Chart Comparing the Toxicant Profiles of Popular Toothpaste and Tooth Powder Products Tested by an Independent, Third-Party Lab in 2025

ByTamara Posted: Updated:
46 Comments
| | | | | | | | |

  

Quick Note from Tamara Rubin:

  • We have only found one Lead-free toothpaste so far, and it is a fluoride-free toothpaste sold as a “training toothpaste” for toddlers  — here’s the link for that product: https://amzn.to/4hpjpF7
  • I personally did not use toothpaste with my children when they were young (not until they were about 10 years old) — regular brushing (3x a day) with water and a good toothbrush (and flossing with a water flosser) can be just as effective as using toothpaste (talk to your dentist!)
  • This is the toothbrush my kids use – https://amzn.to/3CIp235
  • This is the water flosser each of my kids use too – https://amzn.to/3EosHU5
  • This is the toothbrush I am currently using while traveling (I love that I can charge it using my phone charger or my computer!)  – https://amzn.to/40Q57XU

The graphic on this page is a chart comparing the toxicant profiles of popular toothpaste and tooth powder products (“natural” and conventional, fluoride-free and fluoride-containing) that have been tested through the community collaborative (community directed and funded), independent, third-party, laboratory testing Lead Safe Mama, LLC is coordinating.

  • To learn more about Lead Safe Mama, LLC’s business model, click here. 
  • We will be publishing an overview article discussing this data in detail shortly. 
  • The direct links to each of the articles we have published to date — for toothpaste  and tooth powder products we have sent to the lab for testing  — are below.
  • The full original lab report is always at the bottom of each article.
  1. Orajel Kids Elmo Training Toothpaste – Fluoride Free
  2. Risewell Toothpaste in Cake Batter Flavor – Fluoride Free
  3. Boka Ela Mint Toothpaste – Fluoride Free
  4. Wedela Children’s Tooth Gel in Spearmint Flavor (Switzerland) – Fluoride Free
  5. Dr, Brite Kids Toothpaste in Strawberry Sky Flavor – Fluoride Free
  6. Sensodyne Extra Whitening Cool Mint Toothpaste – With Fluoride
  7. Jack N’ Jill Toothpaste in Strawberry Flavor – Fluoride Free
  8. Dr. Bronner’s Toothpaste in Peppermint Flavor – Fluoride Free
  9. Dr. Jen Strawberry Toothpaste for Kids – Fluoride Free
  10. Tom’s of Maine in Strawberry – Fluoride Free 
  11. Wellnesse Strawberry Toothpaste – Fluoride Free
  12. Crest Regular Toothpaste  – With Fluoride
  13. Now Solutions Xyli•White  Refreshmint Toothpaste Gel- Fluoride Free
  14. Davids Premium Toothpaste in Natural Peppermint Flavor – Fluoride Free
  15. Hello Toothpaste in Fresh Watermelon Flavor – Fluoride Free
  16. Just Ingredients Tooth Powder in Fresh Citrus – Fluoride Free
  17. Earth Paste Silver Toothpaste in Lemon Twist Flavor – Fluoride Free 

Please check out our open/ not-yet-funded campaigns on GoFundMe if you would like to support some of our additional independent, crowd-funded, third-party laboratory testing. Thank you!

This link has all of our not-yet-funded Toothpaste
& Tooth Powder testing campaigns.

For those new to the Lead Safe Mama website:

Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety, and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her four sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005).

This is an ad-free article.

Advertising and affiliate income help Lead Safe Mama, LLC cover the costs of the work we do here (independent consumer goods testing and childhood Lead poisoning prevention advocacy). We have removed ads from most of our more widely-read articles (and newly published articles, too — like this one!) to make them easier for you to read. In addition to supporting this work by starting any shopping you might be doing with a click on our affiliate links, if you would like to support the independent consumer goods testing and childhood Lead poisoning prevention advocacy work of Lead Safe Mama, LLC by making a contribution (which will also help us keep our more widely-read articles ad-free), click here. Thank you!

Below is an EXPANDING list of products (foods, supplements, and cosmetics) that have tested “non-detect” for Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, and Arsenic with independent, third-party, crowd-funded laboratory testing coordinated by Lead Safe Mama, LLC (an Oregon-based small business with a unique community-collaborative business model and a focus on consumer goods safety and childhood Lead poisoning prevention).
–
The limits of detection for each of the metals tested are noted in the lab report for the specific product listed. To see the full lab report for any of these products, type the brand name into the search bar at the top of any page on Lead Safe Mama dot com (and scroll down to the bottom of the related article).
–
Flavors tested are noted, and other flavors of the same product (or other products from the same brand) have either not been tested or have been tested but did not yield similar results. Test results only apply to the specific products linked below.

LIST UPDATED January 26, 2025 — 49 Products!:

  1. Baby Food — 1 — Little Spoon Kale, Carrot + Pear BabyBlends
  2. Baby Food — 2 —Little Spoon Butternut Squash + Blueberry BabyBlends
  3. Baby Food — 3 — Little Spoon Sweet Potato BabyBlends
  4. Baby Food — 4 — Little Spoon Sweet Potato + Carrot BabyBlends
  5. Baby Food — 5 — Little Spoon Banana + Pitaya BabyBlends
  6. Beverage — 1 — Honest Kids Organic Appley Ever After Apple Juice Drink: https://amzn.to/4fjGhov
  7. Beverage — 2 —  Olipop Grape Tonic: https://amzn.to/4cjFYZu
  8. Breakfast Item — 1 — Nature’s Path Envirokidz Organic Panda Puffs: https://amzn.to/4fo1crf
  9. Breakfast Item — 2 — One Degree Organic, Gluten-Free, Sprouted Rolled Oats (Canada): https://amzn.to/3WIQ1BN
  10. Candy — Lindt White Chocolate Bar (Made in USA, New Hampshire): https://amzn.to/3OXkyIm
  11. Candy — Cavendish & Harvey Wild Berry Drops, not organic (Germany): https://amzn.to/3Z1Jxjr
  12. Coffee & Tea — 1 — Chameleon Handcrafted Organic Cold Brew Concentrate: https://amzn.to/3OcrH77
  13. Coffee & Tea — 2 — Tao of Tea Organic Genmaicha (Tamara’s favorite, from Japan, sold by a Portland, Oregon-based company!): https://amzn.to/3Dp8Fsd
  14. Coffee & Tea — 3 — Califia Farms Almond Latte Cold Brew (XX Espresso): https://amzn.to/4gTTGoJ
  15. Coffee & Tea — 4 — Death Wish Organic Espresso Roast Ground Coffee (Multi-country origin, non-USA): https://amzn.to/3yo1eiL  
  16. Coffee Creamer — Plant-Based  — 1 — Laird Superfood Coconut Creamer: https://amzn.to/4fItA7A
  17. Coffee Creamer — Dairy — 2 — Organic Valley Grassmilk Half and Half: https://amzn.to/4fHJIWT
  18. Dairy, Cheese – Babybel Mini Original Snack Cheese: https://amzn.to/3ZY5noO
  19. Fruit Snack — 1 — GoGo Squeez Organic Apple Sauce Pouch: https://amzn.to/3XhWYLe
  20. Fruit Snack — 2 — Costco’s Kirkland Organic Apple Sauce Pouch: https://amzn.to/4gOYpZ9
  21. Fruit Snack — 3 — Pure Organic Layered Fruit Bars in Strawberry Banana Flavor: https://amzn.to/3WQEekA
  22. Fruit Snack — 4 — Once Upon A Farm Dairy Free Fruit Smoothie Pouch in Strawberry Banana Swirl Flavor: https://amzn.to/3CPMbAw
  23. Fruit Snack — 5 — Pure Organic Layered Fruit Bars in Raspberry Lemonade Flavor: https://amzn.to/3XcFsIp
  24. Infant Formula — 1 — Bobbie Organic Gentle Infant Formula Milk-Based Powder with Iron (pink and white can): https://amzn.to/3YYb849 
  25. Infant Formula — 2 — Bobbie Organic Infant Formula Milk-Based Powder with Iron (green and white can): https://amzn.to/3VOr4Vy
  26. Infant Formula — 3 — Bobbie Grass-Fed Milk-Based Powder with Iron (green can): https://amzn.to/3ZlAaeJ
  27. Infant Formula — 4 — ByHeart Infant Formula (USA-made, not organic): https://amzn.to/48DJjTb
  28. Infant Formula — 5 — HiPP Bio Combiotik Infant Formula Powder, Stage 1 (imported)
  29. Infant Formula — 6 — HiPP HA Stage PRE (0+ Months) Combiotic Formula  (imported)
  30. Infant Formula — 7 — Holle Bio Goat Stage 2 Infant Formula (for 6-10 months, organic, European — Swiss/ German/ Austrian) is not available on Amazon, but the Stage 3 version of this product is (not yet tested, but will likely test similarly): https://amzn.to/3BVU7zI
  31. Infant Formula — 8 — Kendamil Goat Infant Formula (not organic): This product may be available at Target (it is not available on Amazon)
  32. Infant Formula — 9 — Kendamil Organic Follow-On Milk (European/ British Toddler Formula, for 6-12 months, Cow Milk): Not available on Amazon (report link)
  33. Infant Formula — 10 — Kendamil Whole Milk Infant Formula (from Europe, pink can, not organic), available at Target
  34. Infant Formula — 11 — Kendamil Organic Infant Formula (Cow Milk): Not available on Amazon but may be available at Target
  35. Ingredient — 1 (salt) — Jacobsen’s Sea Salt (Oregon, USA): https://amzn.to/4dcbk5L
  36. Ingredient — 2 (baking flour) — Jovial Organic Einkorn Flour (Italy): https://amzn.to/3LIqxix 
  37. Ingredient — 3 (seeds) — Costco Kirkland Organic Hemp Seeds: https://amzn.to/4e05RP9
  38. Ingredient — 4 (seeds) — Navitas Organic, Gluten-Free Chia Seeds (Mexico): https://amzn.to/3YvE7xC
  39. Ingredient — 5 (beans) — Jovial Organic Chickpeas, Product of Italy: https://amzn.to/4iRON1l
  40. Oil — 1 — Chosen Foods 100% Avocado Oil (not organic): https://amzn.to/3YDZSuv
  41. Oil — 2 — Dr. Adorable’s Organic Perilla Seed Oil (Korea): https://amzn.to/3NDt7Yc
  42. Oil — 3 — Dr. Bronner’s Regenerative Organic Coconut Oil: https://amzn.to/40xwBmv
  43. Plant-Based Milk — 1 — Kiki Milk Organic Plant-Based Milk (original flavor): https://amzn.to/3AA6Qrt
  44. Plant-Based Milk — 2 — West Soy Unflavored Unsweetened Organic Soy Milk: https://amzn.to/4dwev8l
  45. Supplement — 1 — Baby Ddrops – Organic Vitamin D3 Supplement for Babies: https://amzn.to/49C3ktH
  46. Supplement — 2 — Doctor’s Best Vitamin C with Q-C: https://amzn.to/4hlVvea
  47. Supplement — 3 — Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Fish Oil: https://amzn.to/48q1j2V
  48. Supplement — 4 — Mary Ruth’s Organic Toddler Multivitamin Liquid Drops with Iron: https://amzn.to/3YPhcgx
  49. Supplement — 5 — Pendulum Metabolic Daily Dietary Supplement: https://amzn.to/4gY5wOm

Here’s a link to the lab reports for all the food and supplements we have tested, including those listed above:
https://tamararubin.com/2024/05/food-articles/

Stand by for more!

BONUS FIVE: Below are FIVE additional products that each tested positive for trace (very low levels of) Arsenic — at levels considered safe by all standards (with the limits of detection noted in the lab report for the specific product listed):

  1. Infant Formula — Kendamil Goat Toddler Milk, not organic (positive for traces of Arsenic): May be available at Target or through other online retailers of European infant formulas
  2. Fruit Snack — That’s It Apple Cherry Bars, not organic (positive for traces of Arsenic): https://amzn.to/4fHkSWV
  3. Oil — Chosen Foods 100% Pure Avocado oil, organic (postive for traces of Arsenic): https://amzn.to/3BVQYQa
  4. Supplement — Now Sunflower Lecithin, not organic (positive for traces of Arsenic): https://amzn.to/3AFdHzO
  5. Supplement — WishGarden Immune Boost Seasonal Rescue for Pregnancy: https://amzn.to/3Cd940N

Amazon links are affiliate links. 

Amazon links are affiliate links. If you purchase something after clicking on a Lead Safe Mama, LLC Amazon affiliate link, Lead Safe Mama, LLC may receive a percentage of what you spend at no extra cost to you.

shop lead free banner

Never Miss an Important Article Again!

Join our Email List

46 Comments

  3. I would like to nominate Jack and Jill unflavored toothpaste to be tested. My child has been using it for almost 2 years and has always passed their lead test. I’m curious if this toothpaste may be clearing heavy metals.

    Reply

    1. The unflavored will have similar results to the flavored (I expect, given the ingredient profile is the same and the addition of flavors to a toothpaste would not have a significant impact on the toxicant profile of a given toothpaste – unless the “flavor” were natural cinnamon, or charcoal – for example). Children might “pass” a metals test only because the low threshold of detection of that test is higher than what might detect persistent low level chronic exposure from a product like a toothpaste – that does not mean there is not potential impact to that child – so regardless it is always good to avoid known potential exposure to toxicants (even of the exposure levels do not result in a detectable level of Lead in a child’s blood).

      Reply

    1. Hi, I used baking soda for maybe a year and it caused gum erosion… I’d be very careful and definitely not if you already have any gingivitis or receding gums

      Reply

      1. Hello! If you were wetting the baking soda it will not cause gum recession! The water changes the molecule plus it is way less abrasive than just about every toothpaste on the market. Baking soda also being basic in nature kills off the acidic oral bacteria that breakdown teeth. It’s a great way to keep your teeth healthy! You may want to explore the possibility that you are clenching/grinding your teeth as that does cause gum recession! Sore jaw, headaches, gum recession, flat teeth?? All signs of clenching/grinding.

        Reply

  5. I’m unclear on how to locate what brands were C and G. Any chance you’ve tested Happy Tooth or Dr Squatch? Thanks for all you do!!

    Reply

    1. Have all of the toothpastes that have been funded been tested? I can’t find the results for some of them, but fund raising had ended and goal was reached. Thanks

      Reply

  7. Hi Tamara, this is awesome. are you still taking requests with a specific donation amount / how does that work? I would like to see Superteeth toothpaste tested.

    Reply

      2. Hi, is there a place where we can donate to help pay for the cost of testing David’s? We just switched to it basically because it’s not on here yet as having lead or anything and SEEMS great but some of the lead/cadmium content in pastes on here I would think are safe are deplorable!

        Thank you for all this!

        Reply

        1. Thank you! The campaign for David’s funded already – and it is headed to the lab this week. If you would still be interested in supporting the work, we’d really like to send this to the lab as a basis for comparison (since we’ve only tested one conventional fluoride toothpaste so far – the sensodyne):
          https://www.gofundme.com/f/lead-safe-mama-lab-tests-crest-kids-bubblegum-toothpaste?qid=132aa609797e6779a4092a19a1f63918
          –
          Thanks for considering making a contribution! This is a collaborative effort and the test results for this Crest brand product could help a lot of families.

          Reply

    1. Hi there – Here is our Dr. Brite Fundraiser (link below) – please contribute whatever you can afford. If this funds by Monday we will send it to the lab this coming week.
      https://www.gofundme.com/f/lead-safe-mama-tests-dr-brite-kids-strawberry-toothpaste?qid=571cc94686b11d1d07bbe6bd304ca858

      Here is the list of all of the pending fundraisers for toothpaste laboratory testing and reporting:
      https://www.gofundme.com/s?q=tamara+rubin+tooth&c=342&location-description=Portland%2C+OR&location-lat=45.520247&location-lng=-122.674195

      Reply

  10. Have you tested any of the bigger marketshare toothpastes, like an adult Crest or Colgate? I’m just wondering how a big “mainstream” brand would compare to the more “natural” brands.

    Also, do you have any idea why there is so much lead in toothpaste? It’s really shocking that our kids are brushing their teeth with lead and arsenic. It reminds me of medieval lead makeup. I feel so angry that I used Tom’s of Maine for my kids thinking that I was doing something good for their health when we would have been better off not using toothpaste at all.

    Reply

    2. It contains silica & xylitol. Given the pattern of common ingredients in the contaminated ones, I would bet contains lead & mercury.

      Reply

  12. Noticing a pattern of ingredients correlated to high heavy metals. All of them contain silica (possibly contaminated with lead?). Also, all of the ones with xylitol are high in mercury. It would be more economical to find and test more toothpastes without those ingredients to confirm those ingredients are the problem. No surprise the one that came out clean doesn’t contain either of those ingredients.

    Reply

    1. However, Jack N’ Jill Strawberry has both ingredients, yet tested negative for Mercury. Not sure about the correlation in this instance??

      Reply

  13. Thank you very much. This testing is invaluable. On another note recent studies revealed that xylitol is associated with higher risk for heart attack and stroke.
    Cleveland Clinic
    June 7, 2024
    Another Sugar Substitute, Xylitol, Is Linked to Heightened Cardiovascular Risk
    https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/another-sugar-substitute-xylitol-is-linked-to-heightened-cardiovascular-risk

    WebMD Health News
    June 10, 2024
    Sugar Substitute Tied to Higher Risk for Heart Attack, Stroke
    https://www.medscape.com/s/viewarticle/sugar-substitute-tied-higher-risk-heart-attack-stroke-2024a1000asv?ecd=wnl_sci_tech_240612_MSCPEDIT_etid6586357&uac=166473CY&impID=6586357

    High levels of xylitol, a low-calorie sweetener used in many reduced-sugar foods as well as gum and toothpaste, are linked to an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and death, says a new study published in the European Heart Journal.
    The research team studied more than 3000 people in the US and Europe over 3 years and found that people with the highest amount of xylitol in their plasma were more likely to have a problem with their heart or blood vessels.
    To show the early effects of xylitol, researchers studied platelet activity in volunteers who consumed a xylitol-sweetened drink and a glucose-sweetened drink. The xylitol levels went up by 1000 times in people after the xylitol drink but not after the glucose-sweetened drink. Xylitol is naturally found in small amounts in fruit and vegetables, and it’s been used more as a sugar substitute over the past decade in processed foods, toothpaste, chewing gum, and other products.
    “This study again shows the immediate need for investigating sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners, especially as they continue to be recommended in combatting conditions like obesity or diabetes,” Stanley Hazen, MD, chair of the Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences at Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute, said in a news release.
    “It does not mean throw out your toothpaste if it has xylitol in it, but we should be aware that consumption of a product containing high levels could increase the risk of blood clot-related events.”
    A similar link between erythritol, another sugar substance, and problems with the heart and blood vessels was found last year by the same research team, the release said.

    In a response to the study, the Calorie Control Council, a trade association representing the low- and reduced-calorie food and beverage industry, said xylitol has been approved for decades by government agencies. The study results may not apply to the general population because some people in the study already had a higher risk of having problems with their heart and blood vessels, it said.

    SOURCES:
    European Heart Journal: “Xylitol is prothrombotic and associated with cardiovascular risk.”
    Cleveland Clinic: “Cleveland Clinic-Led Study Links Sugar Substitute to Increased Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke.”
    Calorie Control Council: “CCC Statement in Response to Xylitol is Prothrombotic and Associated with Cardiovascular Risk.”

    Reply

  18. I would love a natural baking soda tested! Not a big brand synthetically made one! I just went to a dental lecture and the science is showing brushing and/or rinsing with baking soda and water is an incredible way to keep your mouth healthy. It is so basic that the acid bacterium the mouth die off in it’s presence! Those bacteria are what cause cavities and diseases!!! Super exciting science! Toothpaste is all about making money!!

    Reply

  21. I would like to look at all the ingredients but one i noticed in a few is silica. That is naturally occuring in the earth and I am wondering if it is similar to clay in that maybe it is absorbing lead from the earth. My husband and I went to get our family the orajel toothpaste tonight because we do not want our kids using anything with lead.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *