Heavy Metals in Toothpaste: Lead Testing & What Our Results Show

When choosing a toothpaste, most of us think about ingredients, fluoride, flavor, or how well it cleans our teeth. One thing we may not think about is heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury.

Can toothpaste contain these metals? Yes. Trace amounts of naturally occurring heavy metals can enter products through minerals and other raw materials used in manufacturing.

At Smart Charlie's, we believe the best response isn't simply another “clean” marketing claim. It's testing and transparency.

That's why we independently test our finished toothpaste for heavy metals and review ingredient documentation throughout our manufacturing process.

Our goal is zero heavy metals.

Below, we share what our testing found, what those results mean, and what consumers should consider when looking for toothpaste with the lowest possible levels of lead and other heavy metals.

Our Toothpaste Heavy-Metal Test Results

Smart Charlie's submitted its finished toothpaste to an independent laboratory for low-level heavy-metal analysis.

About Our Published Test Results

The results shown below are from our 2025 independent finished-product testing and represent our most recently published laboratory results. As part of our continuous-improvement process, we are currently reviewing and refining our formulations, ingredient sourcing, and testing program. Updated finished-product testing will be published as that work is completed.

Our goal remains the same: continually reduce measurable heavy metals toward zero and provide customers with transparent, verifiable results.

Rather than simply saying our toothpaste is “heavy-metal-free,” we believe customers should be able to see the actual numbers.

View our independent laboratory results here.

Our 2025 published testing detected very low trace concentrations of lead and arsenic, while cadmium and mercury were not detected above the laboratory's applicable reporting or detection limits.

That's an important distinction — and one we believe deserves explanation.

Is There Such a Thing as Lead-Free Toothpaste?

People searching for safer oral-care products frequently ask questions such as:

• What toothpaste doesn't have lead?
• What is the best toothpaste without lead?
• Which toothpaste has the least amount of lead?

The phrase “lead-free toothpaste” sounds straightforward, but laboratory testing is more nuanced.

Heavy metals occur naturally in the environment and can be present at trace levels in raw materials. When a laboratory reports a substance as “not detected,” that does not necessarily prove absolute zero. It generally means the substance wasn't detected above the test method's applicable detection or reporting threshold.

That's why we prefer actual measurements over absolute claims.

Smart Charlie's goal is simple: continually reduce measurable heavy metals toward zero and transparently share what our testing shows.

Our 2025 published testing detected very low trace levels of lead and arsenic rather than absolute zero, and we believe customers deserve to know that.

Which Toothpaste Has the Lowest Levels of Lead and Heavy Metals?

Determining which toothpaste contains the least lead or the lowest overall heavy-metal levels isn't as simple as comparing marketing claims.

There is no single comprehensive database in which every toothpaste on the market is routinely tested at the same time, by the same laboratory, using identical methods and detection limits.

When evaluating toothpaste for heavy metals, we recommend looking for:

• Actual independent laboratory testing
• Results for lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury
• The concentrations reported, preferably in parts per billion (ppb)
• Laboratory detection or reporting limits
• The date the product was tested
• Testing of the finished product, rather than relying only on ingredient specifications

Words such as clean, natural, non-toxic, or even lead-free don't provide this information by themselves.

The laboratory report does.

Why Can Heavy Metals Be Found in Toothpaste?

Lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury aren't ingredients manufacturers intentionally add to toothpaste. They can occur naturally in the environment and consequently appear as trace impurities in raw materials.

Mineral-derived ingredients deserve particular attention because their composition depends partly on their geological source and processing.

Certain clays and mineral powders, for example, can contain naturally occurring trace metals. Processing and purification can reduce impurities, but the final concentration depends on the source material, manufacturing process, and quality controls used.

This doesn't mean every mineral ingredient is unsafe. It means sourcing, specifications, purification, and testing matter.

And that's exactly why we believe testing should be part of responsible product development.

What Do Smart Charlie's Results Mean in Terms of Daily Use?

Concentration is only part of understanding exposure. The amount of toothpaste actually used also matters.

Based on approximately 2 grams of toothpaste per day, our tested lead concentration corresponds to roughly:

~0.1 microgram (µg) of lead per day.

For perspective, California Proposition 65 establishes a lead reproductive-toxicity maximum allowable dose level of 0.5 µg/day.

We share this comparison to provide context — not to suggest that any amount of lead is desirable.

We want less.

Our objective is to continue improving ingredient sourcing and formulation purity wherever possible.

How Does Smart Charlie's Compare With Other Toothpastes?

Independent toothpaste testing has shown that heavy-metal concentrations can vary considerably among products.

Our results place Smart Charlie's among the lower-tested products within the comparison data we have reviewed.

However, comparisons between brands need to be made carefully. Products may have been tested at different times, by different laboratories, or using different analytical methods and reporting limits.

For that reason, we don't believe it's responsible to simply declare Smart Charlie's “the lowest lead toothpaste” without qualification.

Instead, we encourage customers to look at the underlying test results.

Our laboratory results are available here, and we've also submitted our results to Lead Safe Mama for review alongside other independently tested toothpaste products.

View the 2025 toothpaste testing comparison here.

As additional reliable testing becomes available, we intend to continue reviewing how our results compare.

What About Lead in other Toothpaste Brands?

Consumers increasingly want to know how individual toothpaste brands compare for lead and other heavy metals.

That's a reasonable question — but the answer should come from actual laboratory testing, not assumptions based on whether a product is marketed as natural, clean, mineral-based, or fluoride-free.

When reviewing results for Smart Charlie’s or any other toothpaste, we recommend asking the same questions:

• Was the finished toothpaste actually tested?
• Which metals were tested?
• What concentrations were reported?
• What were the laboratory's reporting limits?
• When was the test performed?

Where reliable third-party results are publicly available, they can provide useful comparison information. We encourage customers to review the underlying testing rather than relying solely on any brand's marketing claims — including ours.

How We Maintain Purity From Batch to Batch

One laboratory test is valuable, but maintaining ingredient quality over time is equally important.

Smart Charlie's uses a structured quality-control approach at both the ingredient and finished-product level.

Our process includes:

• Independent third-party testing of finished toothpaste
• Certificates of Analysis (COAs) for each lot of nano-hydroxyapatite
• Review of supplier documentation with incoming shipments
• Ingredient sourcing based on quality and purity specifications
• Small-batch manufacturing
• Periodic re-verification as part of our supplier and formulation review

This allows us to evaluate not only where the product stands today, but where opportunities for further improvement exist.

Our Goal: Zero Heavy Metals

Meeting an allowable threshold isn't the finish line for Smart Charlie's.

Our goal is zero heavy metals.

We recognize that naturally occurring trace elements can enter products through raw materials and that demonstrating absolute zero becomes increasingly difficult as analytical testing reaches extremely small concentrations.

But that doesn't change the direction we're working toward.

We continually evaluate our ingredients, suppliers, formulation, and laboratory results with the objective of driving measurable heavy-metal levels as close to zero as technically achievable.

For us, continuous improvement means asking:

• Can we source it cleaner?
• Can we test it more precisely?
• Can we reduce it further?

If the answer is yes, that's where we want to go.

Why Nano-Hydroxyapatite?

Heavy-metal purity is only one consideration when formulating toothpaste. The product also needs to perform.

Smart Charlie's uses nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) as the foundation of our fluoride-free toothpaste.

Hydroxyapatite is closely related to the mineral that naturally makes up tooth enamel. Nano-hydroxyapatite has been studied for its ability to support enamel remineralization and help reduce tooth sensitivity.

Just as importantly, we don't treat the ingredient name itself as proof of purity.

We review supplier documentation and Certificates of Analysis for our nano-hydroxyapatite lots, including heavy-metal specifications.

That combination — performance, ingredient scrutiny, and independent testing — is central to how we formulate.

Transparency Over Marketing Claims

We believe customers deserve more than words such as clean, natural, or safe printed on a label.

They deserve information.

That's why we're willing to show our results — including the trace amounts that testing actually detects.

Smart Charlie's isn't claiming that our current toothpaste contains absolute zero heavy metals.

We're saying zero is where we want to go.

And as our products, ingredients, suppliers, and testing continue to improve, we'll continue sharing what we learn.

Have Questions?

We welcome questions about our ingredients, laboratory testing, nano-hydroxyapatite, or our approach to ingredient purity.

Please contact us at info@SmartCharlieNaturals.com.

Thank you for supporting small-batch oral care built around purposeful ingredients, continual improvement, and transparency.

References

• Smart Charlie's 2025 Independent Finished-Product Heavy Metals Laboratory Report
• U.S. Food & Drug Administration. FDA Testing of Cosmetics for Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Cobalt, Lead, Mercury and Nickel Content.
• Health Canada. Guidance on Heavy Metal Impurities in Cosmetics.
• El-Desouky, M., & Ali, H. (2025). Heavy metal content of over-the-counter toothpastes: A systematic review of in vitro studies. Frontiers in Dental Medicine.
• Lachenmeier, D. W., & Böhme, S. (2016). Technically avoidable heavy metal contents in cosmetic products. Journal of Consumer Protection and Food Safety, 11(4), 337–345.
• Lead Safe Mama. 2025 Toothpaste Test Results.