The Colgate lead lawsuits are a set of proposed class actions filed in 2025 accusing Colgate-Palmolive of selling toothpaste — under the Colgate, Tom’s of Maine, and hello brands — that contains undisclosed lead and other heavy metals. The suits followed independent laboratory testing by the consumer group Lead Safe Mama, which reported detectable lead in about 90 percent of the 51 toothpaste brands it tested. None of those cases has been decided. A separate Tom’s of Maine case, tied to bacterial contamination rather than heavy metals, has produced a $2.9 million settlement with a claim deadline of July 6, 2026.
What the Testing Found
Lead Safe Mama, founded by Tamara Rubin, crowdfunded laboratory testing of 51 toothpaste brands for lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium. The results, published in 2025, reported detectable lead in roughly 90 percent of brands, arsenic in 65 percent, mercury in just under half, and cadmium in about a third.1The Guardian. Toothpaste Lead Heavy Metals
Several Colgate-Palmolive products showed elevated levels in the chart:
- Colgate Total Whitening: 539 parts per billion (ppb) of lead and 10.4 ppb of mercury
- Colgate Watermelon Burst (children’s): 302.1 ppb of lead
- Tom’s of Maine Kid’s Natural Silly Strawberry: 240 ppb of lead
- Hello Kids Dragon Dazzle: 428.4 ppb of lead and 11.8 ppb of mercury
- Hello Kids Fluoride Free Fresh Watermelon: 493 ppb of lead and 19 ppb of mercury
The group identified hydroxyapatite, calcium carbonate, and bentonite clay as likely sources, with bentonite-clay products showing the highest concentrations.1The Guardian. Toothpaste Lead Heavy Metals
Active Lead and Heavy Metal Lawsuits
Three main lines of litigation are moving through federal court. Colgate-Palmolive has denied wrongdoing and no court has ruled on the merits of any heavy-metal claim.
Colgate-Branded Toothpaste
In April 2025, the law firm Hagens Berman filed Brower v. Colgate-Palmolive Company, No. 1:25-cv-03348, in the Southern District of New York. The case targets Colgate Total Whitening and the children’s product Colgate Watermelon Burst, alleging lead levels of 200 ppb and higher along with arsenic, mercury, and cadmium. The complaint accuses Colgate-Palmolive of inadequately testing, or never testing, its products for heavy metals and of failing to disclose their presence.2CourtListener. Brower v. Colgate-Palmolive Company Docket
The complaint has been amended twice, most recently in August 2025, adding plaintiffs. As of mid-2026, Colgate has sought leave to file a motion to dismiss and discovery is deferred pending that ruling. Judge J. Paul Oetken is presiding.2CourtListener. Brower v. Colgate-Palmolive Company Docket
Hello Kids Toothpaste
In July 2025, Damany Browne filed Browne v. Hello Products LLC, No. 7:25-cv-05698, in the Southern District of New York, alleging that Hello Kids Dragon Dazzle and Hello Kids Fluoride Free Fresh Watermelon contain dangerous levels of lead and mercury. The complaint alleges those figures are 28 and 32 times the EPA action level for lead, respectively.3ClassAction.org. Hello Toothpaste Lawsuit Filed Over Alleged Lead, Mercury Contamination
In October 2025, Nathan Barton and Cynthia Fahrnkopf filed a separate California suit, Barton v. Colgate-Palmolive Company, No. 3:25-cv-02833, in the Southern District of California. It names three hello kids varieties — Unicorn Sparkle, Smiling Shark, and Dragon Dazzle — and alleges lead levels from 236 to 658 ppb based on testing commissioned by plaintiffs’ counsel. The case was transferred to another court in February 2026 and remains active.4CourtListener. Barton v. Colgate-Palmolive Company Docket
Tom’s of Maine Kids Toothpaste
In February 2025, Douglas White filed a class action in the Eastern District of New York alleging that Tom’s of Maine Silly Strawberry Kid’s Toothpaste contained unsafe levels of lead and arsenic. The filing cited the 240 ppb lead result and described that as 4,800 percent higher than the proposed action level for children, accusing the company of failing to disclose heavy metals while marketing the product as safe for kids.5ClassAction.org. Tom’s of Maine Lawsuit Claims Kids Toothpaste Contaminated With Lead, Arsenic
The $2.9 Million Tom’s of Maine Settlement (Contamination, Not Lead)
A separate wave of Tom’s of Maine cases grew out of a November 2024 FDA warning letter about bacterial contamination at the brand’s Sanford, Maine, plant, where inspectors found the water used to make toothpaste contained Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other organisms.6FDA. Colgate-Palmolive/Tom’s of Maine, Inc. Warning Letter Those cases were consolidated as Rabinowitz et al. v. Colgate-Palmolive Company et al., No. 2:25-cv-06996, in the Eastern District of New York before Judge James M. Wicks.7Toothpaste Settlement. Settlement FAQ
In early 2026, the parties reached a $2.9 million settlement covering everyone in the United States who bought any Tom’s of Maine toothpaste for personal use between November 21, 2020, and March 6, 2026. The court granted preliminary approval on March 6, 2026. Colgate-Palmolive and Tom’s of Maine denied wrongdoing and said they settled “to avoid the costs and risks associated with litigation.”8ClassAction.org. $2.9M Tom’s Toothpaste Settlement9Toothpaste Settlement. Rabinowitz v. Colgate-Palmolive Settlement
This is the only Colgate-Palmolive toothpaste case currently paying money to buyers, and its theory is bacterial contamination, not lead. If you want to file a claim:
- File online or by mail through ToothpasteSettlement.com.
- The deadline to submit a claim, opt out, or object is July 6, 2026.
- With proof of purchase, you can receive a full refund for up to three products per household.
- Without receipts, you can receive the average manufacturer’s suggested retail price for one product per household.
- Payments are subject to pro rata reduction if approved claims exceed available funds after administrative costs, attorney fees of up to one-third of the fund, and service awards of up to $1,000 per class representative.
A final approval hearing is set for September 10, 2026, at the Central Islip Courthouse.10PR Newswire. Tom’s of Maine Toothpaste Class Action Settlement Notice7Toothpaste Settlement. Settlement FAQ
Do the Lead Levels Break the Law?
Not under current federal rules. The FDA’s limits for lead in toothpaste are 10,000 ppb for fluoride-free products and 20,000 ppb for fluoride products. None of the tested Colgate or Tom’s of Maine products exceeded those thresholds.1The Guardian. Toothpaste Lead Heavy Metals
State and proposed federal standards are stricter. Washington’s Toxic-Free Cosmetic Act, effective January 2025, caps lead in cosmetics — including fluoride-free toothpaste — at 1,000 ppb, and several products in the Lead Safe Mama study exceeded that. The stalled federal Baby Food Safety Act of 2024 had proposed a 10 ppb lead limit for children’s food, a benchmark virtually every toothpaste tested would fail. The FDA did not comment publicly on the Lead Safe Mama findings when contacted by The Guardian.1The Guardian. Toothpaste Lead Heavy Metals The plaintiffs in the pending class actions argue that Colgate’s disclosure obligations to consumers are separate from these regulatory ceilings.
Texas Attorney General Packaging Agreement
In September 2025, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton reached an agreement with Colgate-Palmolive over children’s toothpaste marketing. Paxton’s office, acting on civil investigative demands from May 2025, said packaging imagery of large toothpaste swirls could lead parents and children to use amounts that deliver unhealthy fluoride doses. Under the agreement, Colgate committed to changing packaging and marketing for its Colgate, Tom’s of Maine, and hello fluoride toothpastes designed for children under six, so that any image of toothpaste on a brush shows only a pea-sized amount consistent with FDA usage instructions. Online rollout began in November 2025, with physical packaging updates to follow.11Texas Attorney General. Attorney General Ken Paxton and Colgate-Palmolive Lead the Way on Toothpaste Safety12CNBC. Colgate to Change Toothpaste Packaging to Address Texas AG Fluoride Concerns The agreement addresses fluoride dosing on packaging and is not a settlement of the heavy-metal claims.
Where Things Stand
As of mid-2026, the Tom’s of Maine contamination settlement awaits final approval on September 10, 2026, with claims open until July 6, 2026. Brower, the main Colgate-branded heavy-metals case, sits at the motion-to-dismiss stage. The hello kids toothpaste suits are moving through their early phases. If you bought a Tom’s of Maine toothpaste in the settlement window, filing a claim is the one concrete step available now. If you bought a Colgate or hello product named in the heavy-metal suits, no claim process exists yet and none will unless one of those cases reaches a settlement or judgment.