They said their toothpaste was the best for my daughter... then I read the sickening claims

I am the type of mom who reads every label before buying a product for my four-year-old daughter.

So when I learned about a lawsuit against a toothpaste marketed as safe, natural and free from artificial dyes and sweeteners, I immediately checked the tube sitting in my bathroom.

Since my daughter Amelia started brushing her teeth, we have used Hello Kids toothpaste. Like many parents, I was drawn to the brand's promises of natural ingredients and kid-friendly formulation.

It felt like one less thing to worry about in a world where parents are constantly bombarded with warnings about what their children put into their bodies.

Then came the lawsuit.

Hello Products – the company behind the toothpaste – was hit with a class action lawsuit in 2025 alleging that some of its products contain 'alarmingly high' levels of heavy metals, including lead and mercury.

The allegations have sparked concern among parents who specifically chose the brand because it was marketed as a safer alternative to conventional goods.

For me, it raised an unsettling question: If I cannot trust the products advertised as the cleanest options for my child, what can I trust?

Even if the company wins the lawsuit, the claims have shaken the trust that led me to pick up a tube of Hello Kids toothpaste in the first place. 

'All Hello toothpastes, including our kids' toothpastes, are safe and conform to US Food and Drug Administration standards, as well as our own internal high standards for quality and safety,' a Hello Products spokesperson told the Daily Mail.

'Lead and mercury are naturally occurring in the environment, including in soil and fruits, vegetables and other foods, so traces of them could be present in any products that contain naturally derived ingredients. We are vigorously defending the lawsuit.'

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New York by plaintiff Damany Browne, seeks to represent more than 100 consumers who purchased the products and are seeking more than $5 million.

Browne alleged in the lawsuit that Hello Products failed to warn consumers about the potential presence of heavy metals on its packaging or in its marketing materials.

As a result, consumers were led to believe the toothpaste was safe, healthy and free of harmful substances, he claimed.

At the heart of the lawsuit is a recent investigation by consumer safety group Lead Safe Mama, which tested several children's toothpastes for heavy metals.

Lead Safe Mama, a consumer safety watchdog, published their findings in 2025, leading Brown to take action. 

Among the products examined were Hello Kids Dragon Dazzle Toothpaste and Hello Kids Fluoride Free Toothpaste Fresh Watermelon – brightly packaged items marketed to health-conscious parents.

According to the study cited in the lawsuit, Hello Kids Fluoride Free Toothpaste contained 493 parts per billion (ppb) of lead and 19ppb of mercury. 

Hello Kids Dragon Dazzle Fluoride Toothpaste was reported to contain 428.4ppb of lead and 11.8ppb of mercury.

For parents like me, those numbers are difficult to ignore, especially when the products were specifically marketed as a safer choice for children.

While the amounts represent a small fraction of the toothpaste itself, the findings have drawn attention because they involve two heavy metals that health experts say children should have as little exposure to as possible.

Still, the amount of lead allegedly found in Hello Kids toothpaste remains well below the limits currently allowed by federal regulators. 

The FDA permits up to 10,000ppb of lead in fluoride-free toothpaste and up to 20,000ppb in fluoride toothpaste, meaning the reported level of 493ppb would still comply with existing oral care standards.

But critics point to a striking comparison: While toothpaste is subject to one set of limits, the FDA caps lead in candies commonly eaten by children at 100ppb. 

By that measure, the 493ppb detected in the toothpaste is nearly five times higher than what regulators allow in foods marketed to kids.

Browne noted in the lawsuit that the levels allegedly found in the toothpaste far exceed the US Environmental Protection Agency's maximum contaminant levels for drinking water, which are set at 15ppb for lead and 2 ppb for mercury.

Federal health agencies, including the FDA, and pediatric experts agree that there is no safe level of lead exposure for children. 

But this does not necessarily mean a child who brushes with the toothpaste is being harmed.

Unlike candy, toothpaste is not intended to be swallowed, and the actual health risk depends on how much is ingested and how often it is used.

However, for myself, the issue is not just the amount detected. It's that any measurable lead or mercury was allegedly found in products marketed as natural and child-friendly.

The lawsuit also argues that toothpaste deserves special scrutiny because it is used every day and is often swallowed in small amounts by young children who are still learning how to brush properly.

That is what makes the allegations feel different from contamination found in an occasional snack or packaged food. Toothpaste is something children put in their mouths twice a day, every day.

Part of the reason I chose Hello Kids toothpaste was the company's marketing.

Everywhere I looked, the brand presented itself as a more natural alternative to traditional toothpaste. 

Its website describes Hello as 'a new kind of friendly personal care' and highlights 'delicious, natural flavors' that kids would love.

The company spoke frequently about caring for people and the planet, creating products that reflect its values and helping build 'a happier world with more smiles.'

As a parent trying to make the healthiest choices possible for my daughter, those messages resonated with me.

What unsettles me most is the lawsuit's claim that some competing children's toothpastes tested by Lead Safe Mama showed non-detectable levels of lead and mercury. 

If that is true, it raises an uncomfortable question for Hello's customers: If some manufacturers can produce toothpaste without detectable heavy metals, why were the products we trusted not held to the same standard?

These days, I find myself standing in store aisles reading labels even more carefully than before, searching for products that promise rigorous testing and transparency.

In fact, I recently spent nearly $20 on a single tube of toothpaste because it was marketed as one of the safest options available for children.

Maybe that is excessive. Maybe it is exactly what companies are counting on.

But when it comes to my daughter, peace of mind is priceless, and if paying more is what it takes to feel confident about what she's ingesting, then that is a price I'm willing to pay.