Chart Comparing the Toxicant Profiles of Popular Toothpaste and Tooth Powder Products Tested by an Independent, Third-Party Lab in 2025
Quick Note from Tamara Rubin:
The above graphic 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. To see the specific lab reports for each of the toothpaste product samples we have tested to date, click here (the lab report is at the bottom of the article for each specific toothpaste or tooth powder product). We will be publishing an overview article discussing this data in detail shortly. Here are direct links to each of the articles for toothpaste products we have sent to the lab so far:
- Risewell in Cake Batter Flavor – Fluoride Free
- Boka Ela Mint Toothpaste – Fluoride Free
- Jack N’ Jill in StrawberryFlavor – Fluoride Free
- Tom’s of Maine in Strawberry – Fluoride Free
- Wellnesse Strawberry Toothpaste – Fluoride Free
- Hello Toothpaste in Fresh Watermelon Flavor – Fluoride Free
- Just Ingredients Tooth Powder in Fresh Citrus – Fluoride Free
- Earth Paste Silver Toothpaste in Lemon Twist Flavor – Fluoride Free
We have not yet found a Lead-free toothpaste unfortunately – so I do not have one to recommend.
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 doctor!).
This is the toothbrush my kids use – https://amzn.to/3CIp235 (aflink) – and this is the water flosser each of my kids use too – https://amzn.to/3EosHU5 (aflink). This is the toothbrush I am currently using while traveling (I love that I can charge it using my phone charger or my computer!) – aflink – https://amzn.to/40Q57XU
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).
- Tamara owns and runs Lead Safe Mama, LLC — a unique community collaborative woman-owned small business for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety.
- Since July 2022, the work of Lead Safe Mama, LLC has been responsible for six product recalls (FDA and CPSC).
- All test results reported on this website are science-based, accurate, and replicable.
- Please check out our press page to see some of the news coverage of our work, linked here.
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!
“Simply Not Achievable”
While the packaged, processed food industry (as well as the supplements and cosmetics industry) would have consumers (and the government) believe the standards proposed with the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021 are unachievable, this industry position (an oft-rearticulated response to nearly every set of laboratory test results for food and supplements that we have published to date) is simply not true.
It is possible to make safer processed, packaged food products and supplements (and cosmetics) that fall well below the safety limits for toxicants proposed within the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021. To wit, the products listed below (the first section of the list below) tested “non-detect” for Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, and Arsenic (primarily using the low threshold of detection proposed in 2021) — several even tested non-detect for Lead with the low threshold of detection being “less than 1.5 ppb.”
Below is an EXPANDING list of products (foods and supplements) 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).
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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).
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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!:
- Baby Food — 1 — Little Spoon Kale, Carrot + Pear BabyBlends
- Baby Food — 2 —Little Spoon Butternut Squash + Blueberry BabyBlends
- Baby Food — 3 — Little Spoon Sweet Potato BabyBlends
- Baby Food — 4 — Little Spoon Sweet Potato + Carrot BabyBlends
- Baby Food — 5 — Little Spoon Banana + Pitaya BabyBlends
- Beverage — 1 — Honest Kids Organic Appley Ever After Apple Juice Drink: https://amzn.to/4fjGhov
- Beverage — 2 — Olipop Grape Tonic: https://amzn.to/4cjFYZu
- Breakfast Item — 1 — Nature’s Path Envirokidz Organic Panda Puffs: https://amzn.to/4fo1crf
- Breakfast Item — 2 — One Degree Organic, Gluten-Free, Sprouted Rolled Oats (Canada): https://amzn.to/3WIQ1BN
- Candy — Lindt White Chocolate Bar (Made in USA, New Hampshire): https://amzn.to/3OXkyIm
- Candy — Cavendish & Harvey Wild Berry Drops, not organic (Germany): https://amzn.to/3Z1Jxjr
- Coffee & Tea — 1 — Chameleon Handcrafted Organic Cold Brew Concentrate: https://amzn.to/3OcrH77
- Coffee & Tea — 2 — Tao of Tea Organic Genmaicha (Tamara’s favorite, from Japan, sold by a Portland, Oregon-based company!): https://amzn.to/3Dp8Fsd
- Coffee & Tea — 3 — Califia Farms Almond Latte Cold Brew (XX Espresso): https://amzn.to/4gTTGoJ
- Coffee & Tea — 4 — Death Wish Organic Espresso Roast Ground Coffee (Multi-country origin, non-USA): https://amzn.to/3yo1eiL
- Coffee Creamer — Plant-Based — 1 — Laird Superfood Coconut Creamer: https://amzn.to/4fItA7A
- Coffee Creamer — Dairy — 2 — Organic Valley Grassmilk Half and Half: https://amzn.to/4fHJIWT
- Dairy, Cheese – Babybel Mini Original Snack Cheese: https://amzn.to/3ZY5noO
- Fruit Snack — 1 — GoGo Squeez Organic Apple Sauce Pouch: https://amzn.to/3XhWYLe
- Fruit Snack — 2 — Costco’s Kirkland Organic Apple Sauce Pouch: https://amzn.to/4gOYpZ9
- Fruit Snack — 3 — Pure Organic Layered Fruit Bars in Strawberry Banana Flavor: https://amzn.to/3WQEekA
- Fruit Snack — 4 — Once Upon A Farm Dairy Free Fruit Smoothie Pouch in Strawberry Banana Swirl Flavor: https://amzn.to/3CPMbAw
- Fruit Snack — 5 — Pure Organic Layered Fruit Bars in Raspberry Lemonade Flavor: https://amzn.to/3XcFsIp
- Infant Formula — 1 — Bobbie Organic Gentle Infant Formula Milk-Based Powder with Iron (pink and white can): https://amzn.to/3YYb849
- Infant Formula — 2 — Bobbie Organic Infant Formula Milk-Based Powder with Iron (green and white can): https://amzn.to/3VOr4Vy
- Infant Formula — 3 — Bobbie Grass-Fed Milk-Based Powder with Iron (green can): https://amzn.to/3ZlAaeJ
- Infant Formula — 4 — ByHeart Infant Formula (USA-made, not organic): https://amzn.to/48DJjTb
- Infant Formula — 5 — HiPP Bio Combiotik Infant Formula Powder, Stage 1 (imported)
- Infant Formula — 6 — HiPP HA Stage PRE (0+ Months) Combiotic Formula (imported)
- 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
- Infant Formula — 8 — Kendamil Goat Infant Formula (not organic): This product may be available at Target (it is not available on Amazon)
- Infant Formula — 9 — Kendamil Organic Follow-On Milk (European/ British Toddler Formula, for 6-12 months, Cow Milk): Not available on Amazon (report link)
- Infant Formula — 10 — Kendamil Whole Milk Infant Formula (from Europe, pink can, not organic), available at Target
- Infant Formula — 11 — Kendamil Organic Infant Formula (Cow Milk): Not available on Amazon but may be available at Target
- Ingredient — 1 (salt) — Jacobsen’s Sea Salt (Oregon, USA): https://amzn.to/4dcbk5L
- Ingredient — 2 (baking flour) — Jovial Organic Einkorn Flour (Italy): https://amzn.to/3LIqxix
- Ingredient — 3 (seeds) — Costco Kirkland Organic Hemp Seeds: https://amzn.to/4e05RP9
- Ingredient — 4 (seeds) — Navitas Organic, Gluten-Free Chia Seeds (Mexico): https://amzn.to/3YvE7xC
- Ingredient — 5 (beans) — Jovial Organic Chickpeas, Product of Italy: https://amzn.to/4iRON1l
- Oil — 1 — Chosen Foods 100% Avocado Oil (not organic): https://amzn.to/3YDZSuv
- Oil — 2 — Dr. Adorable’s Organic Perilla Seed Oil (Korea): https://amzn.to/3NDt7Yc
- Oil — 3 — Dr. Bronner’s Regenerative Organic Coconut Oil: https://amzn.to/40xwBmv
- Plant-Based Milk — 1 — Kiki Milk Organic Plant-Based Milk (original flavor): https://amzn.to/3AA6Qrt
- Plant-Based Milk — 2 — West Soy Unflavored Unsweetened Organic Soy Milk: https://amzn.to/4dwev8l
- Supplement — 1 — Baby Ddrops – Organic Vitamin D3 Supplement for Babies: https://amzn.to/49C3ktH
- Supplement — 2 — Doctor’s Best Vitamin C with Q-C: https://amzn.to/4hlVvea
- Supplement — 3 — Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Fish Oil: https://amzn.to/48q1j2V
- Supplement — 4 — Mary Ruth’s Organic Toddler Multivitamin Liquid Drops with Iron: https://amzn.to/3YPhcgx
- 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):
- 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
- Fruit Snack — That’s It Apple Cherry Bars, not organic (positive for traces of Arsenic): https://amzn.to/4fHkSWV
- Oil — Chosen Foods 100% Pure Avocado oil, organic (postive for traces of Arsenic): https://amzn.to/3BVQYQa
- Supplement — Now Sunflower Lecithin, not organic (positive for traces of Arsenic): https://amzn.to/3AFdHzO
- Supplement — WishGarden Immune Boost Seasonal Rescue for Pregnancy: https://amzn.to/3Cd940N
Amazon links are affiliate links.
Published: January 31, 2025
Friday
Key Points to Consider:
- There are almost no reasonable safety limits proposed for toxicant contamination (heavy metal contamination specifically) of foods and supplements consumed by adults (or by the general population) in the United States.
- Any available proposed safety thresholds (and guidance) for foods and supplements consumed by adults are not currently set at levels that are protective of human health, given practical/ actual consumption patterns of foods (vs. manufacturer-defined serving sizes).
- The above point is especially important given children eat all foods, not just foods marketed for consumption by children (for example: Find me a pre-teen that won’t go through an entire 5-ounce/ 5-serving bag of potato chips in one sitting)!
- Our focus is (as always) on the health of children.
- By applying the standards proposed by the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021 to all foods and supplements, we are working more in line with standards that protect human health (for all!) given all scientific and medical experts agree there is no safe level of Lead exposure for human beings.
- Said another way: You would never be eating a snack chip out of a bag and say to your 5-year-old child “this product is only marketed for consumption by adults, so you cannot eat it.” That would be ridiculous. Kids eat what we eat, so everything that goes into our bodies in an attempt to nourish us and support our health and well being should be appropriate for any age consumer (not just a demographic designated by the manufacturer based on irrelevant age group-related toxicity standards for a specific product or ingredient).
- Remember: There is no safe level of Lead exposure for human beings. Period.
- This is a non-negotiable point that everyone in the scientific and medical community — everyone who researches Lead poisoning — agrees with.
This is the Lead Safe Mama Amazon affiliate link to purchase a test kit similar to what we use for our laboratory testing (using the lab network we are using for the testing we are coordinating).
To see more articles related to the laboratory testing of foods and supplements Lead Safe Mama, LLC is conducting (including background on this initiative and safer food choices and guidelines), click the pink square below.
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.
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Wow this is useful, thanks! Would you be able to test Dr Jen’s toothpaste?
https://drjennatural.com/products/remineralizing-toothpaste-for-kids
have you tested Dr. Bronners toothpaste?
It’s on the list of toothpastes we are raising funds to test – and the cost of testing and reporting for the Dr. Bronner’s toothpaste is almost funded. Please contribute if you can! Link to contribute here: https://www.gofundme.com/s?q=tamara+rubin&location-description=Portland%2C+OR&location-lat=45.520247&location-lng=-122.674195
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.
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).
Are these results coming today? Based on your reply sounds like they may be bad 🙁
Have you tested plain baking soda as an alternative?
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
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!!
Thank you for the info! I didn’t realize that you have already tested the flavored version.
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.
Here you go: https://tamararubin.com/nominate/
Done, thank you. If anyone else wants to nominate this toothpaste please do! https://getsuperteeth.com/products/prebiotic-mineral-toothpaste-with-hydroxyapatite
Hi! Have you tested or considered David’s toothpaste?
Thank you
It’s on the list to be tested! 🙂
Thank you! I forgot to ask about Atitude toothpaste as well?
Thank you
We use Dr. Brite Toothpaste. I’m willing to put money to check this brand!
https://www.drbrite.com/
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
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.
We have fundraising campaigns to cover the cost of testing and reporting for several different mainstream brands – they are all linked here (please donate to any you would like to see tested! – including the Colgate or Crest!)
https://tamararubin.com/2025/02/lead-safe-mama-llc-fundraisers-for-toothpaste-testing/
I found your page via a video discussing safe toothpastes for toddlers via TikTok and was under the impression that Jack N’ Jill toothpaste was safe. Now I am at crossroads and saddened that I’ve been using it on my 19 month old. Would you be able to test NOBS Jr Kids toothpaste? I have linked it below. Thank you,
https://betterbiom.com/collections/all-products/products/nobs-jr-kids-toothpaste?variant=45420040519990
Here’s the list of everything we have pending / everything we are raising funds to test and report on:
https://tamararubin.com/2025/02/lead-safe-mama-llc-fundraisers-for-toothpaste-testing/