Is borax toxic?

Borax is often touted as a wonder ingredient for natural cleaning in recipes like homemade cleaners and even in homemade beauty products as a preservative. read more

Borax, of the mule team variety, is sodium tetraborate or sodium borate (to get all official for a second) and NOT boric acid (hydrogen borate), which is a common misconception on the interwebs apparently. Sodium Tetraborate (hereafter referred to as Borax) is a salt of boric acid but it is not chemically the same as boric acid. read more

In other words, borax is toxic in the same way that salt is toxic (Actually ounce for ounce, salt is more toxic): A small amount can do great things; a huge amount will kill you and other living things. You wouldn’t want to ingest large amounts of salt or baking soda, inhale them, or rub them in your eyes. read more

Borax, sodium tetraborate decahydrate, according to one study, is not acutely toxic. Its LD50 (median lethal dose) score is tested at 2.66 g/kg in rats, meaning that a significant dose of the chemical is needed to cause severe symptoms or death. The lethal dose is not necessarily the same for humans. read more