Boric acid can be used as an antiseptic for minor burns or cuts and is sometimes used in salves and dressings, such as boracic lint. Boric acid is applied in a very dilute solution as an eye wash. Boric acid vaginal suppositories can be used for recurrent candidiasis due to non-albicans candida as a second line treatment when conventional treatment has failed. It is less effective than conventional treatment overall. Boric acid largely spares lactobacilli within the vagina. As TOL-463, it is under development as an intravaginal medication for the treatment for vulvovaginal candidiasis. 
As an antibacterial compound, boric acid can also be used as an acne treatment. It is also used as prevention of athlete's foot, by inserting powder in the socks or stockings. Various preparations can be used to treat some kinds of  (ear infection) in both humans and animals. The preservative in urine sample bottles in the UK is boric acid.
Boric acid solutions used as an eye wash or on abraded skin are known to be toxic, particularly to infants, especially after repeated use; this is because of its slow elimination rate.
Boric acid is one of the most commonly used substances that can counteract the harmful effects of reactive hydrofluoric acid (HF) after an accidental contact with the skin. It works by forcing the free  anions into the inert tetrafluoroborate anion. This process defeats the extreme toxicity of hydrofluoric acid, particularly its ability to sequester ionic calcium from blood serum which can lead to cardiac arrest and bone decomposition; such an event can occur from just minor skin contact with HF.