3 User Reviews
Can Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate (Borax) be consumed for its health benefits or would that be a different type of borax? It is very difficult to buy in the UK.
(Cancun, Mexico)
07/15/2024
Sodium Borate & Sodium Tetroborate are both indeed Borax. The last word I'm pretty sure just denotes that it's dehydrated. It's mined from dried up salt lake beds.
UK
I live in the UK & I am now unable to buy the Borax powder. I have Osteoarthritis in my hands fingers thumbs. I can buy the Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate they call this a substitute. My question is it safe to take & will it do the same job please? I have cervical spondylosis for over 30 years. I am now getting nerve pain in my arms & hands any suggestions how I can help myself? Thankyou for any advice you can give me.
Hi Heather,
I found this box of 20 Mule Team Borax on eBay UK :
https://www.ebay.co.uk/b/bn_7024924053?_pgn=2
Art
(Philippines)
02/24/2024
Hi Heather,
I use Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate regularly for my own health. I've been using Ted's Borax remedy for over 17 years. I also can't obtain 20 Mule Team Borax because they don't sell it in the Philippines where I now live.
So what I did was just purchase my Borax direct from a chemical company in the Philippines using an local online retailer(Lazada). And you should be able to do the same in UK -- just go online and do a search for a bulk chemical seller in UK and buy your Sodium Tetraborate powder direct from them. Here is an example:
HD Chemicals(based in UK) -- Borax Seller
Just to also say that I'll be 74 y.o. soon and that I am still in good health with nothing wrong with me and reasonably fit as well.
UK
★★★★★
This can be Borax decahydrate Or Sodium tetraborate Decahydrate. (Sodium2Boron4Oxygen7 then 10 H2O)
But they make it confusing on purpose. I guess cos the slime industry is pissed people are making it at home and not and putting toy shops out of business,
Arcade,
They have 20 Mule Team Borax on eBay UK, but the shipping is expensive :
Art
UK
Many thanks
Sharon
Sharon,
Borax is known by several names.
This should answer your question :
Here is a relevant quote from the article :
' Borax is a natural mineral with a chemical formula Na2B4O7 • 10H2O. Borax also is known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate. It is one of the most important boron compounds. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) name for borax is sodium tetraborate decahydrate. '
Art
(London, UK)
11/21/2022
Tony,
Those are two names for the same thing, Borax.
Here is a link to availability in the UK on ebay :
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=Borax&_sacat=0
20 Mule Team Borax is what we use on this side of the pond because it is available very inexpensively in the laundry aisle of most markets across the country.
Art
(TN)
11/21/2022
Hi Tony,
You will see in this Earth Clinic article that Borax goes by different names. (Why? I don't know. It is certainly confusing! )
~Mama to Many~
(Philippines)
11/21/2022
Hi Tony,
I've been regularly supplementing Borax or Sodium Tetraborate or Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate on a daily basis as an anti-fungal, fluoride detox and as an arthritis preventative since about 2008 up till now. I'm 72 years old and there is nothing wrong with me.
"Which type of Borax do you use?"
I really wouldn't go there. Just keep it simple. As already stated above, I've used Borax, Sodium Tetraborate and Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate through the years. These are just synonyms for the same chemical as far as I'm concerned.
"Is it Borax Decahydrate @ 99.9%
Or Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate @ 99/9%"
Borax -- such as 10 Mule Team Borax -- is actually mined and has very few impurities. Similarly, technical grade Borax or USP grade Borax is certainly pure enough for human ingestion in my own experience.
I would simply advise just using the 10 Mule Team Borax(Unscented) if you can get it -- because it's certainly pure enough and it's also dirt cheap.
If you're having trouble locating Borax in UK then, if you have a credit card, you can perhaps try searching for Borax on ebay.com or amazon.com.
And there is nothing really stopping you from directly contacting an online chemical supplier in UK that is selling Borax from their website -- example for you here:
https://shop.hdchemicals.co.uk/products/sodium-tetraborate-decahydrate-borax-99-9
(Coventry, UK)
11/22/2022
I have just found this site selling 'Borax':
Price is reasonable, with it being much much cheaper to buy in larger quantities. Found IPA Isopropyl Alcohol 99.9% on there too which I haven't seen many other places in the UK.
(UK)
02/19/2025
Just wanted to say thanks for your recommendation for buying Borax, I ordered the 1.5 Jerry can container for just under £20 with £4.99 standard delivery & received it today, approx 3 days in total . Much appreciated
UK
★★★★★
( ingredient Sodium Tetraborate A Natural Mineral )
(London)
03/30/2022
Cazza,
Here is one way to get Borax in the UK :
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=Borax&_sacat=0
Art
(somewhere, europe)
03/30/2022
Cazza, in Europe, that IS Borax!
UK
I have some sodium tetraborate decahydrate 99.9% - is that the right compound to use as an arthritis treatment? It's off-brand with no accompanying info, except for "do no ingest" (sic) on the label, marketed as 'slime activator'. If not, I'd rather not poison myself, and I'm sure the kids will enjoy making slime...
Thanks in advance,
Andrew
UK
Is the one I have purchased safe to use internally?
Many thanks.
(Uk)
10/18/2021
UK
Many thanks.
(Devon, Uk)
02/14/2016
Don't buy the substitute. You can get the Borax on Ebay. Some is called by it's chemical name - sodium-something (can't recall) - it's the pharmaceutical grade 99.99% pure, or they have the jewellers borax, but it's all the same thing. Doesn't cost much.
EC: Borax goes by several chemical names: sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, disodium tetraborate. It is all the same borax.
(In)
08/12/2016
How about this one on ebay?
Art
(London Uk)
08/13/2016
(West Yorkshire)
01/03/2017
Borax is available from Intralabs, but it must be for commercial use or they will not sell it apparently.
What about this one?........... Http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Borax-Sodium-Tetraborate-Decahydrate-99-9-Pure-Lab-Grade-1KG-1000g-/321145555408
Art
(In)
09/10/2018
Julietta
The group I spoke of has become inactive. Or disbanded.
There are a few, related to borax. I did a search, 2 English speaking groups popped up.
Janet
UK
UK
EC: Hi, you will find some information on buying borax here: https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/borax17.html#uk
Hello, I purchased Bill Thompson's book "Candida, killing so Sweetly" and want to undertake an anti-candida protocol.
The problem I have is I live in the EU (UK) and sales of Borax are restricted to the public. I don't know what it's like in Asia but I can imagine you could easily buy it there.
Online you can buy Borax substitute, would this be just as effective or not?
Would it be possible for you to advise me on how to obtain what I need?
Even if I have to order from the USA for example. I cannot move forward without getting past this snag so I would really appreciate if you could help.
Keep up the good work! Best, Fearghas
(Indiana)
12/20/2015
Fearg, The borax is sodium tetraborate and from everything I have found is available on the internet from Intralabs. Many in my facebook group order from there from Europe. Janet
UK
I bought some from intra labs but it says on the package do not eat, technical grade powder for general reagent use, sodium tetra borate decahydrate. would this be ok to take orally?
(Brighton)
03/03/2014
I just bought some from the same place. I actually enquired about this; due to pharmaceuticals corrupting our lives, its very hard to get borax that will say for consumption. However the little impurites in the borax you bought are just other mineral s that our bodies will get rid of. So should be fine.
UK
http://www.jmloveridge.com/cosh/Borax.pdf
and I'm not sure that this is the right stuff. Can anyone tell me? Thankx, Avi
(Helsinki, Finland)
09/10/2011
(Liverpool, Uk)
09/29/2012
Is Borax safe for internal consumption in very small amounts say 1 ml spoon daily? there is an article in Nexus, that say because Borax was so good for arthritis and many other ailments it was banned, I cannot seem to find whether it is actually safe, some chemical sites suggest definitely not!! Any ideas or has any one used Borax internally safely?? thanks jane
(U.k)
09/10/2016
Intralabs says you can only purchase Borax you're trade or professional.
UK
★★★★★
People say you can't buy borax in England. I bought some today in Boots, in the household cleaning aisle. Also available in tesco and ebay.
(Paris, France)
12/12/2009
(Glasgow, Scotland)
12/13/2009
I thought something like this had happened, as I've not been able to find Borax anywhere and this is one item I do not want to be without.
Do any of our UK readers know of anywhere that has slipped under the EU's net and still supplies real Borax? If not - folk in the US seem to a product called 20 Mule Borax and this can be bought on EBay from users in the US. It will cost around £30 though (most of that is postage).
I have my doubts about this "substitute" being of any use to most of us. Treatment for demodex mites is definitely in the realms of pest control!
EC: Why did they stop selling borax in the EU, anyone know? Very weird.
(Manaton, Uk)
12/13/2009
(Glasgow, Scotland)
12/13/2009
(Reading, Uk)
04/13/2010
Apparently...
"Borates as a family (including sodium borate also known as Borax), have been proposed as Reprotoxins and I think this is the reason they have been removed from the consumer market. A reprotoxin is something that can have long term systemic effects on the reproductive systems in humans (Risk phrases will be R60 may impair fertility and R61 may cause harm to the unborn child)."
I'm assuming Borax substitute (sodium sesquicarbonate) is no good for Dog Mange.
(San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines)
04/14/2010
Hi Ben...I have no doubt that boron or borax at high concentrations will cause the problems that you state. Unfortunately, you didn't quote the relevant concentrations of borax at which this reprotoxicity would occur, so we are all left hanging in the dark.
Here is what Wikipedia has to say about boron or borax:
"Elemental boron and borates are non-toxic to humans and animals (approximately similar to table salt). The LD50 (dose at which there is 50% mortality) for animals is about 6 g per kg of body weight. Substances with LD50 above 2 g are considered non-toxic. The minimum lethal dose for humans has not been established, but an intake of 4 g/day was reported without incidents, and medical dosages of 20 g of boric acid for neutron capture therapy caused no problems. Fish have survived for 30 min in a saturated boric acid solution and can survive longer in strong borax solutions.[93] Borates are more toxic to insects than to mammals."
Boron in the form of borates or borax is always taken in small trace amounts, usually taking it for only a few days out of every week. I've been using trace borax for over a year now, off and on, and find it very useful and without any side-effects whatsoever.
Boron is useful as a very effective anti-fungal, as a general hormone balancer and is helpful to bone health. See this link :
https://www.healthy.net/scr/article.aspx?Id=2000
And your assumption concerning sodium sesquicarbonate is quite correct. This substance would be absolutely useless against mange. A topical mixture of borax and hydrogen peroxide would be far more effective.
