Borax - Borax is commonly used in clothes washing recipes to help soften the water and release stains from clothing. It's also sometimes used in cream soapmaking recipes and lotions. This is a chemical with toxicity when ingested and should be treated in the same manner with which you treat lye. Borax cleans by converting some water molecules to hydrogen peroxide. The pH is approximately 9.5 and produces a basic solution in water, increasing effectiveness of cleaners.
We recommend using it at 5% or less based on the findings of the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Exper panel in Canada.