TikTok borax challenge is 'not safe,' experts say

"It was labeled as a laundry booster so that we would be deterred from using it as the powerful healing mineral that it actually is," says a woman in an April 10, 2023 TikTok post discussing a borax-infused drink to treat pain.

In another video published May 7, 2021, a woman shows a box of 20 Mule Team Borax that she mixes into her drinking water.

"Literally all I do is go to Walmart and get borax, also known as boron -- which is just a mineral -- and distilled water," she says.

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Screenshot of a TikTok post taken August 2, 2023

The theory took off again on TikTok in summer 2023, propelled in part by the hashtag "#boraxchallenge." Although the platform has removed many of the videos, some are still circulating.

The challenge's popularity has inspired similar claims on Facebook and Instagram that the colorless salt can cure arthritis and joint pain, as well as "detox" the body. Several articles also promote ingesting borax, while videos on YouTube recommend using it in baths.

But the supposed health benefits are unproven, experts told AFP -- and ingesting borax can be dangerous.

"It’s not safe to eat or bathe in borax," said Andrew Stolbach, associate professor of emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins Medicine, on August 2. "There are various alternative medicine sites that claim it helps with inflammation or arthritis, but these claims aren't supported by good research."

Kelly Johnson-Arbor, a toxicologist and executive director of the National Capital Poison Center (NCPC), agreed, saying that "in addition to having no proven human health benefits, borax is associated with known adverse health effects when consumed by humans."

"When people eat or drink borax (or boric acid, another boron-containing compound), they can experience gastrointestinal distress, skin rashes and even skin peeling," she said in an August 2 email. "Skin changes, including rashes, redness and inflammation, can also occur when people bathe in borax."

The NCPC website (archived here) says those who consume the chemical regularly "may develop anemia and seizures."

According to the Food and Drug Administration (archived here), it is illegal to use borax in food sold in the United States. The European Chemicals Agency warns the compound is "toxic to reproduction" (archived here).

The 20 Mule Team Borax company also says on its safety information page (archived here) that consumers should not ingest or apply the product to their skin.

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Screenshot of the 20 Mule Team Borax website taken August 2, 2023

Confusion about the compound's safety and benefits may stem from a conflation of borax and boron, a naturally occurring mineral found in some foods and dietary supplements. Borax contains additional elements such as sodium. oxygen and hydrogen.

Borax is not a safe source of boron, Stolbach said -- and there is "no evidence that seeking out extra boron supplementation will help you feel better or make you healthier."

AFP has fact-checked other health misinformation here.