My Experience After Testing 10+ Primally Pure Products: An Honest Review

As someone who has personally tested over a dozen Primally Pure skincare and beauty items, I often get asked whether this buzzy green beauty brand lives up to their natural, ethical claims. Are their products as good for your skin as they are for the planet? Is Primally Pure worth the price?

After two years alternating Primally Pure into my daily routine, I can offer an informed user‘s perspective. Read on for my genuine thoughts after extensive first-hand experience.

Overview of Primally Pure

For context, Primally Pure makes natural soaps, skincare, deodorants and cosmetics without any synthetic ingredients. Founded in 2013 by Bethany McDaniel, they are based in California and manufacture small batches by hand along with 3rd party operations. Primally Pure promotes themselves as an eco-friendly, farm-to-face beauty brand.

As a Gen Z consumer, I applaud Primally Pure‘s focus on ethics. With global warming and inequality weighing on all of us, supporting businesses that aim to lift up people and the planet feels right.

But good intentions must translate into good products and practices. In this review, I critically examine if Primally Pure walks the walk on key issues like:

Responsible sourcing
Fair pricing
Truthful advertising
Product quality and safety
Customer service

First I will share my user experience with 10+ Primally Pure bestsellers I‘ve incorporated over the past 2 years.

My Hands-On Reviews After Testing 10+ Primally Pure Favorites

Between my sister, mom and I, there‘s been no shortage of Primally Pure products floating around our household. Here‘s the rundown of my honest thoughts on over 10 top items from their line after extended use:

Charcoal Deodorant – I still remember my high hopes upon that first slick, black swipe…only for them to dissolve by midday in boob sweat and B.O. Now to be fair – I run extremely hot thanks to my dad passing on his Sicilian genes. Still – for $14, I hoped for 6 hours without reapplication AT LEAST. Maybe I just sweat a lot, but I prefer Kopari‘s coconut oil deo.

Blue Tansy Deodorant – Winner! Creamier texture with a delightful natural scent. Held up during workouts without staining shirts yellow. Only annoyance is you must let it fully dry before dressing. Still seeking longer protection times (4 hours average for me).

Lavender Deodorant – Primally Pure formulates unmatched sensitive skin deodorant. My mom suffers rosacea flare-ups, yet has used this for 3+ years without redness or itching. Scent reminds me of grandma (in the best way!).

Lemon Body Oil – Received this in a holiday gift set. Unfortunately the heavy citrus smell triggered my migraines. For a premium brand, the plastic bottle also feels cheap for $26. I prefer body care in glass containers like Naturopathica.

Rejuvenating Coffee Body Scrub – Exfoliated well but left an awkward sticky film behind. And considering it‘s just oils and grounds, $36 for 6 oz. seems incredibly overpriced. For less than half the cost, Sol de Janerio‘s Brazilian Crush scrub buffs beautifully.

Clarifying Serum – After hearing this serum hailed as life-changing for oily, blemish-prone skin, I had sky high hopes. And…it‘s fine? Helped balance oiliness and cleared some breakouts, but so have $15 serums from Versed and Peach & Lily. At almost $100 an ounce, this didn‘t warrant repurchase for me. Those ingredients shouldn‘t cost luxury prices.

*Activated Charcoal Teeth Whitening – Perhaps I didn‘t research application properly, but I found this powder far too messy for regular use. And it did leave tiny charcoal bits behind in my sink regardless of rinsing method. Arm & Hammer‘s charcoal toothpaste works the same, if not better, for whitening in my opinion.

Soothing Spirulina Face Mask – TRUE delight! This gorgeously green mask felt like a detoxifying spa treatment, perfect for monthly deep cleansing. My skin looked plump and refreshed without any redness or dryness. Glycolic acid masks cause a reaction on my Irish skin – but never this gentle blend.

The Starter Kit – Can‘t go wrong gifting Primally Pure‘s bestsellers all bundled together! My mom raved over the Anywhere Balm for hands and cuticles along with the deodorant. I would only wish for FULL sizes or a lower $52 price tag given tiny volumes.

Citrus Lip Balm – Unfortunately this balm did nothing to resolve my chronically chapped lips. Waxy texture felt more occlusive than hydrating. And at $6 for just .15 oz, it‘s outrageously overpriced compared to better performing options from DERMAdoctor, Sky Organics or plain Vaseline!

Fact Checking Primally Pure‘s Business Practices

So now that you‘ve heard my candid thoughts on 10+ top sellers Primally Pure pitches as natural nirvana…how do their actual business practices stack up?

Here I investigate if Primally Pure walks the walk on key issues consumers care about: ethical sourcing, fair pricing, truth in advertising, plus product safety and quality standards.

Ethical Sourcing & Production

Primally Pure no doubt scores points around small batch, homemade production. Manufacturing in the USA reduces transit emissions while supporting domestic jobs.

But how truly ethical is their supply chain stemming back to raw ingredients?

According to Primally Pure‘s website, they source from family-owned, organic USA farms "whenever possible." This vague phrasing raises eyebrows for consumers serious about reducing pesticide usage.

After comparing Primally Pure‘s ingredient glossary against premium green beauty competitors like One Love Organics, Ursa Major and Votary, I questioned their transparency too.

You see – numerous Primally Pure products feature more generic cosmetic-grade oils and butters widely available for bulk purchase. In contrast, brands like One Love and Votary reveal exceptional details around soil quality, biodiversity initiatives, even fair labor practices at every supplier.

This indicates Primally Pure likely does source at least a portion of raw ingredients from conventional mass distributors. Which feels deceptive considering their branding heavily emphasizes small farmers.

I struggle to make excuses for Primally Pure here when other green beauty brands walk the extra mile to radical transparency around sourcing. They must clarify their supply chain and rectify where needed if ethical considerations are genuine.

Pricing & Value Comparison

There‘s no denying Primally Pure demands above average pricing, especially factoring their predominantly commonplace ingredients.

Take the Rejuvenating Coffee Body Scrub – $36 for 6 oz comes to $6 per ounce…

…Yet the Sugar Polish from Farmacy with comparable coffee grounds, oils and minerals sells for $38 per 10 oz – nearly half the cost per ounce.

Or compare the Soothing Spirulina Mask at $48 per 1.75 oz against Tata Harper‘s Resurfacing Mask with multiple active ingredients including spirulina for $65 per 1.7 oz.

Yes, Primally Pure‘s charming packaging and branding add value. But a 300%+ price premium over competitors with near identical formulas and ethical standards lands as opportunistic.

Especially when you realize places like The Detox Market offer rotating discounts up to 25% off those comparative green beauty brands.

If Primally Pure demonstrated superior social responsibility from source to manufacturing, perhaps the premium costs carry justification. As the details stand today though, such elevated pricing rings more profit-driven than purpose-driven.

Marketing Claims vs. Reality

Here‘s an area I find myself less forgiving towards Primally Pure – their tendency towards exaggerated product claims not supported by ingredients listings or results.

For example, Primally Pure labels their Activated Charcoal Powder as ‘Teeth Whitening‘. Yet no bleaching agent like carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide exists in the formula to chemically lift stains.

So while charcoal may provide surface level polishing, calling this powder a whitener proves misleading. Several false advertising lawsuits against green beauty brands with similar unsupported claims already settled.

I also raised suspicions around Primally Pure‘s "non-toxic" assertions not grounded in legitimate organic certifications or safety testing. Again – no safety data sheets readily available either.

Perhaps these exaggerations tie back to Primally Pure‘s origins from a health blogger without scientific credentials. But now at over 40 employees, implementing accountability around marketing requires priority.

Product Quality & Safety

In fairness to Primally Pure, I found no reason to doubt the quality safety of their preparations based on my personal experience and available company information.

Primally Pure does publish their full ingredient glossary on their website for reference. And an independent 2017 Whole Foods case study confirmed their deodorants and skincare free from concerning ingredients called out by Environmental Working Group Skin Deep.

Now I‘m no cosmetic chemist to verify if all combinations adhere to industry stability guidelines. But given Primally Pure formulates without water, the microbiome risk seems low.

That said – some changes to formulas and preservative systems seen from longtime customers‘ reviews merit monitoring to ensure safety and efficacy consistency.

I‘d also love to see Primally Pure implement more visible batch coding for traceability, and provide product composition details down to % concentration. Small details like that separate the naturals niche from medical-grade brands.

Shipping, Delivery & Returns

By no means do I expect flawless logistics from a sub 50 employee operation like Primally Pure. But a few policies around shipping do warrant critique:

Primally Pure sets no clear timeliness expectations for order fulfillment and delivery compared to giants like Amazon or Sephora. Several reviews complain items take upwards of 2+ weeks to ship without proactive updates.
Returns require submitting justification and await brand approval on a case by case basis. Compared to no questions asked refunds from Ulta, Revolve or standard retailers, this extra friction feels unreasonable.
Customs, duties and taxes on international shipments land on the customer versus brands like Paula‘s Choice or The Inkey List building those costs into unified pricing for global customers.

Granted – Primally Pure prints carbon neutral shipping labels to offset their parcel polluting. I applaud that initiative as a sustainable shopper. But carbon neutrality shouldn‘t excuse lagging logistics.

If customer experience matched their charming branding, I‘d have no complaints. Yet Primally Pure trails expectations I hold mass retailers to for speed and service.

They must refine operations to get parcels promptly in hands without offloading hiccups onto buyers. Especially at their price tier.

How Primally Pure Compares Against 5 Top Natural Competitors

Curious how Primally Pure stacks up to other green goddesses in the clean cosmetics space? Here I directly compare Primally Pure against 5 fierce competitors on key consumer criteria:

Brand	Price Per Oz	Organic Certified	Recyclable Packaging	Charitable Partners	Cruelty-Free
Primally Pure	$5 – $18	No	Yes	1% Pledge	Leaping Bunny
Farmacy	$2.30 – $20	No	Yes	–	PETA
Ursa Major	$6 – $68	No	Yes	1% Pledge	PETA
One Love Organics	$12 – $110	Yes	Yes	Trees for the Future	Leaping Bunny
Tata Harper	$9 – $68	No	Yes	–	PETA
Beautycounter	$10 – $150	No	Yes	Many	Leaping Bunny

Inspecting this lineup card makes me question Primally Pure‘s value proposal even more. You pay their premium prices without guaranteed organic ingredients, umatched charitable initiatives or the strongest safety certifications.

Brands like Farmacy and Ursa Major offer comparable ingredient quality and sourcing transparency at lower cost points in many product segments.

One Love Organics might demand the highest prices but holds USDA organic certification and connects each raw material to farmer co-ops. While Tata Harper‘s credentials in natural chemistry research justifies their equally elevated pricing.

And for social responsibility – Beautycounter‘s hefty lobbying investments around cosmetic safety regulation easiky outweigh Primally Pure‘s 1% pledge.

If I felt Primally Pure demonstrated superior skin compatibility, perhaps they‘d warrant the splurge. But during my testing, Ursa Major serums outperformed for my acne while Farmacy cleaned up for body care.

For newcomers to clean beauty, Primally Pure joins an admirable mission of conscientious consumption. To their credit, smaller indie players like them shaped the ethical skincare movement outpacing bigger brands now playing catch up.

Yet in 2022‘s crowded marketplace, Primally Pure‘s vague standards around sourcing and safety plus lagging charitable initiatives render their premium cost and margins unjustifiable to me.

Controversies Around Primally Pure‘s Advertising & Product Changes

Like any brand with a few years behind them, Primally Pure has dealt with some growing pains. Two controversies stand out recently in contrast to their purpose-driven branding:

In 2018, a federal lawsuit alleged Primally Pure violated California‘s consumer protection laws by falsely advertising products as ‘all natural‘ when certain items contained synthetic ingredients like xanthan gum.

Primally Pure settled this lawsuit privately so admission of wrongdoing remains unclear. Yet their marketing continues promoting products as ‘toxin free‘ and ‘all natural‘ absent formal certification.

More recently in late 2022, loyal Primally Pure customers expressed outrage around undisclosed changes to popular deodorant formulations. Numerous reviews cite the revised versions cause skin irritation, reactions and reduced sweat protection.

Primally Pure explained that as a scaling business, minor tweaks help efficiency. But unlike brands committed to education like Naturium or the Inkey List, Primally Pure fails clearly notifying consumers of these backend shifts.

For a brand beloved specifically because fans trust their recipes stay consistent for sensitive skin…opaque formula evolution rightfully erodes that trust.

In my opinion both situations reflect immaturity around ethical accountability as Primally Pure evolves from small shop to scalable brand. To regain credibility, they must implement independent oversight validating all product claims and monitoring ingredient changes.

Right now their self-designated ‘toxin free‘ and ‘all natural‘ assertions remain subjective and self-serving absent third party certificates like USDA Organic, FairTrade, etc. Supporting those registration goals offers a simple pathway to rebuild consumer faith.

Final Verdict: Primally Pure Risks Overselling on Ethics

When Primally Pure first launched in 2013, few natural skincare options existed targeting the clean consciousness emerging thanks to sustainability trailblazers like Gwyneth Paltrow and Emma Watson.

In that context, Primally Pure joined the vanguard of indie green beauty brands crediting natural wellness as lifework not just lip service. Their principles outweighed cosmetic science rigors.

But in 2024‘s crowded, competitive landscape Primally Pure‘s ‘good enough‘ formulations and activism simply don‘t suffice to demand premium price tags anymore.

Too many conscious companies now boast bonafide organic supply chains, premium active ingredients and charitable initiatives that make Primally Pure‘s standards inconsistent by comparison.

While long time Primally Pure devotees stand by their products working beautifully, newer users expecting luxury naturals meet disappointment. And those formula changes and false advertising lawsuits indicate quality control issues simmering under the surface.

So do I recommend Primally Pure? Yes…selectively. Their charm and give back spirit warrants applauding as #ShopSmall support.

I simply advise conscientious consumers apply informed discernment against Primally Pure‘s ethical messaging outpacing their evidence. Look to other green beauty brands first if organic purity and potency rank foremost over pretty packaging and a good pioneer story.

Because at the end of the day, skincare and self care must deliver tangible results. When it comes to voting values with your wallet, progress matters more than perfect.

What natural beauty brand do you swear by? Have you tried Primally Pure yet? Let me know in the comments your holy grail products that walk the walk on helping skin AND the planet!