Is borax harmful to the skin? How to prevent it?

Borax is a translucent crystal that looks similar to table salt. Borax is harmful to human health, especially if you are engaged in borax-related work for a long time. It can easily cause borax poisoning over time, causing vomiting and diarrhea. It can also cause serious damage to the skin, making it prone to allergies and freckles. Therefore, when coming into contact with borax, you must isolate yourself to better avoid physical discomfort.

Borax is added to food to have anti-corrosion, increase elasticity and expand the food. Borax is very harmful to human health. The human body can decompose and excrete a small amount of toxic substances by itself, but after borax enters the body, it is converted into boric acid by gastric acid. Boric acid accumulates in the human body. Although the amount consumed each time is not much, it accumulates over time. Continuous intake will accumulate in the body, hindering the action of enzymes in the digestive tract, causing loss of appetite, indigestion, inhibiting the absorption of nutrients, and promoting fat decomposition, thereby causing weight loss. The symptoms of acute poisoning are vomiting, diarrhea, erythema, circulatory system disorders, shock, coma, etc., the so-called boric acid syndrome.

The boron in borax has an inhibitory effect on bacterial DNA synthesis, but it can also damage DNA in the human body. Boron is a limiting element for the human body. If the human body ingests too much boron, it will cause cumulative poisoning of multiple organs. Therefore, my country's Food Hygiene Law and Food Additive Hygiene Management Measures explicitly prohibit the use of borax as a food additive. However, since borax can significantly improve the "quality" of foods that have high taste requirements, especially some meat products, and since borax has a weak preservative effect, it is often used in large quantities. It's okay if it's not a long-term contact, but if you are doing this kind of work, it's best to wear gloves.

Borax, also known as moonstone, has a bactericidal effect and will not affect the skin. Borax is mainly used externally to clear away heat, detoxify, reduce swelling, and preserve; it is taken internally to clear the lungs and resolve phlegm. It is used for acute tonsillitis, pharyngitis, sore throat, mouth ulcers, stomatitis, gingivitis, otitis media, red and swollen eyes, and pityriasis versicolor. It is a commonly used medicine for ENT diseases.

Borax generally acts as a fluffy and antiseptic agent on food, but it is not good for digestion. Short-term contact with human skin has no effect, but long-term contact is best to take protective measures.