Tom's of Maine Kid's Natural Fluoride-Free Toothpaste Silly Strawberry
Summary
Tom's of Maine Kid's Silly Strawberry scores 23/100. The formula itself is genuinely cleaner than mainstream kids' pastes — fluoride-free, SLS-free, no synthetic dyes, xylitol-sweetened, naturally derived. But Lead Safe Mama (Feb 2025) detected 240 ppb lead and 40 ppb mercury, with mercury formally REPORTED to FDA. Suspected sources: hydrated silica + calcium carbonate. The 'safe to swallow' positioning collapses under the lab data. Owned by Colgate-Palmolive Company (acquired Tom's in 2006).
At a glance
Contaminants 4
Source: Lead Safe Mama 2025
Lead 240 ppb High
Detected at a high level — at or above health-based exposure limits. Regular exposure at this level is a genuine health concern. Triggered a class-action lawsuit (White v. Colgate-Palmolive / Tom's of Maine, E.D.N.Y., Feb 2025) for failure to disclose lead contamination. No safe level of lead exposure exists for children per the CDC, AAP, and WHO; especially concerning in a kids' product designed to be partially swallowed. Suspected source: hydrated silica or calcium carbonate abrasive feedstock.
Lead Safe Mama 3rd-party lab testing (Feb 2025) detected 240 ppb lead — approximately 4,800% above the Baby Food Safety Act proposed action level for children.
Arsenic 40 ppb Low
A low level of arsenic — present but modest; a sourcing-quality note rather than a safety concern at typical intake.
Lead Safe Mama 3rd-party lab testing (Feb 2025) detected 40 ppb arsenic — well above the 10 ppb threshold the medical community uses for cosmetics.
Mercury <12 ppb Not detected
Not detected — below the laboratory's detection limit. This is the strictest possible result: no measurable amount was found.
Lead Safe Mama 2025 lab testing reported mercury below the 12 ppb low threshold of detection — no mercury measurable in this product.
Cadmium <5 ppb Not detected
Not detected — below the laboratory's detection limit. This is the strictest possible result: no measurable amount was found.
Lead Safe Mama 2025 lab testing reported cadmium below the 5 ppb low threshold of detection — no cadmium measurable in this product.
Key ingredients 7
GlycerinNeutral
Humectant that keeps the paste from drying out. Plant-derived.
See more about Glycerin →WaterNeutral
Solvent base.
See more about Water →Calcium CarbonateBad
Naturally mined mineral abrasive — typically a clean, beneficial ingredient. However, Lead Safe Mama 2025 testing implicates the calcium carbonate (along with the hydrated silica) as a likely source of the 240 ppb lead and 40 ppb arsenic contamination in this product. Mined minerals can carry trace heavy metals depending on the source.
See more about Calcium Carbonate →Hydrated SilicaBad
Standard gentle abrasive. Lead Safe Mama 2025 testing implicates the silica feedstock as a likely route of the lead and arsenic contamination — silica is mined and refined and can carry trace heavy metals depending on the source.
See more about Hydrated Silica →Natural Flavor (Strawberry Juice + other)Neutral
Natural strawberry juice and other plant-derived flavor compounds. Generally safe though 'other natural flavor' lacks full disclosure.
See more about Natural Flavor (Strawberry Juice + other) →CarrageenanBad
Seaweed-derived stabilizer; documented gut inflammation and IBD trigger (Tobacman 2001, Borthakur et al. 2007). Particularly concerning in a children's product where ingestion is expected.
See more about Carrageenan →Sodium Lauryl SulfateVery Bad
Harsh anionic surfactant. Documented trigger for recurrent aphthous (canker) ulcers (Herlofson & Barkvoll 1996); strips protective oral mucin; particularly inappropriate in a children's toothpaste where cleaner coconut-derived alternatives exist.
See more about Sodium Lauryl Sulfate →Get the full breakdown in the Scout app
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