Borax Is The New Tide Pods And Poison Experts Are Facing

Enlarge / A box of borax, not for eating. Getty | Lauren A. Small

In the latest health fad to alarm and infuriate medical experts, TikTok users have happily 'jumped on the borax bandwagon' and are drinking and dozing in the toxic cleanser based on false claims that it can reduce inflammation, treat arthritis and 'detoxify' the body.

The disturbing trend is reminiscent of both the Tide Pod Challenge trend of 2018, in which teenagers swallowed detergent packets on camera, and the infamous "Church of Bleach", a fake religious organization that marketed the industrial beach as a "miracle" solution that could cure a variety of serious illnesses if ingested. (The family was recently convicted of fraud and are now awaiting sentencing.)

Like the false trends that came before them, new borax enthusiasts relied on hackneyed conspiracy theories and questionable data to back up their toxic practice. In a video, a TikTok user explained that she put borax in her smoothies because "they spray us with chemtrails". Others have suggested that the unproven health benefits of borax are being deliberately stifled by Big Pharma in a plot to get people to pay for more expensive (and regulated) pharmaceuticals – a common refrain among people selling unproven health and wellness products.

Meanwhile, the borax trend has hit the radar of poison control centers and toxicology experts. In a National Capital Poison Center debunking article, the organization described the case of a man who had to go to the emergency room days after soaking in a borax bath, which caused severe skin irritation, swelling and dryness.

And that's not the worst. According to the National Institute of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements, ingesting borax or the associated boric acid can cause nausea, gastrointestinal discomfort, vomiting, diarrhea, skin flushing, rash, excitement, seizures, depression, and vascular collapse.

A 1973 report described the cases of two infants who developed chronic borate poisoning after their mothers repeatedly dipped their teats in a solution of honey and borax, thinking borax was a safe antiseptic (it wasn't). After weeks, the infants began to have seizures and developed anemia. The study authors blamed the harm on the "negligence" of the companies selling the mixture, noting that the packaging of the mixture did not warn that it "really is a poison".

No benefits, all risks

These days, borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate) is found primarily in laundry detergents, where it acts as a bleaching agent. It is also used for the production of industrial glass and, in small quantities, can be combined with glue to form slime that children can play with without eating.

Some of the TikTokers advocating drinking or bathing in borax note that it contains boron, which is a natural trace mineral that is easily found in common foods, such as fruits, peanuts, legumes, potatoes, and milk. It is (of course) also found in dietary supplements. But boron is not considered an essential nutrient for humans, and researchers have not identified a clear biological function for the element. Some preliminary data suggests that boron may be important for bone growth and may help reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis, possibly by inhibiting inflammation. E...