Back in the 1950s-1970s, people were largely unaware of the damage that exposure to even small amounts of lead could have on a human, particularly small ones.

A paper published in 1979 documented harmful effects on children’s cognitive development, and continued research throughout the 1980s linked lead exposure with developmental delays, among other troublesome outcomes.

So you might think that means we stopped putting lead into things we consume in one way or another…but you would be wrong.

Most states, as well as the federal government, have guidelines companies have to follow as far as how much lead is “allowed.” Many doctors, parents, and researchers do not agree, however, that any level of lead exposure is “safe” for children with still developing nervous systems.

Now, lead safety activist Tamara Rubin, who runs the site Lead Safe Mama, is sounding the alarm about popular toothpastes on the market for both adults and children. In fact, she claims that 90% of the 51 brands she tested contained lead and other toxic heavy metals like arsenic, mercury, and cadmium.

Many of the amounts exceed state safety limits.

These aren’t off-brand toothpastes, either. Big names like Crest, Colgate, Sensodyne, and Tom’s all feature prominently on her list of bad actors.

Rubin spoke with The Guardian about her findings.

“It’s unconscionable – especially in 2025. What’s really interesting to me is that no one thought this was a concern.”

Wild, considering the CDC states that exposure to lead in infancy and childhood can damage the brain and nervous system, showing up as learning disabilities, behavior issues, and lower IQ. They also reiterate that no amount of lead exposure is considered safe, especially with kids.

Even states like Washington, which adopted stricter lead limits in recent years, were found to have the offending products on the shelves. In at least one case, the toothpaste exceeded the state’s limit by nearly 8,000 parts per billion.

All but five of the brands tested were over the state of California’s and the FDA’s limits for baby products.

Rubin’s company uses an x-ray fluorescence lead detection tool and claims responsibility for six product recalls since 2022. She gets some criticism for using affiliate links to lead-safe products on her website.

In the case of the toothpastes, Rubin suspects that some of the added ingredients in toothpaste carry the lead with them – possibly hydroxyapatite, calcium carbonate, or bentonite clay.

“A foundation of the work of LSM is the understanding (and agreement with the scientific and medical consensus) that there is no safe level of lead exposure for humans, and that we (as consumers) should demand that companies be held accountable for manufacturing and selling lead-contaminated products, especially products marketed and sold for use by children.”

Honestly, this feels like a no-brainer.

That said, none of the companies have responded with a statement, a promise to do better, or with a plan to pull contaminated products from shelves.

Until then, you might want to take a look at her list and choose a different toothpaste for the time being.

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about why we should be worried about the leak in the bottom of the ocean.