Tom's of Maine Kid's Natural Fluoride-Free Toothpaste Silly Strawberry
At a glance
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).
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
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 →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 →WaterNeutral
Solvent base.
See more about Water →Calcium CarbonateNeutral
Mineral fortificant and anti-caking agent — benign.
See more about Calcium Carbonate →Hydrated SilicaNeutral
Standard mild toothpaste abrasive — safe at typical use.
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) →GlycerinGood
Humectant that draws moisture to the skin — a beneficial base ingredient.
See more about Glycerin →Get the full breakdown in the Scout appTake Scout shopping
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