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.