After adding Borax, water is drying out skin.

[waterbear]

I would have to say it is from the high FC level with an unknown CYA level. 10 ppm is the highest strips can test so your might very well be much higher. I also question your test results because you sald pH was done by strips and tktration. pH is not a titration test in pool test kits.

Also, what is the borate level? Have you tested it? If you had read the thread I started on borates you would know that you do need to test the levels.

My suggestion is to get the Taylor test kit and a tube of LaMotte borate test strips and to not go into your pool until your FC is around 3-4 ppm since I suspect that your CYA is lower than you think (test strips are notorious for not testing CYA accurately.)

As far as TA it would have been better to lower it to 70 ppm BEFORE adding the borates but, once again, you need a good test kit for that such as the Taylor, which has an acid demand test to tell you how much acid you need to add to get the pH to the desired target.

also 14 boxes of borax would take 4 gallons of acid.

Borax should not make the skin feel dry. High chlorine can and will.