Borax is an increasingly popular natural remedy for a whole host of health issues. Commonly used as a natural cleaning agent, Borax reported cures and health benefits are extensive. Additionally, this remedy is easy to make and very inexpensive.

Borax is used to treat overall chronic illness, including autoimmune diseases, hormone problems, and chronic pain.

Sodium borate is also useful for treating a variety of specific ailments. As an anti-inflammatory agent, borax effectively treats arthritis, gout, swollen gums, and other inflammatory diseases.

Additionally, the substance eliminates infection such as bladder infection, urinary tract infection, and others. Borax has also been used to treat cancer, obesity, high blood pressure, arterial disease, and osteoporosis.

What is Borax?

Borax is a naturally occurring compound found all around the world. Mines are located in countries like the United States, China, Ukraine, Turkey, and India. The largest known mine is the Rio Tinto Borax Mine in Boron, California. The reserves in this mine are expected to last until 2050.

The chemical formula for borax is Na2B4O7·10H2O.

In more simple terms, this includes sodium, boron, oxygen, and hydrogen. Borax has several different names, but they are all the same chemical compound.

Common Names for Borax

• Sodium tetraborate
• Sodium borate
• Disodium tetraborate

Borax Uses

Cleaning

The most common use of borax is as a "green" cleaning aid, especially for laundry.

Because borax has an alkaline (high) pH of 9.3, it can be added to the washing machine to soften the water. Hard water is hard on clothes and makes it more challenging to get them clean. Some people have water that is already quite soft (alkaline), and borax would be unnecessary.

Borax is one of three ingredients in popular DIY laundry powder.

Borax can be used as a cleaning powder for the bathroom. It is especially useful for hard water stains. Gloves are recommended for cleaning, even with this natural product.

Parasites

Borax is a popular and safe remedy for pest control. It has helped thousands of dogs and cats with mange and people with various parasite problems, including lice and mites.

Hair

Borax has become popular as a shampoo alternative. Multitudes of chemicals in shampoos and health conditions that affect the scalp have motivated many people to turn to the “no-poo” method of hair care.

Borax is not only a natural alternative to chemical-laden shampoos because of its alkalinity and anti-fungal properties; it often brings healing to chronic and embarrassing scalp conditions.

Instructions for Hair

• To use borax for your hair, dissolve 1 cup of borax into one gallon of pure water.
• Keep this solution in the shower.
• Pour a cup or two of this solution over your hair instead of shampoo, making sure that the solution gets to your scalp.
• Allow the solution to sit on your scalp and hair for a few minutes and then rinse.
• If you find the borax method dries out your hair, take a small amount of coconut oil and massage it into your hair. You may not need to use the borax solution on your hair more than once or twice a week.

Borax for Medicinal Use

Shocking as it sounds to some, borax is used as a natural remedy for many health conditions. Borax is a natural substance, mined from the earth, just like salt. Borax contains boron, a trace mineral, which can be lacking in modern diets. Restoring healthy boron levels can improve a number of health conditions like arthritis, according to research.

Additionally, borax is quite alkaline. Many health problems arise because the body is too acidic.

What Health Issues Benefit from Borax?

• Arthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Osteoarthritis
• Bone Spurs
• Calcium Deposits
• Lupus
• Autoimmune Disease
• Hormone Imbalances
• Fungus
• Candida
• Ringworm
• Tinea Versicolor
• Insomnia
• Rough Skin
• Impotence

If you are wondering how some white powder could help such a variety of illnesses, consider a tower made of blocks. Removing one of them, especially a foundation block, compromises the stability of the entire building. Thus is it with the body. The human body exercises countless processes in many body systems. These processes are dependent upon “building blocks.”

Vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, etc. are all necessary for your body to work well. Remove any one of them, and all kinds of body processes are affected.

Boron, a trace mineral, and a borax component is one of those many necessary nutrients in your body.  Many diseases found in the world today are related to simple nutritional deficiencies. Restoring a lacking nutrient can make a huge difference in your overall health.

Boron is necessary for the body for proper hormone function and proper calcium-magnesium balance.

Studies have found that the incidence of arthritis is lower when daily boron intake is higher (3-10 mg as opposed to 1 mg or less). Additionally, bones of those who take boron supplements are harder than those who do not take a boron supplement.

How Much Boron is in Borax?

One US teaspoon of borax powder contains about 4 grams of borax, so ¼ teaspoon of borax contains about 1 gram of borax. One gram of borax is 11.3% boron. So ¼ teaspoon borax has approximately 113 mg of boron.

How Much Borax Should I Take?

Earth Clinic’s Ted recommends ¼ teaspoon (940 mg ~ 1,000 mg) of borax in 1 liter of water for men and 1/8 teaspoon (470 mg ~ 500 mg) of borax in 1 liter of water for women each day. This would give men about 113 mg of boron each day they drink the solution, and women about 56 mg of boron each day.

You will find more dosing information on this page.

Walter Last has popularized another method of dosing borax. He recommends adding a heaping teaspoon to a liter of water and then taking 1 teaspoon of this borax solution once or twice daily. This solution delivers 25-30 mg of borax (and thus about 3 mg of boron) per dose. He recommends taking it with meals.

How Should I Store Borax Solution?

If you make Walter Last’s solution with distilled water and store it in a clean glass jar, you will avoid having any impurities to contaminate the mixture. This will maximize the shelf life of the solution. For even more exceptional preservation of this solution, store it in the refrigerator and always use a clean stainless steel spoon to take your dose out of the jar. If your solution looks cloudy or smells off to you, discard it and make another batch.

Are There Any Side Effects from Taking Borax?

Yes, some people experience some side effects from taking borax. You will find more information about side effects, and reader reported side effects on this page.

To avoid your risk of side effects, always start with a smaller dose and monitor how it affects you. While the relative lethal dose (LD50) of borax is similar to that of table salt, it is always wise to be careful with your dosages.

WATCH OUR BORAX VIDEO

Watch Earth Clinic's most popular video with over 500,000 views on the extensive health benefits of borax. We'll also show you 2 ways to make a borax solution.

Is There an Alternative to Taking Borax?

Some will be uncomfortable with taking any amount of borax internally. Taking a boron supplement will, in many cases, achieve a similar result.