Poofy Organics is releasing a new CBD cream, and it’s oh so exciting!! One concern with this cream is that it contains sodium borate as an ingredient, yes, BORAX!! I’ve been very vocal in speaking out against this as an ingredient in homemade laundry soap, which it is often a main ingredient of, for many years now. Why have I taken this stance? Mainly because of EWG, the Environmental Working Group, and the bad score they give it & the concerns they raise. However, over the years I’ve learned to take their findings with “a grain of salt”. My mantra on EWG over the years has developed into: it’s a good starting point, it’s not the end all & be all on any given topic. They do rate sodium borate a moderately high 5-6, but they also give a 5 to clove bud essential oil… Those of us who’ve done our due diligence on EO’s know it’s about proper dilution & usage, and my research on sodium borate has lead me to the same conclusion…. https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/705996/SODIUM_BORATE/#.W0_YTdVKjZ5
Ingredients in Poofy’s soon-to-be-released CBD cream: Organic Unrefined Shea Butter, Organic Aloe Vera, Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Beeswax, MSM, Terpenes (Eucalyptol, Humulene, Nerolidol, Terpineol), CBD Isolate, Sodium Borate, Vitamin E (non-gmo)
ALL the concerns I can find for sodium borate are in regards to its powder form, inhaling it, like in powder laundry detergent. But I cannot find concerns when using it topically…. Stephanie from Chemical of the Day is a very trusted source of mine, I’ve never disagreed with anything she’s shared, and she says topical is okay… http://chemicaloftheday.squarespace.com/todays-chemical/2010/9/13/borax-sodium-borate.html
Here’s a post by a skin care company using it in their cream as well, I feel they have good points: https://woodspriteorganicbody.wordpress.com/2013/05/14/the-great-borax-sodium-borate-debate-and-a-few-words-on-the-ewg-skin-deep-database/
I’ve searched & searched for legitimate concerns when it comes to using it topically via a cream, and cannot find anything other than a few bloggers referencing EWG & saying they don’t want to take a chance. I’ve searched PubMed & other sources as well & can’t find anything on the topic. After speaking with Kristina about this personally, I learned that she feels it’s absolutely necessary to making this the most effective product it can be. She can’t divulge proprietary info of course, but she shared with me that the amount used is teeny, tiny per jar, like teeny. And of course she researched the heck out of it too, she wouldn’t put anything in any of her products that she wasn’t 100% confident in. The CBD cream is not like a typical lotion where it’s just supposed to moisturize, it needs to deliver the beneficial ingredients where they need to go, and she’s spent months looking for the right ingredient to do that, the sodium borate is it… The typical emulsifying wax used in the other lotions isn’t effective enough. Wellness Mama has a decent read on the debate too. https://wellnessmama.com/26407/borax-safe/
Another good read: https://www.annmariegianni.com/ingredient-watch-list-sodium-borate-borax-is-it-safe/
We have a thread going in our Poofy Guides group on this topic currently, and there are a lot of good comments!
From Andrea: A lot of public concern comes from the chemical misunderstanding between boric acid and sodium borate. Sodium borate is a natural salt mineral, while boric acid is harmful and toxic.
From Anita: Sodium borate is in contact solution.
In conclusion: It’s essential to keep an open mind about all ingredients. Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Just because 1 source says it’s terrible doesn’t mean that’s the case in 100% of circumstances. With this new CBD line, you’re going to have to do some research. Is CBD right for you? I can’t tell you with 100% certainty. Is the Poofy Organics CBD cream among the absolute best possible choices for a topical cream should you decide it is a product you need? I can say with certainty YES.
Eco-friendly baby/family products MADE in USA 