For Anyone Who Thought I Was Nuts About the Borax…

Yeah, I’m probably beating a dead horse here but, after nearly four months of using it to wash my hair…I continue to be impressed with the results. Every time I glance in the mirror and think, “Gosh, it looks like I flat ironed my hair,” because it’s so straight and shiny, I love Borax more.

I’ve only used the coconut oil and bag once (the second time wasn’t convenient), and smoothed on a very little bit twice, so I know that the end to my Bozo hair days really are over thanks to that nifty laundry booster. And the itchy scalp? Totally a thing of the past.

No question about it…I’ll never use commercial hair products again. And it’s looking like I can donate my flat iron to the Hospice store, too. Yay!

So how do I use Borax? After the first time I knew I wouldn’t be pouring the dry stuff on again. It doesn’t dissolve well…and it’s really hard to rinse out. I put maybe a quarter cup of it in a 20 ounce glass, fill it with hot tap water, and stir a couple of times over a ten to fifteen minute period of time.

Because it’s basically water, if you decide to try it you need to know one thing. As you’re pouring the glass, pour it slow…and scrub like mad with your other hand. If you don’t, it will just go down the drain. Also, don’t put all of it on your head. About half will not dissolve, and you’ll wind up with a glob of hard to rinse gunk in your hair. It takes a time or two to get the technique down but….so, so worth the results.

A couple of other tricks I’ve learned this week are courtesy of Shineka Robinson sharing a link for Coconut Oil Cures (Sharon Daniels).

Coconut oil is goodfor acne. Yes, folks, I still have occasional issues with it. As soon as I saw it in the book, I dabbed a little on. Let’s just say that within a few hours, my daughter was so impressed that she wanted some.

It’s also a great moisturizer for your skin. Trust me when I say that you will want to pull your hair back. I use a plastic headband and hair clips. Then I get a tiny little bit between my hands, rub them together, then smooth it over my face and neck. When I say a tiny little bit, I’m talking maybe a teaspoon.

I use Spectrum Organic (expeller pressed). Shineka knows I’ve been using it to combat hypothyroidism-related fatigue…with fantastic success…and she thought I might be interested in the book. She was right. Thanks, Shineka!  🙂

Sorry, I know this isn’t a beauty blog, but I just walked past a mirror and smiled. My hair looks fantastic (at least compared to what it did when I was using shampoos), and my skin looks better, so I thought I’d share some ‘home remedies’ that are working well for me.

Yup, this is what I use for my hair. And how COOL! I love old Doris Day movies, and the woman in this commercial is in one of my favorites…On Moonlight Bay.

***A quick update here. I started being diligent about using the coconut oil on my face on Tuesday. I’ll keep experimenting, but I don’t think I’m going to use it more than a couple of times a week. It might be too greasy for daily use. Of course when I remember to get some cocoa butter, and something else, I’ll try to make my own face cream, and let you know how that works.

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17 Responses to For Anyone Who Thought I Was Nuts About the Borax…

  1. Lilith says:

    I have been using borax for years.
    If you make it a wash at a time in a glass jar, it takes about a teaspoon of borax in hot or warm water.
    If you use this amount it never clumps in the bottom of the jar, it all all dissolves and does a great job cleaning hair. Too much borax in your solution is the problem if you have borax in your bottle.
    I use olive oil on my face and hair as well as my whole body after a bath.
    It is safe to use daily without causing acne.
    I am 52, wrinkle free, with luxurious thick and curly minimally graying ( nobody besides me notices, we are our own worst critic) hair down to my lower butt cheeks.
    Everybody wonders what my secrets are as I look like I’m in my 30’s.
    Now you all know.
    Try it for a long lasting beautiful you.
    Also avoid base makeup, as it clogs pores and ages your skin.

    • Kristy K. James says:

      Hi, Lilith…
      Thank you for the advice on how to mix the Borax! I guess I never realized you could use so little of it. I guess I have a ‘more is better’ philosophy about too many things.

      That’s amazing on the olive oil. I’ll be looking into that ASAP. I’d love to look 20 years younger than I am! You use it on your hair after you wash it? Can I ask how much? I’m with you on the makeup. Last time I wore any was when I had my author photo taken a few years ago. I have always hated the way it feels on my face.

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  3. Wait, what? Borax? I haven’t been able to keep up on my blog reading the way I normally do lately, and I clearly missed an awesome tip. I’m so glad you wrote this new post. I have a puff ball of hair. I get about one good day in 10 where my natural curliness makes it look beautiful and the rest of the time…

    Do you have hair with a natural curl/wave too?

    • Nope. My hair is stick straight, but there’s a lot of it, it’s thick (in amount and individual strands)…and when I was using shampoos, I tended to have a Bozo thing going on. The only way to make it look nice was to get my daughter to blow it dry on low, and in many layers, or using a flat iron.

      It’s great now. No residue from the commercial products, and it just looks and feels nicer than it has in ages.

      If you try it, let me know. I’ll be curious to see how it works on curly hair. 🙂

  4. jbw0123 says:

    OMG, is that commercial is a blast from deep past.

    Really? Borax on my hair? Can you still get it from regular grocery stores?

    I’m a fan of coconut oil. I put it on toast, use coconut oil body butter, melt it over popcorn. Someone in one of these blogs warned that the saturated fat in coconut oil is associated with inflammation, but no problems with inflammation here. As far as I know. Haven’t done any blind studies myself.

    Anyway, fun tip about Borax. I tried it once in the laundry, but remember it not working very well. Better in the hair? I MIGHT try it.

    • Hi, Julia!
      I’ve been using Borax on my hair since late June or early July, so almost four months now. And yes, I get it in the laundry department at a couple of local grocery stores.

      There are a lot of studies on coconut oil. One that stands out in my mind happened decades ago…I think the 30s or 40s, when farmers wanted to fatten their cattle up and added coconut oil to their feed. Unfortunately the cows lost weight, so that was a bust. Something about the MCTs in the oil make it so your body uses it right away, and it’s not stored in your body. At least in the 3-4 tablespoons a day range…if you were eating a jar a day, I imagine it might be bad for you. There are good saturated fats and bad…and I guess this is one of the best for our bodies. I know it sure helps me a lot. It would just be easier to handle if I could keep it the consistency of soft butter. 🙂

      I think the problem with Borax in the laundry is that maybe it needs to be dissolved first? Not sure there, but we use it in our clothes. The only real benefit I notice is that the laundry smells nicer.

  5. Debra Kristi says:

    Any idea of how it works with color treated hair? I now use something to make the color last longer.

  6. writlady says:

    i’m going to have to try the Borax solution. i will let you know after I give it a fair try.

  7. LOVE IT!!!! It’s so amazing to share stuff like this when you’ve tried and tested it with great results.

    Ok…exactly how/what are you “using it to combat hypothyroidism-related fatigue…with fantastic success”…need more details! 🙂

    GREAT post Kristy…thanks for sharing!

    • I buy Spectrum Organic, expeller pressed coconut oil (in a pint canning jar) from Walmart, or another local grocery store.

      This is going to sound disgusting, but I started off scooping a tablespoon out every morning (30-60 minutes after I take my Synthroid) and just swallowing it. I’ve increased that to include a tablespoon before 2 meals, if I eat 2 meals. Just an extra tablespoon if I don’t.

      It’s AMAZING. You do not want to take it within a few hours before bedtime, and if you’re considering trying it, I’d play with it on weekends first. And you might have to start off with a teaspoon at a time.

      It just depends on the person. Apparently there’s some yeast/parasite cleansing that goes on when you start it, and some people can feel a little sick. So starting off slow minimizes it. I wasn’t aware of that when I started, so I just jumped right in…and didn’t have any trouble.

      If you can’t handle it straight, some people use it on toast (with cinnamon and a little sugar is good). Others use it to cook with, or put in smoothies. I’m just a firm believer in getting it over. It still makes me gag most times, but if you can get it the consistency of soft butter, it’s not hard at all. When it’s liquid (in a too warm room), it’s not cool, and when it’s like hard butter…whoa. I hate that, but I still take it plain.

      Oh…I actually started off getting a tablespoon out and using Frito’s to dip in it. They’re so greasy I couldn’t tell the difference.

  8. Aww! I feel famous now! LOL I’m so glad you are loving the coconut oil book. Can’t wait to see the rest of your tests and see if the wonders of coconut oil spread through the rest of your life. Make sure you read my post for today. I think you will be thoroughly entertained by it.

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