and repeats the chemical formula again. I take this to mean that Borax and 20 Mule Team Borax found in the laundry section of the grocery store in 3 lb. carton for about $4 to be one and the same. If any chemist out there knows different, please speak up.

Hi...I was just reading the Borax page to a friend of mine and saw something a little startling in the testimony by Julie from New York dated 10/12/07. She writes that she used 1/8 of a tablespoon. The dosages I've read have said 1/8 to 1/4 of a teaspoon. I don't know if it's enough of a difference to matter but I thought I should bring it to your attention so you could figure it out. Thanks!

I found this website http://www.borax.com/pdfs/dist/MSDS_Borax_Decahydrate.pdf. And it states that if borax is swollowed in small amount (1teaspoon)that it is not harmful in healthy adults.

Hello. I am writing in response to the posts about borax use. Many people have asked if they should just use 20-mule-team borax. I just found this site so I haven't used the remedies yet, but I wanted to write and give your readers a lead on a cosmetic grade borax. Actually, if they just type that into a search engine, they could find it themselves. But I found it at a place where I buy bulk organic herbs and flowers for making my own personal care products. This is the description from their site: "A natural source cosmetic grade Sodium Borate that does not contain surfactants and detergents which are commonly found in commercial Borax products. Borax acts as an emulsifier, natural preservative and buffering agent for moisturizers, scrubs and bath salts." Now, I would imagine that this means the borax in the store is NOT the one you would want to ingest, even in small amounts, since it more than likely DOES contain other ingredients that you don't want. So, if I were to try this remedy, I would look for 'cosmetic grade sodium borate'. The place I found the above description was mountain rose herbs, listed under miscellaneous products. I do not work for them and have no vested interest in telling you their name. I am, however, very impressed with them in general. I've purchased many things from them and everything has been good quality. You can delete the company's name if you'd like, it matters not to me. As long as your readers type in the correct words, they would find the site I'm talking about, or at least a place that sells the grade of borax that I'm referring to. Well, good luck! I'm off to email Ted to see if the borax will kill spirochetes...

Something I've discovered when using borax on your hair is that a handheld shower makes it a whole lot easier. Particularly if you work in your 1/4 tsp of citric acid in a pint of water and leave it in until you're done washing, then getting the handheld shower right up close to the scalp to rinse it all out. AWESOME!

Until today, I have never read about mixing borax with water for washing hair.

I have long hair, and sometimes only wash my hair once or twice a week. When my diet is less than ideal, my hair gets a bit greasy, and at times I get somewhat of an itchy flaky scalp.

After learning about borax for dish washing (the clearest glass you will ever see! , and it kills the mold in your dish sponge), I decided to try washing my hair with it.

For many months now, I just dump a handful of borax into my palm, and rub it all over, mostly the area subject to be oily where my hair meets my forehead. Borax does not normally foam when you clean with it, but it foams when I rub it into my wet hair. I try rub the powder all over.

The first several times, I would just wash it out with water, but then I started using a diluted alkalizing and natural green soap. At first, the wet hair will have a dry feeling to it, but once it has thoroughly dried, it will be the softest hair. It just looks and feels great after this.

Any dandruff or flaky scalp will be gone for a couple of days after this. If your scalp is really bad, I would recommend following the protocol outlined above where the borax is diluted in water first.

Also, my hair is thinning, and I think, but am not sure, that the thinning has slowed down severely since I started using the borax wash.

Can you please tell me how to make a simple emulsion of borax, coconut oil and water? I can't and haven't used commercial shampoos or soaps for years because they make my skin very dry and uncomfortable and I like to use more natural things. Recently I started using borax because my other options weren't really getting my hair clean enough and it works great but dryness is becoming an issue for me again now because of it. However I want to continue using the borax because it's natural and it gets my hair clean. I was thinking if I mix it with oil that could combat the drying factor but I don't want to be left oily either so I need to know how to make it mix and emulsify like mayonnaise so it will rinse away without leaving me oily. I would like to make it rather thin so it's easy to put through my hair. Can you tell just a basic instruction of how much of each thing of coconut oil, borax and water and how to do them so that they emulsify together properly?

How should I make Hair Wash Solution with Borax. I have lots of Fungus and Dandruff. My hair are now very thin and have lost hair. Also, In India, what grade specification of Borax should I buy.

Thanks.