Safety Guide To Children's Personal Care Products
Parent's buying guide
Printable PDF guide
Brand buying guide
Ingredients to avoid

EWG Report
Summary
Exposures add up
Children are vulnerable
Why aren't all products safe?
Methodology
Survey results
References
News release

Products Targeted to Children Contain Hazardous Chemicals and Ingredients Not Found Safe for Kids

This new children's products safety guide helps parents navigate around bogus claims and find safer products with fewer ingredients linked to allergies, cancer, and other concerns for childrens.

Choose safer products.

Toothpaste

Fluoride is great for teeth, but it can be harmful if swallowed. High doses cause ugly blotches to stain teeth, and have neurotoxic effects. The American Dental Association recommends fluoride-free toothpaste for children under 2. For children under 6, the Centers for Disease Control recommends "child-strength" toothpastes with around 0.08% fluoride (0.075% W/V fluoride ion or sodium monofluorophosphate 0.35% or sodium fluoride 0.12%), or about 1/2 of what's found in regular strength toothpaste. Low fluoride children's toothpaste is common in the E.U. but hard to find in the U.S. If your children use a fluoride toothpaste, make sure they use a pea-sized amount and thoroughly spit and rinse.

Avoid these ingredients:

• Fluoride - Neurotoxic agent that can discolor teeth at high doses
• Triclosan - Linked to thyroid disruption, produces toxic byproducts in tap water
• PEG compounds - Petrochemicals that may contain cancer-causing impurities

Best Toothpaste Picks **

Products free of ingredients to avoid but may be hard to find.

product	hazard score
Peelu Company Dental Fibers Fresh Spearmint	0
Peelu Company Dental Fibers Spearmint	0
Peelu Company Spearmint Toothpowder	0
Burt's Bees Children's Toothpaste	1
Burt's Bees Childrens Orange Cream Toothpaste	1
Burt's Bees Doctor Burt's Children's Toothpaste	1
Burt's Bees Doctor Burt's Toothpaste	1
Burt's Bees Doctor Burt's Toothpaste	1
Burt's Bees Dr. Burt's Lavender Mint Toothpaste	1
Burt's Bees Mini Toothpaste Kit	1
Burt's Bees Toothpaste	1
Cleure Cleure Toothpaste	1
Desert Essence Natural Tea Tree Oil Toothpaste with Baking Soda	1
Desert Essence Natural Tea Tree Oil Toothpaste with Baking Soda	1
Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil & Neem Toothpaste Wintergreen	1
Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil Toothpaste	1
Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil Toothpaste Mint	1
Desert Essence Toothpaste-Mint with Tea Tree Oil	1
Desert Essence Toothpaste-Neem/Wintergreen with Tea Tree Oil	1
Desert Essence Toothpaste-Tea Tree Oil with Fennel	1
Desert Essence Toothpaste-Tea Tree Oil with Ginger	1
Fresh Umbrian Clay Toothpaste	1
Garden of Life Tooth & Gum Solution Clenzology	1
Jason Natural Cosmetics Earth's Best Toddler Toothpaste - Strawberry & Banana	1
Jason Natural Cosmetics Oral Comfort Toothpaste	1
Jason Natural Cosmetics PowerSmile Toothpaste - Cinnamon Mint	1
Jason Natural Cosmetics PowerSmile Vanilla Mint	1
Jason Natural Cosmetics Powersmile Whitening Toothpaste	1
Kiss My Face AloeDyne Toothpaste, Triple Action	1
Miessence Organic Mint Toothpaste	1
Nature's Gate Herbal Cream De Anise Natural Toothpaste	1
Nature's Gate Herbal Cream de Peppermint Natural Toothpaste	1
Nature's Gate Natural Toothpaste Herbal Cream De Mint	1
Nature's Gate Toothpaste-Creme De Mint	1
Nature's Gate Toothpaste-Creme Peppermint	1
Peelu Company Demtal Fibers Peppermint	1
Peelu Company Dental Fibers Mint-Free	1
Peelu Company Peelu Toothpaste Peppermint	1
Peelu Company Peppermint Toothpaste	1
Peelu Company Spearmint Toothpaste	1
Pepsodent Anticavity Toothpaste	1
Tom's of Maine Anti-Plaque & Whitening Spearmint	1
Tom's of Maine Anti-Plaque & Whitening Spearmint, N	1
Tom's of Maine Anti-Plaque plus Whitening Clear Gel Peppermint	1
Tom's of Maine Fluoride Toothpaste Anticavity & Dry Mouth Apricot	1
Tom's of Maine Goofy Grape Liquid Fluoride-Free for Children	1
Tom's of Maine Homeopathic Apricot	1
Tom's of Maine Natural Anti-Plaque plus Whitening Clear Gel Toothpaste, Peppermint	1
Tom's of Maine Natural Anti-Plaque plus Whitening Clear Gel Toothpaste, Spearmint	1
Tom's of Maine Natural Anticavity plus Whitening Gel Toothpaste, Peppermint	1
Tom's of Maine Natural Anticavity plus Whitening Gel Toothpaste, Spearmint	1
Tom's of Maine Natural Antiplaque Baking Soda Toothpaste, Peppermint	1
Tom's of Maine Natural Antiplaque Toothpaste, Spearmint	1
Tom's of Maine Natural Baking Soda Toothpaste with Propolis & Myrrh, Peppermint	1
Tom's of Maine Natural Flouride/Free Anti-Plaque & Whitening	1
Tom's of Maine Natural Homeopathic-Style Baking Soda Toothpaste, Unflavored	1
Tom's of Maine Natural Homeopathic-Style Whitening Toothpaste, Apricot	1
Tom's of Maine Natural Liquid Toothpaste for Children, Goofy Grape	1
Tom's of Maine Natural Liquid Toothpaste, Spearmint	1
Tom's of Maine Natural Propolis & Myrrh Toothpaste	1
Tom's of Maine Natural Toothpaste with Propolis & Myrrh, Fennel	1
Tom's of Maine Natural Toothpaste with Propolis & Myrrh, Spearmint	1
Tom's of Maine Natural Toothpaste, Antiplaque, Fennel	1
Tom's of Maine Toothpaste with Prop Spearmint	1
Tom's of Maine Toothpaste-Fennel with Propolis/Myrrh	1
Tom's of Maine Unflavored Baking Soda Fluoride Free	1
Weleda Calendula Toothpaste	1
Weleda Child Tooth Gel	1
Weleda Dental Care-Calendula Toothpaste	1
Accelerade Toothwhite	2
Arm & Hammer Advance White Sugar Free Tartar Control Gum, Icy Mint	2
Biotene Antibacterial Dry Mouth Toothpaste	2
Blanx Toothpaste, Natural	2
Desert Essence Sparkling Sea Mint Toothpaste	2
Natural Dentist Herbal Toothpaste Mint	2
Nature's Gate Toothpaste-Creme De Anise	2
NutriBiotic Dental Gel	2
NutriBiotic Dental Gel Plus, Golden Peppermint Flavor	2
Peelu Company Extract Concentrated Drops Peppermint	2
Thursday Plantation Toothpaste Tea Tree Oil	2
Tom's of Maine Anti-Plaque & Tartar Control Spearmint	2
Tom's of Maine Natural Anti-Plaque plus Whitening Clear Gel Toothpaste, Peppermint	2
Tom's of Maine Natural Anti-Plaque plus Whitening Clear Gel Toothpaste, Spearmint	2
Tom's of Maine Natural Antigingivitis Toothpaste, Peppermint	2
Tom's of Maine Natural Antiplaque Tartar Control plus Whitening Toothpaste, Fennel	2
Tom's of Maine Natural Antiplaque Tartar Control plus Whitening Toothpaste, Peppermint	2
Tom's of Maine Natural Baking Soda Toothpaste, Fluoride Free, Gingermint	2
Tom's of Maine Natural Fluoride Free Toothpaste for Children, Silly Strawberry	2
Tom's of Maine Natural Fluroide Free Toothpaste for Children, Strawberry	2
Tom's of Maine Natural Tartar Control & Whitening Toothpaste, Peppermint	2
Tom's of Maine Natural Toothpaste with Propolis & Myrrh, Cinnamint	2
Tom's of Maine Toothpaste Propol-Myrrh-Fennel	2
Tom's of Maine Toothpaste with Prop Cinnamint	2
Weleda Dental Care-Plant Gel Toothpaste	2
Xlear Spry Toothpaste Flouride Free	2
Eco-DenT International Daily Care Toothpowder Cinnamon	3
Eco-Dent International Eco-DenT DailyCare Toothpowder Lemon/Lime	3
Eco-DenT International Eco-DenT Toothpowder Anise	3
First Teeth Baby Toothpaste	3
Gel-Kam Fluoride Preventive Treatment Gel, Fruit and Berry Flavor	3
Gerber Grins & Giggles Infant Tooth & Gum Cleanser	3
Gerber Toddler Tooth & Gum Cleanser, Natural Mixed Berry Flavor	3
NutriBiotic Dental Gel Plus, Wintergreen Flavor	3
Oral-B Stages 1 Toothbrush & Cleanser	3
Oral-B Stages 1 Toothbrush/Baby Tooth and Gum Cleanser	3
Oral-B Stages Baby Tooth/Gum Cleanser	3
TheraBrite Toothpaste	3
Tom's of Maine Natural Liquid Toothpaste, Peppermint	3
Tom's of Maine Natural Sensitive Toothpaste Wintermint	3
Tom's of Maine Natural Tartar Control & Whitening Toothpaste, Fennel	3
Tom's of Maine Wintermint Sensitive	3
Eco-DenT International Toothpowder-Tartarguard	4
Rembrandt Whitening Toothpaste for Canker Sore Sufferers	4
Tom's of Maine Natural Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth, Wintermint	4
Tom's of Maine Natural Toothpaste for Sensitive Tooth, Wintermint	4

see product buying guide | brand buying guide | survey responses

** "Best products" do not contain any of the ingredients of concern highlighted in this report. Nearly all personal care products contain untested ingredients that may still pose health risks. Some "natural" or botanical ingredients can trigger allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Read the labels of products carefully, and compare them to what you see in our Skin Deep database. While we strive to keep our database current, cosmetics companies change their formulas frequently.