Understanding Boric Acid: What You Should Know
If you’ve never used products containing boric acid before, you might be wondering how they can help. In this article, we’ll give you a little primer on boric acid, what it is, a quick history of its usage and the benefits of boric acid.
Borax vs. Boric Acid: What Is the Difference?
First, you’ve probably heard of both borax and boric acid, but aren’t sure of the uses for either or the differences. Many people get them confused. Both are mineral compounds derived from the same natural element, boron. The biggest difference is borax is alkaline while boric acid is acidic.
Many people use borax in their bath, swearing by it for skin health or muscle and joint pain relief similar to Epsom salt baths. Boric acid, however, is used by many in suppository form and is an ingredient in certain feminine wipes and washes, which is why we’ll focus on that here.
Boric Acid Benefits
While there needs to be more studies on the uses of boric acid to understand all its benefits, we know it may help support vaginal wellness because of its acidity. This acidity helps makes boric acid useful for maintaining pH balance.
At higher concentrations, boric acid is used in swimming pools to reduce the amount of chlorine needed to stabilize pH levels. It also helps prevent algae from growing.
This may seem odd that we’re talking about swimming pools, but boric acid works similarly in the vagina. When you have a healthy pH level in the vagina you have less odor.
When your vaginal pH balance is off, you may notice more odor. If you don’t think this odor is caused by infection, you may be able to use boric acid suppositories to help promote vaginal odor control and pH balance.
In suppository form and diluted in cleansing wipes or feminine washes, boric acid is typically safe for sensitive skin around the vagina. Look for products that are gynecologist tested and formulated to be gentle enough to use in sensitive areas.
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Other Things You Should Know About Boric Acid
Boric acid is interesting because in higher concentrations it can be used as a pesticide. The reason we mention this is because it will help you remember that it’s highly toxic when consumed by mouth. For this reason, it’s important to keep boric acid suppositories in a safe place out of reach of children and pets. If a child, adult or pet does mistake one for a pill, candy or treat and accidentally swallows, call your poison control center and get medical care immediately.
Also consider holding off on any vaginal intercourse or oral sex when using boric acid suppositories because your partner could experience some skin irritation, and you don’t want them accidentally swallowing boric acid either. If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, boric acid suppositories are not recommended.
Some people can be sensitive to boric acid, so if you feel any irritation or burning or see redness after using boric acid products, stop using them and talk to your doctor. It could be a reaction to the boric acid or other ingredients in the product, or it could mean you have a different problem that needs to be treated.
We encourage you to explore our other articles about vaginal boric acid and boric acid suppositories, so you understand the benefits and uses more fully.