There is no Saalt period underwear lawsuit. The Boise-based brand has not been sued over PFAS or any related marketing claim, even as two of its competitors, Thinx and Knix, paid millions to settle class actions alleging their period underwear contained the “forever chemicals” they advertised against. Independent testing picked up a trace of fluorine in Saalt products in 2021, but a 2023 retest using the same method found none, and Saalt’s own published third-party results from 2023, 2024, and 2025 all come back non-detect.
Why Saalt Keeps Coming Up in PFAS Conversations
The question exists because the period underwear category took a reputational hit. In Dickens v. Thinx, Inc., filed in the Southern District of New York, lead plaintiff Nicole Dickens alleged Thinx marketed its products as “safe, healthy and sustainable” and “free of harmful chemicals” while they actually contained short-chain PFAS. The case was about deceptive marketing, not physical injury: no one claimed to have been hurt by wearing the underwear.1NPR. Thinx Settles Class Action Lawsuit
Thinx agreed to pay up to $5 million, denied all allegations, and called the deal “not an admission of guilt or wrongdoing.”2Thinx Underwear Settlement. Dickens v Thinx Inc Settlement Buyers from November 12, 2016, through November 28, 2022, could claim $7 per pair with proof of purchase or $3.50 without, capped at three pairs, or take a 35% discount voucher.3Thinx Underwear Settlement. Frequently Asked Questions Thinx also agreed to stop any intentional use of PFAS at every production stage and to require suppliers to attest the same.1NPR. Thinx Settles Class Action Lawsuit
Knix followed a similar path. In Spencer v. Knix Wear, Inc., plaintiffs alleged the brand advertised its products as “100% PFAS-free,” “fluorine-free,” and “toxic chemical-free” despite independent testing detecting PFAS.4CourtListener. Spencer v Knix Wear Inc Docket Knix settled for $1.4 million, agreed to drop the “PFAS-free” and “toxic chemical-free” claims from its website, and committed to two more years of PFAS testing.5Justia. Spencer v Knix Wear Inc, Fees Order
Saalt sits in the same product category as both of those brands. That is the only connection. No class action, no plaintiff, no settlement.
What Testing Has Actually Found in Saalt Products
The one piece of outside testing worth knowing about came from Mamavation, a consumer advocacy site, which commissioned an EPA-certified lab in 2021. The lab detected 10 parts per million of fluorine in Saalt period underwear. That reading sat right at the lab’s detection threshold and far below the 100 ppm level researchers generally treat as a sign PFAS was intentionally added. When Mamavation retested in 2023 using the same methodology and the same 10 ppm cutoff, the result was non-detect.6Saalt. Everything You Need to Know About PFAS and Period Underwear
For context, a 2025 peer-reviewed study led by Dr. Graham Peaslee at the University of Notre Dame screened 59 reusable feminine hygiene products and found that 33% of period underwear showed fluorine levels above 110 ppm, consistent with intentional use.7American Chemical Society. Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Reusable Feminine Hygiene Products The levels found in Saalt’s products do not fit that pattern.
What Saalt Says About Its Own Manufacturing
Saalt publishes third-party lab results from March 2023, April 2024, and July 2025, all showing “Not Detected” for fluorine on randomly selected garments across styles, collections, sizes, and colors.6Saalt. Everything You Need to Know About PFAS and Period Underwear The company’s help center defines “non-detected” as any trace falling under 50 ppm and acknowledges that low-level contamination is possible because PFAS are pervasive in soil, water, and air.8Saalt. Does Saalt Wear Have PFAS
Saalt also disclosed one episode from its development process. In early 2020, internal pre-launch testing flagged a fabric component that contained a PFAS chemical. The company says it scrapped that material and delayed its period underwear launch by about five months to reformulate before anything shipped.6Saalt. Everything You Need to Know About PFAS and Period Underwear Some Saalt fabrics carry OEKO-TEX and bluesign certifications.8Saalt. Does Saalt Wear Have PFAS
Why PFAS Matter in Period Products
PFAS are useful in textiles for waterproofing and stain resistance, which is why they turned up in the absorbent layers of period underwear in the first place. They do not break down in the environment or in the body, which is where the “forever chemicals” label comes from. Research has linked exposure to immune system effects, elevated cholesterol, decreased fetal growth, period irregularities, and higher cancer risk.9Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Questions Raised About PFAS in Period Products The concern is sharper for period products because they sit against sensitive tissue for hours at a time, and because menstrual products in the United States are generally classified as medical devices and are not subject to full ingredient disclosure.10Environmental Working Group. New Research: PFAS Detected in Some Menstrual and Incontinence Products
Where the Law Is Heading
States are moving ahead of Washington. Minnesota’s Amara’s Law banned the sale of menstrual products containing intentionally added PFAS as of January 1, 2025.11Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. PFAS in Products12NRDC. Advocates Applaud NYS New Nation Leading Law Banning Toxics Period Products13NCEL. New York to Ban PFAS and Other Toxins From Menstrual Products
No federal ban exists on PFAS in menstrual products or consumer textiles. The EPA is finalizing reporting requirements under the Toxic Substances Control Act for PFAS manufactured or imported between 2011 and 2022, which addresses disclosure rather than prohibition.13NCEL. New York to Ban PFAS and Other Toxins From Menstrual Products
For a shopper comparing brands today, the record on Saalt is this: no litigation, one old low-level fluorine detection that did not repeat, published non-detect results across three testing rounds, and a company that has committed in writing to not intentionally using PFAS. If that changes, the state laws coming online over the next three years will give regulators and plaintiffs’ lawyers plenty of tools to make it visible.