Borax Safety
Below is my email to intralabs and their reply stating the safety of borax, the only toxic effects apply to unborn babies whose mother ingests. The 'powers that be' have left that bit out to make us think toxicity applies to all of us, hence shops removing borax and replacing with borax substitute (which really is toxic!! ). Email intralabs yourselves for reassurance. They are very cheap too. Label warnings of dangers and toxicity are put on Borax by law.
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From: mark speed Sent: 24 October 2014 06:26 To: [email protected] Subject: Borax or Borax?
Hi, Im confused about 'Borax' mainly as my nan used to drink small amounts to rid herself from arthritus, also using it as shampoo then rinsing afterwards with citric acid, she fed her plants with it as every living organisms cells require borax! So I dont understand why yr Material Safety Data Sheet says it is toxic ingested and a skin irritant?
She is still alive & free from arthritus and swears by the stuff. When talking with a few oldies at my mums residential care home it became clear that a fair few in their generation used borax on skin and ingested with no problems, I think the borax product was called '20 mule' or similar.
Please could you tell me why yours is so toxic please?? Also...I always understood that borax and boric acid are the same substance apart from one of them has more water molecules than the other, any advice on this lol?
I want to purchase from you but not if you sell a toxic form as im removing all mainstream pollutant chemicals from my home, then just using borax, citris acid, soap flakes, soda crystals, bicarb of soda and white vinegar for everything from hardcore cleaning, laundry, personal hygiene, pet and my shampoo, insecticide etc (the oldies convinced me there is no need for the squillions of products poisoning us everyday just so some fat cat corporate ****rs can rake in the profits at our expense).
Hope you can help me aquire the borax I talk of if you dont supply the safe version, all I can find is a substitute which my gran says is not borax either!!
Thanks in advance Mark
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Sent: Friday, October 24,2014 at 4:27 PM From: "Intralabs - Dan" To: "'mark speed'" Subject: RE: Borax or Borax?
Hi
Borax was reclassified 4 years ago as Repro-toxic by the EU which means that it could damage fertilitiy or an unborn child if eaten.
Borax is not toxic to your general health (other than that just stated) and is actually less toxic than table salt.
This is the reason why your relative is quite well and not ill. 20 mule team borax is the same as the borax we sell, the only difference is that it's not classed as repro-toxic by US law but is by EU law.
20 mule team is a brand of borax, it's all the same.
Kind regards Dan
Intra-Laboratories, Unit 5, Devonshire Meadows, Broadley Park Road Plymouth, PL6 7EZ
Tel: 01752 724109, www.intralabs.co.uk
Borax Safety
Stop being afraid of borax. It is wonderful stuff. As has been said before, it is about as toxic as salt. Regarding purity, borax is mined just like table salt. You can't refine either one any further. Hey, try to wash them and they dissolve, fer pitty sake.
One of the neatest benefits of boron is it basically doubles your absorption rate of calcium. It is required for strong bones.
The easy way to take borax is to get some gelatin capsules from yout pharmacy or health food store and make your own borax pills. Remember to take them with a cup of water.
If you found scented borax you goofed and bought boric acid instead. Some boric acid brands are perfumed. Boric acid is not dangerous, other than the fact it is acidic. Diluted it has been used for sprains, pains, bug bites and rashes for ages.
Boric acid is the one you want to use for insect control. Ants, termites, cockroaches and the like have a waxy coating on their bodies. Even a speck of boric acid will kill them by burning a hole in the coating so they dehydrate. I suspect a dusting would do the same for bedbugs.
Any form of borax is deadly to fungus. I sprayed the inside hull of my antique wooden boat to stop dry rot. Drill a hole near the base of a fence post, pour in some borax, and plug it. The borax diffuses through the wood to stop rot.
Borax Safety
To All E/C readers, there was an old posting mentioned that Borax 20 Mule contains fragrance/scent. Here is what dial had to say about it.
"Thank you for taking the time to contact us regarding 20 Mule Team Borax.
This product does not contain a fragrance.
Consumer Affairs "
Borax Scent
Has anyone else here had problems with 20 Mule Team Borax lately? The recent boxes I purchased seemed to have a noticeable fragrance added. Was very irritating as I'm highly chemical and scent sensitive. I called the manufacturer and they told me that nothing's been changed or added; I'm unconvinced. I've used Borax for years and never experienced this until just recently. Am hopeful my experience was a fluke but am looking at other sources for Borax.
Some previous posters here had noted a scent so was wondering if anyone else here might have noticed it as well. Many at Earth Clinic use it for medicinal reasons and they'd notice a change.
Mary: The most likely explanation is that the 20 Mule Teem is shipped in the same container as other detergent products that do contain chemical scents (and many have very high levels). The 20 Mule Teem manufacturer would need alerted that the scent is leaking into the cardboard box containers. The boxed Borax is certainly permeable.
I have noticed this same type incidence with other products that are located near scented laundry products on the store shelves.
Try pouring the Borax in a wide container and let set out in a mild sun and not too damp weather.
(Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
04/30/2013
Hi Mary - I just checked my container of borax and there is no smell BUT I've had the box for awhile so perhaps the new stock carries a fragrance. Also, I'm in Canada so maybe there are different formulas for export to various countries.
Does borax absorb odours like baking soda does? The smell in the detergent aisle of the supermarket is so overpowering, I'm wondering if it's absorbing odours from the other products. It's too bad so many people feel the need for toxic fragrance in just about everything.
Have you tried the health food store in the laundry section? If they don't have it in stock, they may be able to order it for you (as long as it isn't a "repackaged" 20 Mule Team product). Good luck! Bess
(La Center,wa)
07/29/2014
I just bought 20 mule borax at walmart.. no scents at all...
(Somewhere, Usa)
07/30/2014
I have seen a lot of posst on here about BORAX now being scented in many markets. I also read, where some guy that was promoting borax as an arthritis cure, said to stock up on it, as soon it would be removed from shelves.... Sorry for not having that source to list, I read so much it is impossible for me to add everything to my favorites and list.
Just my opinion, maybe the company that makes the borax is coming under fire from some outside source and is being encouraged to add fragrance to the product now. I have been able to still get 100% all natural 20 mule team at my area grocery stores, but any day that could end. I don't think they would quit making the stuff or selling it, but adding fragrance may be a way to discourage internal use.
I want to buy several boxes to put up, but not sure how or where to store it long term. We have to continue to think ahead of them, because no sick people equals no money for them. So I would strongly encourage people that have access to the 100% all natural to stock up on it as soon as possible.
(Hope Bc Canada)
07/30/2014
Hi, Rebel from somewhere, US ---- you are quite right. And this is going to happen to a number of supplements. It is already happening.
I have ordered and received a large order of ESSIAC after I was told that one company had published some testimonies about its effectiveness and cures. They were pulled into court and told they cannot provide testimonies. Like "you cannot do this". They also lost their business.
Lugol's Iodine has been removed from the Canadian market and US companies cannot sell to Canada. Best thing to go online and let Tony Pantalleresco teach to make it yourself on YT.This is blatant disservice to the people of the entire country.
It is best to take the cue from there.
Namaste, Om
(Devon, Uk)
03/02/2016
Strange that Canada should ban Lugol's. Spoke to a friend recently returned from Canada, and she was surprised by how many cannabis plants she saw growing in people's back gardens. Definitely weird country.
(Tennessee)
07/30/2014
Dear Rebel,
Borax should be stored in a cool dry place. Moisture makes it clump. But you can just crush it back up with a hammer. It should be able to be stored indefinitely. It was sitting in a borax mine for a long time before it was put in a box, though processed before boxing.
I found this website:
http://www.20muleteamlaundry.com/about/what-is-borax/
Interestingly, it mentions that borax used to be used to aid digestion, keep milk sweet, and cure epilepsy. It pooh poohs on this now, because of "modern technology and common sense." But we know that the old timers knew more than they often get credit for!
Thanks for the heads up on stocking up--and Om, for your information about natural items being banned for sale. My chiropractor says the same thing.
~Mama to Many~
(Tennessee)
07/30/2014
Another thought on storing Borax...it does seem to absorb odours, thus the common concern that it has fragrance...it is on the shelf with strongly scented laundry products and absorbs their odours.
For long term storage, I think glass jars, of light, would be ideal. Even food grade freezer weight storage bags will have an odour transfer, so I don't think they would be the best, though they may be better than the box the borax comes in.
Just a few thoughts....
~Mama to Many~
(Tennessee)
07/30/2014
Meant to say,
"For long term storage, I think glass jars *out* of light, would be ideal. (In other words, in a cool dark place.)
~Mama~
(Boston, MA)
08/30/2014
Wanted to come back to the thread I started to update: I am back with borax again :)
Had a recent skin rash that resisted all treatments, in desperation I remembered the box of Borax I'd stashed in the garage last year after opening it and finding it scented. Poured some out and found....no scent! The time spent stored in the cool garage had removed the odor, which was obviously from other scented products that had been stored/shipped with my Borax box.
The cardboard packaging is obviously very porous and Borax itself highly absorbent. And I'm guessing it wouldn't be cost-efficient (nor environmentally sound) to package it in plastic....going forward I'll be purchasing well in advance of running out, pouring it into an open container and leaving it for several weeks in my garage or shed to air out. I'd advise others who have had the same problem to do this as well.
re: my rash: two days of bathing in Borax and my swelling and itching have subsided, after two weeks of agony. Am so happy to be using this amazing product again. Hope this experience is helpful to others.
(Usa)
06/23/2017
Borax was traditionally used in place of the current meat cures sold for sausages and the like. Russians I believe still pack caviar with it and the English (UK) insisted on having it used in place of salt for food preservation...circa 1910-1920ish until it was banned for use in meats. Why was it banned? Maybe it worked too well and kept people from getting sick since they were eating it constantly.
The 20 Mule team brand is what I use and I generally buy it at Wally world or Dollar General in the laundry aisle. There is another thing I think put out by Proctor and Gamble that is a washing soda...do not use that it is not the same thing!!!
My usual dosing now since I have done the detoxes and gotten past all that is a pinch in my coffee in the morning. That is about the same dosage for maintenance as is recommended in the 1 liter concentrate but even with a good scale (I have one) it is very difficult to measure such small amounts so I either pinch it or wet the tip of my finger and dip it in to the first joint and then dip my coffee or tea.
Borax Shampoo
I've been using Borax the following way since the late 90's and love it!
1/2 cup Borax in 1 gallon hot water and shake well.
Separate part of this into a bottle applicator and add whatever small amount of Castile liquid desired for shampooing. Wash twice, rinse twice with water, then thoroughly with 1 tsp citric acid in 1 quart of water. After that do a final rinse with just water. NO TANGLES EVER...only soft manageable hair!
Borax Shampoo
There are lots of posts on using Borax as Shampoo. I had to try it but I had some problems no one seemed to mention. My final review is I LOVE IT and will never go back to regular shampoo.
I have very oily hair and shampoo daily or I look like I dumped grease on my head. I mixed up a few spoons of Mule Borax in a 4 cup bowl and poured it on my head then rinsed. I looked like I had dreadlocks!!! My hair all clumped together and looked horrible. The Borax couldn't clean my hair. I had too much buildup. So I used a bit of dish soap for my next shampoo to strip my hair and also a higher concentration of Borax.
I kept trying it and figured out that with our water (TX gets its water from lakes so its got lots of stuff in it) and my oily condition I had to do the following : at least 1/4 -1/2 cup or more of Borax in 8 cups of hot water. Stir and wait for crystals to settle to the bottom. Wet hair with water and pour, scrub, pour scrub, etc at least 4 times with no rinsing between. Then rinse hair in fairly hot water. That's it. My best guess is that it takes a very strong concentration to loosen the dirt / oil and repeating the scrubbing / washing helps loosen it all from the hair shaft. Then the hot water helps to remove it all.
The whole process is actually faster than when I would shampoo. I will admit about once a week or two I do use regular shampoo to strip any excess oil that seems to build up. I also do a heavy conditioning treatment at that time. Otherwise I don't need any conditioner on a daily bases which is amazing because my hair is long and tangles easily.
To anyone trying Borax I suggest really stripping your hair first of all the buildup. Use dish soap to wash first, then do the Borax wash. Then just use Borax every time you wash thereafter. Then you won't have the dreadlock look the first time. You need to make the Borax water as strong as needed for your hair and your water.
Benefits: less oily hair, no reaction or sensitivity, hair fallout has decreased dramatically, hair dye sticks to hair much better and stays much longer with less fading!!
Additional benefit: it runs over face and my redness has decreased along with decrease in pore size and overall face coloring has evened out. Wonderful side benefit. I wrote another post about how well this works for your face!!
(Roswell, Ga)
07/27/2013
Hi,I read somewhere that TX has the highest level of fluoride in their tap water so you might want to consider using distilled water for your shampoo... I filter my water in the shower to remove most metals and fluoride, but I will try your shampoo advice, borax does make my hair soft and silky, also I color my hair with rainbow henna, stopped using commercial dyes 2 years ago and has dramatically changed my hair texture.
(Kansas City Mo)
11/20/2013
Borax reacts with fluoride ions to form boron fluorides which protects your body (in and out) from the negative effects of Fluoride. This compound prevents your body from absorbing the fluouride. helpful resource:.www.health-science-spirit.com/borax.htm
(Manhattan, New York)
03/26/2010
1/4 tsp per litre and a whole glass is most likely too much. Try 1/8 and little sips throughout the day. When experimenting with this I found strong effects at this amount (1/8tsp per liter) and would only consume about half the bottle in a day. Also, why are you taking it? If to get pregnant there are most likely other safer and time proven ways.
(Chicago, Il)
03/26/2010
Hi Rob. Thanks for the reply. I will try to do it slowly. I am taking borax primarily to detox as i had done 2 yrs back and found that it created an alkalizing environment and prepped the hormones conducive for pregnancy. Ted had replied to the same effect but unfortunately that had ended in an ectopic pregnancy. After waiting for an yr, I have been trying again for almost 8 months without any result so I am trying my luck with borax as well as lot of other supplements like manganese zinc wheat germ oil etc .
Thanks
Siri
The problems I have encountered with facial breakouts, as this came from the fact that one of the person who reported this similar occurrence was taken estogen (Diane) and anti-androgen (androcur). Both the product apparently had a double dose of cyproterone. That caused a shutdown in the adrenals. To make the matter worse, the person also took a lot of whey protein to build muscles, that lead to protein coagulation in the body causing an acne.
In any event, one doesn't take borax without a reason. If a known fluoride poisoning exist, tor that a person has autoimmunity, or a person had rosacea, morgellons, will experience different effect.
If a person happens to have a Morgellon's having demodex mites, the borax DOES cause a breakout as the demodex mites to come out of the skin, killing most of the demdodex mites. Which is the mode of how borax kills the demodex mites. It flushes them out of the body. Same thing with certain types Rosacea, it flushes them out too.
Since I don't know the reason for why borax was taken, the two possibility that I have encountered are the ones I mentioned here. However, people can take it for different reasons and different reactions are encountered.
Ted
(Coloma, Michigan, USA)
04/16/2009
I am on Premarin due to having a complete hysterectomy 8 years ago. I'm only 37 but have lost the majority of my sex drive since the surgery. I was hoping the borax would help with the sex drive and to lose weight. I'm also doing the oil pulling and taking Apple Cider Vinegar supplements. Should I quit taking the borax all together?
(Littleville, Southwest USA)
06/30/2009
If, as stated, borax will move flouride out, then I suggest people who use it with flouridated water may be setting themselves up for these side effects. Flouride detox can be very painful, as I found out when I started taking iodine. When the flouride was stirred up and recirculated through my body, I had a lot of bad symptoms. And it takes a while for your body to get rid of it then.
I suggest using purified water, not city water, as it may be flouridated.
Borax Soaks
Borax results? Can you get the same results soaking your feet and hands in borax as taking it orally? How long would it take to move into your system? How large would the dose be to be effective?
Uncertain from La.,
Borax is poorly absorbed through the skin. It can possibly help arthritis of the hands by soaking the hands, but the feet are harder to penetrate the skin layers. The little that be absorbed through the hands and feet is not likely to be enough to affect other areas of the body such as the hips or spine. I use the oral route and dose as Ted recommended and it has been nothing short of a miracle for me!
Art
(LA)
08/26/2019
Thank you so much Art for your reply.
I took a “maintenance” dose of borax just to try it out. I thought it made my upper gums turn white which made me nervous. I did just have some dental work done so that may have contributed also but was not sure. Otherwise I had no issues. Not prepared yet to take Ted's complete dose yet. I will be doing it in small doses. I think I might have had a few hot flashes also.
Borax Soap Recipe
Hi. Just wanting to know how to use the borax as a soap are you just wetting your body and then scrubbing the dry powder on? And do you use daily? I can't use any soaps or body washes I just tried the borax as a body scrub for one day and then wasn't sure if I was using correctly or if I should use everyday as it's exfoliating? Any recommendations?
Mackenzie,
That post was over 3 years ago and you may not get a reply from that poster. A saturated solution of Borax would be one level full measuring tablespoon of borax dissolved in a cup of water, but that may be too strong for people with sensitive skin. It may be better to first see how you tolerate one tablespoon dissolved in a quart or liter of water. You probably already know this, but borax water does not have the slimy feel of liquid bath soaps. It basically feels very similar to plain water so it may take some getting used to.
If you tolerate that mix and want to make it stronger, you can try a tablespoon of borax dissolved in a pint or 500 ml of water. You can use a 1 quart spray bottle as a dispenser, but this can feel cold to some people when spraying the skin. What I have found useful are bottles around the size of 16 ounces or 500 ml that have a flip top that when open has a small hole for dispensing the borax water into your free hand or wash cloth and rubbing that on the skin. Some 16 0unce bottles of rubbing alcohol have a flip top lid with a small hole. You can also use an old bath soap bottle that has a pump, but these tend to dispense to much borax water in one pump and so you waste more.
A little trial and error and you will quickly figure out the best dispenser for you. Use it as a regular shower soap when you shower. Keep an eye out for any negative skin reactions because borax has a fairly high pH at just over 9 while human skin has a significantly lower pH in the 5 to 6 range. Good luck and please update us on how it works for you.
Art
Borax Taste Tips
I always add freshly squeezed lemon juice to my borax water mixture for taste and just to be sure I don't neutralize my stomach acid.
Borax Tips
Borax is also called Sodium Borate or Sodium Tetraborate-- sold as a white powder or hydrate. You can buy it as "20 Mule Team Borax"(from the washing isle of supermarkets) and use this to create a liter of water with a little borax in it to drink. To do this, take a liter of water and just add 1/8 tspn to it. Then drink a liter of this for four days only, then stop and take 3 days off(no borax water). Then start again. So, four days drinking borax water, then 3 days off -- no borax water.
See this link: https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/borax.html
Or you can just buy Boron tablets (whose ingredients will also be listed as sodium borate or tetraborate) and take at least 6 mgs per day.
Borax helps to cure arthritis, helps to modulate the body's hormones, removes body fluoride and is perhaps the ultimate fungal killer.
Borax Toothpaste
Borax works great for not just bad breath, but in a toothpaste too. I make it with approx 1tsp coconut oil organic, 1tsp borax, mix till all blend nicely, ok maybe still feel some grainy texture here and there. also add drops of teatree oil at first, but actually prefer adding a drop or two when putting on a toothbrush, right before brushing. Once all brushed nicely, I then pull the oily content as in “oil pulling”, then spit out after 2mins.
Adding borax makes substantial difference in how my gums feel afterwards.
Borax Toxicity
A quick Google check reveals that a teaspoon of borax is equivalent to 5 ml. At 1/4 tsp a day for men, that means ingestion of only 1.25 ml per day. For women, the recommended usage is half that amount.
This is in the order of 1% of the theoretical toxic dose - hardly threatening.
Colleen, if you are fact checking, then you should check all relevant facts.
(Port Macquarie, Australia)
06/13/2012
I think it is worth highlighting that the dosages mentioned by that study I. E. 0.1mg/ml - 0.6mg/ml refers to concentrations of borax in BLOOD not WATER. Given that borax is very poorly absorbed and we have approx 4200ml of blood in our bodies, it would need huge quantities of borax ingested to approach anywhere near the concentrations suggested by that experiment.
Boric Acid for Infections
I buy boric acid powder at the pharmacy and mix a small portion with boiled water. (You can find amounts online). You can soak gauze in it then apply it.
In the old days, and I mean in the 1920s-1950s - my grandmother always kept a warm pan of boric acid water on the back of the stove. It was that important to have on hand when raising six kids. They didn't have antibiotics for most of those years - so infections were drawn out with compresses and wounds were sterilized this way.
Boric Acid Ingestion
I accidentally swallowed a gel cap of boric acid which is slightly different than borax ( I think a little more acidic). It was supposed to be a vaginal suppository but I swallowed it by mistake. I was terrified because of what I read on the internet. It said I should get my stomach pumped and run to a poison control center. I stayed calm and waited for symptoms before I took action. The only symptoms I experienced was clarity of mind, clarity in my gut, total disappearance of cravings for chocolate and sugar and meat. Weight loss, glowing skin, more flexibility in my body and less tightness in my hips. :-) I swallowed one capsule only and it's been 2 months and I've continued to look and feel amazing. People comment all the time on how I look better than ever. It's now been about 10 weeks and I'm starting to have some sugar cravings for the first time. I dreamt about chocolate chip cookies last night :-0 I feel like it's time to do another cleanse and try borax instead of boric acid. And trying to decide if I should drink the diluted version or try doing a capsule again. My experience was that one capsule which probably contained about half a teaspoon of boric acid lasted me for 2 months. It seems like it might be a lot to do that daily unless you have really severe symptoms. Any thoughts anyone?
(Fountain Innc)
09/21/2017
Yes, Amanda; I have a thought on the Boric acid "event"... some of the most amazing scientific discoveries have been made by accident. If you did try the Boric acid again, I'd try a very small amount to see if it produced a bit of the same good effect without having a bad reaction. You might have just been lucky the first time.
(london)
11/01/2021
Boric Acid Vs Borax
Borax turns into boric acid depending on pH. If the pH is low (acid) like in your stomach, borax turns to boric acid, if the pH turns high again (alkaline) like in your intestines, most of it will be borax again.
Boric acid and borax are about equally effective.
I got this info straight from Walter Last, who wrote the article on borax.
