Independent Testing Results for Kid’s Crest Color-Changing Toothpaste: Lead & Arsenic Detected

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Published March 26, 2025 — Wednesday

A Message from Tamara Rubin:

Our recent independent laboratory analysis has revealed that the Kid’s Crest Color-changing toothpaste, flavored with bubblegum (pictured above), tested positive for Lead and Arsenic. These results were obtained through community-funded, third-party testing conducted by Lead Safe Mama, LLC. Such findings align with previous tests of the same brand’s adult toothpaste, which also showed contamination with Lead and Arsenic (and Mercury). You can view those previous test results here. Scroll down to find the comprehensive lab report and shareable social media graphic illustrating the test outcomes for this specific product.

Our full laboratory report is always accessible at the bottom of this article, ensuring transparency and scientific rigor. Additionally, we maintain a comparative chart of toothpaste and tooth powder products—organized by the amount of Lead detected—which is featured near the top of this article. This particular product falls between points G and H on that chart, indicating the level of Lead contamination relative to other tested products.

It’s important to recognize that manufacturing a toothpaste that tests as “non-detect” for Lead is entirely feasible. To date, we have identified five toothpaste options that tested free of detectable Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, and Arsenic—four of which are marketed specifically for children. These safer alternatives are listed below, and we will update our chart and recommendations accordingly.

  • Federal health agencies agree: there is no safe level of Lead exposure, especially for pregnant women and children.
  • Serving size does not mitigate risk: even small amounts of toxic heavy metals pose health threats.
  • Lead, Cadmium, and Mercury bioaccumulate over time, making chronic, repeated exposure particularly dangerous.
  • Using products contaminated with these toxicants two or three times daily over years amplifies the risk of adverse health effects.
  • Since toothpaste is ingested and absorbed through oral tissues, the risk of systemic toxicity is significant and concerning.

For full context regarding the levels found in this product, please refer to the original lab report at the end of this article. Our comprehensive chart of tested products is continually updated, and we recommend bookmarking our testing page for the latest information.

Important Notice: The detected toxicant levels in this toothpaste are legally permissible.

Specifically, the FDA allows up to 20,000 parts per billion (ppb), or 20 parts per million (ppm), of Lead in toothpaste. As of January 2025, Washington State’s Toxic-Free Cosmetic Act restricts Lead content to just 1,000 ppb (1 ppm). This means that, under current regulations, this product is *legally compliant*. However, legality does not equate to safety, especially for vulnerable populations like children and pregnant women.

Regulatory standards often prioritize industry interests over health, which is why Lead Safe Mama advocates for stricter limits. We are actively supporting the FDA by submitting detailed reports via their online complaint forms, urging reevaluation of safe thresholds for toxicants in consumer products, particularly those marketed to children and expectant mothers.

  • If your child has been using this toothpaste and you’re concerned about potential health impacts, consider discontinuing its use immediately.
  • We recommend exploring safer alternatives—listed below—that have tested non-detect for Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, and Arsenic based on third-party lab analyses.
  • Consult with your healthcare provider about testing your child’s blood Lead levels, especially if you suspect exposure. For more information, see this resource.
  • Remember that typical blood Lead tests may not detect low-level exposure from sources like toothpaste; however, establishing a baseline can be helpful.
  • Persistent exposure to contaminated products can elevate Blood Lead Levels (BLLs) to 1.0–4.0 micrograms per deciliter, which is concerning even at low thresholds.
  • Most clinicians only intervene at BLLs of 3.5 micrograms/dL or higher, but research indicates even lower levels are associated with lifelong health issues.
  • Blood testing thresholds often only detect down to 3.3 micrograms/dL, potentially missing lower but still harmful exposures.

If you wish to report concerns about this product to the FDA, you can do so here.

My personal stance: I would not allow my children to use this product, as any known Lead exposure risks are unacceptable in our home environment.

For those interested in detox protocols to support health after exposure, please read this article. Be cautious: many detox products and protocols are ineffective or even harmful, and may inadvertently increase Lead exposure.

The full lab report for this product is available at the bottom of this article.

To help you make safer choices, we maintain lists of tested foods, supplements, and cosmetics, including toothpastes, on our dedicated testing landing page. Bookmark it for updates on lab-tested safe products.

Additionally, our comprehensive list of safer foods, supplements, and cosmetics—featuring 61 products tested for toxicants—is accessible here.

Explore all lab reports conducted by Lead Safe Mama, LLC since March 2024, on our testing archive page. Support our work by donating through our GoFundMe campaigns.

For newcomers to Lead Safe Mama:

Tamara Rubin is an award-winning advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention, a documentary filmmaker, and mother of children affected by Lead poisoning (two of her four sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005).

  • She owns and manages Lead Safe Mama, LLC—a community-driven, women-owned small business dedicated to consumer goods safety and Lead poisoning prevention.
  • Since July 2022, her efforts have contributed to six product recalls (FDA & CPSC).
  • All test results on this site are science-based, accurate, and reproducible.
  • Visit our press page to see news coverage of our work.

This is an ad-free article.

Supporting our independent testing and advocacy work is made possible through affiliate links and donations. To support us directly, consider making a contribution here.

Expanded List of Non-Detect Products: Safer Choices for Your Family

Below is an evolving list of foods, supplements, and cosmetics that have tested non-detect for Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, and Arsenic via independent, third-party testing coordinated by Lead Safe Mama, LLC. The detection limits for each product are detailed in their respective lab reports. To access full reports, search the product name on our website.

  • Note: Flavors tested are specified; other flavors or products from the same brand may not share these results.

Updated March 19, 2025 — 61 Safe Products and Bonus Options

  1. Baby Food — 1: Little Spoon Kale, Carrot + Pear BabyBlends
  2. Baby Food — 2: Little Spoon Butternut Squash + Blueberry BabyBlends
  3. Baby Food — 3: Little Spoon Sweet Potato BabyBlends
  4. Baby Food — 4: Little Spoon Sweet Potato + Carrot BabyBlends
  5. Baby Food — 5: Little Spoon Banana + Pitaya BabyBlends
  6. Beverage — 1: Honest Kids Organic Appley Ever After Apple Juice, Amazon link
  7. Beverage — 2: Olipop Grape Tonic, Amazon link
  8. Breakfast — 1: Nature’s Path Envirokidz Organic Panda Puffs, Amazon link
  9. Breakfast — 2: One Degree Organic Gluten-Free, Sprouted Rolled Oats (Canada), Amazon link
  10. Candy: Lindt White Chocolate Bar (Made in USA), Amazon link
  11. Candy: Cavendish & Harvey Wild Berry Drops (Germany), Amazon link
  12. Coffee & Tea — 1: Chameleon Organic Cold Brew Concentrate, Amazon link
  13. Coffee & Tea — 2: Tao of Tea Organic Genmaicha, Amazon link
  14. Coffee & Tea — 3: Califia Farms Almond Latte Cold Brew, Amazon link
  15. Coffee & Tea — 4: Death Wish Organic Espresso Roast, Amazon link
  16. Coffee Creamer — Plant-Based: Laird Superfood Coconut Creamer, Amazon link
  17. Coffee Creamer — Dairy: Organic Valley Grassmilk Half and Half, Amazon link
  18. Dairy & Cheese: Babybel Mini Original Snack Cheese, Amazon link
  19. Fruit Snack — 1: GoGo Squeez Organic Apple Sauce Pouch, Amazon link
  20. Fruit Snack — 2: Kirkland Organic Apple Sauce Pouch (Costco), Amazon link
  21. Fruit Snack — 3: Pure Organic Strawberry Banana Layered Fruit Bars, Amazon link
  22. Fruit Snack — 4: Once Upon A Farm Strawberry Banana Dairy-Free Fruit Smoothie, Amazon link
  23. Fruit Snack — 5: Pure Organic Raspberry Lemonade Layered Fruit Bars, Amazon link
  24. Infant Formula — 1: Bobbie Organic Gentle Infant Formula, Amazon link
  25. Infant Formula — 2: Bobbie Organic Milk-Based Powder with Iron, Amazon link
  26. Infant Formula — 3: Bobbie Grass-Fed Milk-Based Powder, Amazon link
  27. Infant Formula — 4: ByHeart Infant Formula (USA-made), Amazon link
  28. Infant Formula — 5: HiPP Bio Combiotik Infant Formula, Amazon link
  29. Infant Formula — 6: HiPP HA Stage PRE (0+ months), Amazon link
  30. Infant Formula — 7: Holle Bio Goat Stage 2 Infant Formula (not on Amazon), link
  31. Infant Formula — 8: Kendamil Goat Infant Formula (not organic), available at Target
  32. Infant Formula — 9: Kendamil Organic Follow-On Milk, link
  33. Infant Formula — 10: Kendamil Whole Milk Infant Formula, Target
  34. Infant Formula — 11: Kendamil Organic Cow Milk Infant Formula, Target
  35. Ingredient — 1: Jacobsen’s Sea Salt (Oregon, USA), Amazon link
  36. Ingredient — 2: Jovial Organic Einkorn Flour (Italy), Amazon link
  37. Ingredient — 3: Costco Kirkland Organic Hemp Seeds, Amazon link
  38. Ingredient — 4: Navitas Organic Chia Seeds (Mexico), Amazon link
  39. Vinegar — 5: Napa Valley Naturals Organic Red Wine Vinegar, Amazon link
  40. Beans — 6: Jovial Organic Chickpeas, Amazon link
  41. Oil — 1: Chosen Foods Avocado Oil, Amazon link
  42. Oil — 2: Dr. Adorable’s Perilla Seed Oil, Amazon link
  43. Oil — 3: Dr. Bronner’s Organic Coconut Oil, Amazon link
  44. Plant-Based Milk — 1: Kiki Milk Organic Plant Milk, Amazon link
  45. Plant-Based Milk — 2: West Soy Unsweetened Organic Soy Milk, Amazon link
  46. Supplement — 1: Baby Ddrops Vitamin D3 for Babies, Amazon link
  47. Supplement — 2: Doctor’s Best Vitamin C, Amazon link
  48. Supplement — 3: Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Fish Oil, Amazon link
  49. Supplement — 4: Mary Ruth’s Toddler Multivitamin Drops, Amazon link
  50. Supplement — 5: Pendulum Metabolic Daily, Amazon link
  51. Cosmetic — 1: Kora Organics Noni Face Oil, Amazon link
  52. Cosmetic — 2: Fluoride-Free Orajel Kids Training Toothpaste, Amazon link
  53. Cosmetic — 3: Miessence Mint Toothpaste, Amazon link
  54. Cosmetic — 4: Dr. Brown’s Fluoride-Free Baby Toothpaste, Amazon link
  55. Cosmetic — 5: Pegciz Kids Watermelon Toothpaste, Amazon link
  56. Cosmetic — 6: Kid’s Spry Tooth Gel with Xylitol, Amazon link

    57. For full details and additional lab reports on all tested foods, supplements, and products, visit our comprehensive testing page.

    Bonus: Five Additional Products with Trace Arsenic Levels

    These five products contain trace amounts of Arsenic, considered safe by regulatory standards, but still noteworthy. Detection limits are specified in each report.

    1. Kendamil Goat Toddler Milk: Non-organic, contains traces of Arsenic. Available at Target or European import stores.
    2. That’s It Apple Cherry Bars: Non-organic fruit snack with trace Arsenic, Amazon link.
    3. Chosen Foods Avocado Oil: Organic, trace Arsenic detected, Amazon link.
    4. Now Sunflower Lecithin: Non-organic supplement, trace Arsenic, Amazon link.
    5. WishGarden Immune Boost: Seasonal rescue supplement for pregnancy, trace Arsenic, Amazon link.

    Note: Amazon affiliate links. Purchases made through these links support our work at no extra cost to you.

    Lab Reports & Additional Resources

    Access all lab reports for tested products at this dedicated page. Support our mission through donations or by sharing our findings to raise awareness about safe consumer goods.

    About Tamara Rubin

    Tamara Rubin is a multiple award-winning child Lead poisoning prevention advocate, documentary filmmaker, and mother of children affected by Lead. Her personal journey and professional work focus on making consumer products safer for children and families.

    • Founder of Lead Safe Mama, LLC, a community-collaborative, woman-owned small business dedicated to safer consumer goods and Lead prevention.
    • Responsible for six product recalls since July 2022 through her advocacy and testing efforts.
    • All results are scientifically validated, accurate, and reproducible.
    • Visit our press page for media coverage of our initiatives.

    This article is completely ad-free.

    Supporting our independent testing and advocacy efforts is possible through affiliate links and donations. Consider contributing here.

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