SODIUM BORATE
pH Adjuster; BUFFERING
Also listed as
BORAX; BORAX GRANULAR; BORIC ACID, DISODIUM SALT; PUFFED BORAX; SODIUM TETRABORATE; DISODIUM SALT BORIC ACID; BORAX (B4NA2O7.10H2O) ; ANTIPYONIN; BORASCU; BORATES, TETRA, SODIUM SALT, DECAHYDRATE (ACGIH) ; BORATES, TETRA, SODIUM SALTS (DECAHYDRATE)
Given the incomplete information made available by companies and the government, EWG provides additional information on personal care product ingredients from the published scientific literature. The chart below indicates that research studies have found that exposure to this ingredient -- not the products containing it -- caused the indicated health effect(s) in the studies reviewed by Skin Deep researchers. Actual health risks, if any, will vary based on the level of exposure to the ingredient and individual susceptibility -- information not available in Skin Deep.
| This ingredient: | |
 | Cancer |
 | Developmental/reproductive toxicity |
 | Violations, restrictions & warnings |
 | Allergies/immunotoxicity |
| Contamination concerns |
| Other strong concerns for this ingredient: Multiple, additive exposure sources, Occupational hazards |
| Other moderate concerns for this ingredient: Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive) |
| Lesser or emerging concerns for this ingredient: Neurotoxicity, Endocrine disruption, Miscellaneous |
|
See products containing SODIUM BORATE | |
About SODIUM BORATE: Sodium Borate is the inorganic salt that conforms generally to the formula:
SODIUM BORATE has reported used in the following product types: eye drops/artificial tears (74); facial moisturizer/treatment (47); moisturizer (43); facial cleanser (27); bath oil/salts/soak (23); anti-aging (21); acne treatment (17); styling gel/lotion (14); hand cream (12); diaper cream (11)
Violations, restrictions & warnings
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Violation of industry recommendations - Restricted in cosmetics; use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Not safe for use on infant skin | products for use on infant skin | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
| Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Use is restricted in Canadian cosmetics | Canada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics Ingredients | |
| Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Developmental/reproductive toxicity
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Limited evidence of reproductive toxicity | European Union - Classification & Labelling | |
| show more | ||
Multiple, additive exposure sources
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Used in food or as an additive with limited or no toxicity information available | FDA Everything Added to Food |
Occupational hazards
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Allowed workplace exposures restricted to low doses | RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful | Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | |
| Classified as medium human health priority | Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | |
| show more | ||
Neurotoxicity
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more animal studies show brain and nervous system effects at high doses | RTECS®- Archives Internationales de Pharmacodynamie et de Therapie 1963 | |
| show more | ||
Cancer
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more in vitro tests non-mammalian cells show positive mutation results | RTECS®- Soviet Genetics 1974 |
Endocrine disruption
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more animal studies show endocrine system disruption at high doses | RTECS®- Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 1972 | |
| show more | ||
Miscellaneous
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Prohibited for use in food | FDA Food Additive Status |
Data gaps
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| 315 studies on toxicity in PubMed see search results -> | PubMed |
Ecotoxicology
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Not suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List |
Government, industry, academic studies and classifications
| government/industry list/academic study | appears on list as | classification(s) |
| FDA Food Additive Status | BORAX | • miscellaneous • Substances used or proposed for use as direct additives in foods without required clearance under the FAA; use is illegal • No petition filed • Illegal for use in foods incl. wax Used in food and dietary supplements: coating for fruits, vegetables, tablets for fruits and vegetables. MID permits use in export meats. |
| Canada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics Ingredients | SODIUM BORATE | •Use is restricted in Canadian cosmetics |
| Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | SODIUM BORATE | •Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications •Determined safe for use in cosmetics up to a specified concentration limit •Not safe for use on infant skin •Not safe for use on injured or damaged skin • • • |
| FDA Everything Added to Food | BORAX | • There is no reported use of the substance and there is no toxicology information available in PAFA. |
| FDA Everything Added to Food | SODIUM BORATE | • Although listed as a added to food, there is no current reported use of the substance, and, therefore, although toxicology information may be available in PAFA, it is not being updated. |
| National Library of Medicine HazMap | BORATES, DECAHYDRATE | •STEL (ACGIH) - Short-term exposure limits (ACGIH): 6 mg/m3, inhalable fraction; •TLV (ACGIH) - Threshold limit value (ACGIH): 2 mg/m3, inhalable fraction; |
| European Union - Classification & Labelling | DISODIUM TETRABORATE DECAHYDRATE | •May be toxic to the reproductive system •May impair fertility |
| European Commission on Endocrine Disruption | BORAX | |
| Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | BORAX (B4NA2O7.10H2O) | •This chemical was deemed a moderate human health priority and was flagged by CEPA for further attention. The chemical was flagged for suspected persistence. |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 | SODIUM BORATE | • occupationally related - ACGIH TLV (human TWA) |
| RTECS®- "Abdernalden's Handbuch der Biologischen Arbeitsmethoden 1935 | SODIUM BORATE | • broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (rabbit LDLo) |
| RTECS®- "Boron, Metallo-Boron Compounds and Boranes," Adams, R 1964 | SODIUM BORATE | • broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (mouse LD50) |
| RTECS®- Archives Internationales de Pharmacodynamie et de Therapie 1963 | SODIUM BORATE | • brain and nervous system - Altered sleep time (including change in righting reflex) (mouse LD50) • brain and nervous system - Convulsions or effect on seizure threshold (mouse LD50) • brain and nervous system - Muscle contraction or spasticity (mouse LD50) |
| RTECS®- Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 1980 | SODIUM BORATE | • endocrine system - Changes in spleen weight (rat TDLo) • endocrine system - Changes in testicular weight (rat TDLo) • blood - Other changes (rat TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Farm Chemicals Handbook 1991 | SODIUM BORATE | • broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (rat LD50) |
| RTECS®- Pesticide Chemicals Official Compendium, Association of the American Pesticide Control Officials, Inc 1966 | SODIUM BORATE | • broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (infant LDLo) |
| RTECS®- Soviet Genetics 1974 | SODIUM BORATE | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: (Drosophila melanogaster orl) • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (Drosophila melanogaster orl) |
| RTECS®- Soviet Genetics 1974 | SODIUM BORATE | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: (Drosophila melanogaster orl) • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (Drosophila melanogaster orl) |
| RTECS®- Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 1972 | SODIUM BORATE | • reproductive - Ovaries, fallopian tubes (rat TDLo) • reproductive - Testes, epididymis, sperm duct (rat TDLo) • reproductive - Weaning or lactation index (rat TDLo) • metabolic - Weight loss or decreased weight gain (rat TDLo) • brain and nervous system - Changes in brain weight (rat TDLo) • endocrine system - Changes in testicular weight (rat TDLo) • blood - Pigmented or nucleated red blood cells (rat TDLo) |
references
| government/industry list/academic study | reference |
| FDA Food Additive Status | FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) 2006. Food Additive Status List. Downloaded from http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/opa-appa.html, Oct 16, 2006. |
| Canada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics Ingredients | Health Canada. 2007. List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients. Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. March 2007. |
| Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC. |
| FDA Everything Added to Food | FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2008. EAFUS [Everything Added to Food]: A Food Additive Database. FDA Office of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. |
| National Library of Medicine HazMap | NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents. |
| European Union - Classification & Labelling | CPS&Q (Consumer Products Safety & Quality) formely known as ECB (European Chemicals Bureau). 2008. Classification and Labelling: Chemicals: Annex I of Directive 67/548/EEC through the 31st ATP. |
| European Commission on Endocrine Disruption | EU (European Union)- Strategy for Endocrine Disrupters 2007. Commision on endocrin disruption requested by the European Parliament in 1998. |
| Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry. |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 | RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 |
| RTECS®- "Abdernalden's Handbuch der Biologischen Arbeitsmethoden 1935 | RTECS®- "Abdernalden's Handbuch der Biologischen Arbeitsmethoden." (Leipzig, Ger. Dem. Rep.) 4,1289,1935 |
| RTECS®- "Boron, Metallo-Boron Compounds and Boranes," Adams, R 1964 | RTECS®- "Boron, Metallo-Boron Compounds and Boranes," Adams, R.M., ed., New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1964 -,693,1964 |
| RTECS®- Archives Internationales de Pharmacodynamie et de Therapie 1963 | RTECS®- Archives Internationales de Pharmacodynamie et de Therapie. (Heymans Institute of Pharmacology, De Pintelaan 185, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium) V.4- 1898- 143,144,1963 |
| RTECS®- Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 1980 | RTECS®- Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. (Springer-Verlag New York, Inc., Service Center, 44 Hartz Way, Secaucus, NJ 07094) V.1- 1966- 25,782,1980 |
| RTECS®- Farm Chemicals Handbook 1991 | RTECS®- Farm Chemicals Handbook. (Meister Pub., 37841 Euclid Ave., Willoughy, OH 44094) -,C48,1991 |
| RTECS®- Pesticide Chemicals Official Compendium, Association of the American Pesticide Control Officials, Inc 1966 | RTECS®- Pesticide Chemicals Official Compendium, Association of the American Pesticide Control Officials, Inc., 1966. (Topeka, KS) -,144,1966 |
| RTECS®- Soviet Genetics 1974 | RTECS®- Soviet Genetics. English translation of GNKAA5. (Plenum Pub. Corp., 233 Spring St., New York, NY 10013) V.2- 1966- 10,601,1974 |
| RTECS®- Soviet Genetics 1974 | RTECS®- Soviet Genetics. English translation of GNKAA5. (Plenum Pub. Corp., 233 Spring St., New York, NY 10013) V.2- 10,601,1974 |
| RTECS®- Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 1972 | RTECS®- Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. (Academic Press, Inc., 1 E. First St., Duluth, MN 55802) V.1- 1959- 23,351,1972 |
"RTECS®" is a United States trademark owned and licensed under authority of the U.S. Government, by and through MDL Information Systems, Inc.
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