Essentials Natural Deodorant Unscented 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 Natural Deodorant Unscented
PFAS grade
Excellent 75/100
Overall grade
Good 71/100
Verdict
Buy
Hazard flags
⚑ 1
Material
mineral-based powder, sodium bicarbonate, starch
Confidence
82%
PossibleSkin irritation from high pH (sodium bicarbonate)
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 Skin irritation from high pH (sodium bicarbonate) 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 mineral-based powder, sodium bicarbonate, starch 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: 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 →
More deodorant: see the full ranking