The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Borax
Posted by Kimberly (New Braunfels, Tx) on 02/06/2012
★★★★★
Very definitely a big fat YEA on borax! I have been using only this for over 6 years on my very long, curly colored (red) hair. I make a rinse of borax and water and use it maybe once or twice a week. The rest of the days I just use conditioner. My hair is very soft and healthy and is the one thing I get complimented on the most.
I see everyone here asking for exact ratios and frequency of use but please relax. I have found borax to be very gentle, you can't make a mistake. I put a very imprecise amount, anywhere from a couple teaspoons to maybe a quarter cup in a plastic one-cup measuring cup and fill the rest with water. The amount doesn't depend on anything except what fell out of the box! Then just tilt your head back and let it pour through. Usually I will massage the scalp a little to make sure I get out any hair spray or conditioner build up. Pretty simple.
Although I don't have oily hair, I also don't have dry hair. I would classify it as normal, maybe a little on the fine side and I only need to wash it once or twice a week. I love this because it's natural, it really does leave my hair in great condition and it's so very cheap!
Borax
Posted by B.a. (Albuquerque, N.m. Usa) on 02/01/2012
★★★★★
I used Borax 20 mule team mixed 1/4 cup into a quart of hot water and rinsed my colored hair with it for over a year. My hair grew longer than it ever had before (I live in the desert and it was impossible to get it past my shoulders because of dryness) BUT - after about 14 months it became very brittle and just broke off like crazy, until I cut my hair into a bob. I stopped coloring, and am now about to go back to using the borax - but this time without the coloring and most importantly, I am going to use an ascorbic acid rinse to neutralize. I think that was the mistake I was making, not neutralizing. I did try at first to use ACV, but it is not strong enough, I think, and I didn't like smelling like an easter egg ;)
Using Borax allows the natural oils to migrate down the hair shaft, and eventually it can feel waxy when wet. When you pour the borax water over your hair it won't feel clean, but it is! When it dries your hair is very soft, and if you have waves it will hold a curl. Just make sure to neutralize. Also, for itching - grapeseed or jojoba oil mixed with ascorbic acid and vegetable glycerin make a nice scalp "mask" for dryness. Leave on and rinse out. Also - you can spritz a little glycerin w/oil and water on your hair for dryness. Make sur eto include the grapeseed oil if you live in a dry area!!
Borax
Posted by Teri In T Town (Tacoma, Wa Usa) on 05/17/2011
★★★★★
I had the itching scalp, substantial thinning and some dandruff several years ago, and cleared it all up in two treatments.
I used about 1/8 teaspoon of Tea Tree Oil and a few drops of lavender oil in 3 Tablespoons of sweet almond oil (you could use any carrier oil, I think). I parted my hair and poured it on my scalp all over and left it there for an hour, massaging it around with my fingertips some, before I showered it out.
Whatever was wrong is gone, I have no itch and my hair came back thick.
Borax
Posted by Kantuckee (Green Road, Kentucky, Usa) on 10/21/2009
★★★★★
Years ago I picked up a small book of old timey cleaning recipes from the 1900s. In the last century before there was store bought bottles of cleaning concoctions people made their own products. Women with the long hair used Borax Water to clean their hair very efficiently. The recipe I use is 1 cup of Borax to 1 gal of very hot water. Let it sit for 24 hours and shake it occasionally. Use only the water from this jug to wet your hair and just squeeze through, don't scrub. Rinse throughly and if needed do a vinegar rinse to clean any buildup.
When you are low on the borax water I add water and/or borax to keep the level right in the jug.
I hope this helps.
Borax
Posted by Marcie (Dallas, TX) on 01/27/2009
★★★★★
i was using baking soda and borax mixed with my shampoo for a while and loved the results! i have very dark brown hair w/natural red highlights and i love it that way. over time i noticed that my hair was getting lighter in color. after some research i found out that baking soda will lighten your hair if used continously. since i didn't like the reddish brown hair i stopped using that mix and swtiched over to only Borax and water.
i've been using just the borax and water for close to 2 months and my hair isn't as light as it was but it is still not my natural dark dark brown that is growing in from the roots. obviously, the borax is still lightening my hair only not as drastically as the baking soda. i only wash my hair about once every 5 days or so. i really don't like the whole lightening effect but when i find the right amount of borax my hair can hold a curl and looks FABULOUS!! i'm not sure how borax will affect color treated hair, but i don't have to use conditioner at all with Borax.
Borax
Posted by Kathy (Chatham, Ohio) on 06/10/2008
★★★★★
Hello, I have been using borax on my hair for about 2 weeks, now. I lost my hair (,chemo treatment about 10 years ago) and have been coloring my hair for about 10 years. My hair color is remaining true, it is soft and seems thicker than it has been in 10 years. I am rinsing with lemon juice because I have not been able to get a hold of any citric acid. YEAH!! Thank you to BORAX.
EC: Kathy, we found a huge jar of citric acid in an Asian grocery store for just a couple of dollars! Think it was in the spice section...
Borax
Posted by Katya (Grand Rapids, MI) on 09/06/2007
★★★★★
WOW! This is great i never knew Borax could do so much! I've been using it for almost two years to wash my hair and body with. My hair is soft and shiny, like baby hair and i'm 54 years old! I rinse with 1/4 teas. of citric acid mixed in a pint of water. Together they are the best! No more itchy scalp, no more chemically laden shampoo! Now i'm going to try using it to get rid of Candida!
Borax
Posted by Jennifer (Windsor, CA) on 08/26/2007
★★★★★
Hi read Jackie's post a week or so ago regarding her results with borax and water to shampoo hair. I gave it a try and my hair felt great. I have long, heavy hair and it felt clean, soft and not dried out at all. Is anyone else doing this? I'm curious to see if anyone else had done this long-term as I want to make sure I'm not going to destroy my color-treated hair in the long run. I found a shampoo recipe online last week that included borax, castille soap, glycerin and a couple other ingredients. It turned out to be a disaster - after using a second time, my hair was a matted mess. I'm thinking it was the Dr. Bronner castille soap - which I love for face cleansing, but not on my hair. I used the straight borax and water this morning and my hair feels soft and clean again.
