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Sodium borate

CAS 1313726-63-4 · 80/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 12 other CAS numbers

1344-90-7 · 12322-85-9 · 12447-40-4 · 61028-24-8 · 71377-02-1 · 910783-71-0 · 950582-60-2 · 1242163-03-6 · 1443500-22-8 · 1820039-99-3 · 1303-96-4 · 1330-43-4

Sodium borate chemical structure

Concern score

80/100Critical concern based on regulatory listings.
High confidence

Sodium borate in plain language

What it is

Also known as Borax · Sodium borate decahydrate · Borax (B4Na2O7.10H2O) · Sodium tetraborate · Sodium pyroborate decahydrate · Sodium tetraborate decahydrate

Show all 26 names

20 Mule Team Borax Tech 4/200 Mesh · Antipyonin · BR 100 (borate) · Borascu · Boric acid (H2B4O7), disodium salt, decahydrate · Boricin · Boro-spray · Boron sodium oxide (B4Na2O7), decahydrate · Bura · Disodium tetraborate decahydrate · Gerstley borate · Gertley borate · Jaikin · Neobor · Sodium borate (NA2B4O7), decahydrate · Sodium biborate decahydrate · Solubor · Tincal · Tronabor · sodium diborate

What it does

Used in cosmetics as a pH buffer. Sodium Borate is the inorganic salt.

  • Buffering
  • Preservative
  • Surfactant
  • Chelating agent
  • pH adjuster
  • Stabiliser
Is it a concern?
Critical concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

Why it's flagged

EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 695 composition records across product categories including Vehicle, Cleaning and safety, Specialty occupational products.

The score describes this ingredient's chemical identity — its hazard profile from published classifications and regulatory status — not the safety of any product it appears in.

Regulation

No restrictions found. Sodium borate appears in these published regulatory listings.

  • In marketed US drugs
  • Inactive ingredient in US drugs

Recorded in these product areas

  • Found in consumer products
  • Cleaning
  • Industrial
  • USFDAinactive ingredient database6 entries — 3 administration routes
    • Route: OPHTHALMIC; Dosage form: SOLUTION; Maximum daily exposure: 2 mgSource →
    • Route: OPHTHALMIC; Dosage form: SOLUTION/ DROPS; Potency: 1.1 %w/vSource →
    • Route: OPHTHALMIC; Dosage form: SUSPENSION/ DROPS; Potency: 0.03 %w/wSource →
    • Route: OPHTHALMIC; Dosage form: EMULSION; Potency: 0.11 %w/vSource →
    • Route: AURICULAR (OTIC); Dosage form: SOLUTION; Potency: 0.3 %w/wSource →
    • Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: CREAM; Potency: NASource →
  • EUCosIngActiveSodium Borate is the inorganic salt that conforms generally to the formula: Restriction: II/1396
    • Sodium Borate is the inorganic salt that conforms generally to the formula: Restriction: II/1396Source →
  • EUEFSAEFSA opinionScientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of boric acid (E 284) and sodium tetraborate (borax) (E 285) as food additives (EFSA ANS)
    • Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of boric acid (E 284) and sodium tetraborate (borax) (E 285) as food additives (EFSA ANS)Source →
  • GLOBALJECFANO ADI ALLOCATEDJECFA evaluation lists ADI NO ADI ALLOCATED. Functional class: preservative.
    • JECFA evaluation lists ADI NO ADI ALLOCATED. Functional class: preservative.Source →
  • USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 695 composition records across product categories including Vehicle, Cleaning and safety, Specialty occupational products. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Chelating agent, Stabilizing agent, Chemical reaction regulator.
    • EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 695 composition records across product categories including Vehicle, Cleaning and safety, Specialty occupational products. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Chelating agent, Stabilizing agent, Chemical reaction regulator.Source →
  • USFDAmarketed drug occurrenceFDA NDC lists this ingredient in 79 active drug products and 88 total products.
    • FDA NDC lists this ingredient in 79 active drug products and 88 total products.Source →
  • USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.
    • openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.Source →

Expert safety opinions

Independent scientific assessments cited by the records we hold, with the year and link where the record gives one.

  • SCCS

    EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety

    No SCCS opinion on file.

  • CIR

    Cosmetic Ingredient Review (US expert panel)

    No CIR safety assessment on file.

  • EFSA

    European Food Safety Authority

    • Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of boric acid (E 284) and sodium tetraborate (borax) (E 285) as food additives (EFSA ANS)

      2013 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →

  • JECFA

    Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives

    • JECFA evaluation lists ADI NO ADI ALLOCATED. Functional class: preservative.

      Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for Sodium borate yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

10 data sources

Where this comes from

  • CosIng

    regulatory · updated 2026-09-23

    Open →

  • EFSA OpenFoodTox

    regulatory · updated 2026-10-04

    Open →

  • EPA Chemical and Products Database

    exposure · updated may 4, 2017

    Open →

  • EPA DSSTox Identifiers

    chemistry · updated 2025-12-29

    Open →

  • FDA Inactive Ingredient Database

    regulatory · updated 2026-01-09

    Open →

  • FDA National Drug Code Directory

    regulatory · updated 2028-09-19

    Open →

  • FDA GSRS UNII

    registry · updated 2026-02-26

    Open →

  • WHO JECFA Database

    regulatory · updated 2026-10-04

    Open →

  • openFDA Substance

    registry · updated 2026-05-24

    Open →

  • PubChem Live Enrichment

    chemistry · updated 2026-05-17

    Open →

Suitability

Context-specific fit derived from published classifications and the current ingredient evidence profile.

Food use

Food-use source coverage is present in the current record.

Good fit

The ingredient appears in food-oriented source coverage or allowed-use references, which makes food use easier to support than a context with no domain signal at all.

Fragrance avoidance

No fragrance-linked caution surfaced in the current profile.

Good fit

This ingredient does not currently read as a fragrance-linked driver in the published evidence and hazard profile.

Where it has been recorded

How often EPA CPDat has listed Sodium borate in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

695

Named organisations

6

VehicleCleaning and safetySpecialty occupational productsLaboratory suppliesIndustrial productsArts and crafts/office supplies

Typical roles

BufferingPreservativeSurfactantChelating agentpH adjusterStabiliser
See products using Sodium borate →

Catalog

Found in these products

Their ingredient lists include Sodium borate; each product's own rating depends on its whole formula, so it is shown on the product page, not here.

See all 12 →Find products without it →