Essentials Magnesium Deodorant Vanilla Sandalwood 2.5 oz vs Baking Soda Free Deodorant: which is safer?
Primally Pure Baking Soda Free Deodorant is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Arm & Hammer
Essentials Magnesium Deodorant Vanilla Sandalwood 2.5 oz
PFAS grade
Excellent 75/100
Overall grade
Good 63/100
Verdict
Buy
Hazard flags
⚑ 3
Material
magnesium, mineral powders, essential oils
Confidence
78%
PossibleFragrance allergens (essential oils and fragrance compounds)
PossibleSkin irritation from mineral alkalinity
PossibleMicrobial growth if stored improperly
Our pick
Primally Pure
Baking Soda Free Deodorant
PFAS grade
Excellent 100/100
Overall grade
Excellent 96/100
Verdict
Buy
Hazard flags
⚑ 1
Material
mineral-based powder blend (arrowroot, magnesium hydroxide, mica)
Confidence
82%
PossibleSkin irritation from magnesium hydroxide alkalinity
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Fragrance allergens (essential oils and fragrance compounds), Skin irritation from mineral alkalinity and Microbial growth if stored improperly on the Arm & Hammer and not on the Primally Pure.
- We flag Skin irritation from magnesium hydroxide alkalinity on the Primally Pure and not on the Arm & Hammer.
- The Arm & Hammer is magnesium, mineral powders, essential oils where the Primally Pure is mineral-based powder blend (arrowroot, magnesium hydroxide, mica), which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 25 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Primally Pure is the one to buy.
Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
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