By LawInspectsSee, when it comes to kids, their parents are super cautious about what products they are buying for their little ones. And in that regard, you must have heard of the Hello toothpaste, which is commonly known as one of the best choices for the kids with that “naturally friendly” branding and all those fun colors, as well as graphics like those Unicorn Splash, right? But the thing is, right now, there is this Hello Toothpaste Lawsuit going on, and if you read the details of this case, you’ll be somewhat disappointed as a parent. Let’s see why.
What’s the Deal with Hello Products?
Hello started somewhere in time between 2009-2011 with making toothpaste that felt natural and eco-conscious. By 2013, it hit the shelves of Target and Walmart, and then, in 2017, Colgate-Palmolive acquired a stake in the company. The brand was supposed to mean vegan, environmentally conscious, safe for children, with zany tastes of bubblegum and strawberry. Recent lawsuits, however, are breaking those claims down to see if any of them actually stick.
When Did the Lawsuits Start?
Here’s a quick timeline of Hello’s major legal troubles to make things easy to follow.
2019: Charcoal Toothpaste Issues
Hello introduced charcoal toothpaste since the trend was embraced; however, there was a backlash from customers who claimed it was actually destroying their teeth, preparing the way for a slap of a lawsuit accusing it of false advertising. Hello then went on to settle this preposterous claim with $1.5 million.
2023: Artificial Sweeteners
From December 2023, a lawsuit commenced in Illinois claiming that Hello falsely advertised its products to be free of artificial sweeteners. Tests, however, indicated there were ingredients such as sorbitol and xylitol in them. Buyers argue that they were misled and ask for damages.
2023: Fluoride Concerns for Kids
That same year, lawsuits were filed against Hello Inc. for its fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash. Parents feared that the candy-like flavors and bright packaging attracted kids to swallow them, which may not be safe. While experts, including the FDA, caution against fluoride mouthwash use in children below six, the Hello products did not stress that risk sufficiently.
2023-2024: Heavy Metals in Kids’ Toothpaste
Lead Safe Mama load tested certain toothpastes of Hello Kids and found high levels of lead and mercury in these. One flavor, watermelon, allegedly contained 32 times the limit of lead and 9 times the limit of mercury. In New York, a class-action lawsuit was filed claiming that Hello marketed these products as safe while concealing these serious health risks.
2025: Ongoing Fluoride Lawsuits
In 2025, new lawsuits emerged (once again), once more centering on the advertising of fluoride for kids. The mothers and fathers claim that the company Hello is promoting fluoride products that are safe for consumption, in spite of the health issues. There is no conclusion yet for these cases.
What Are These Lawsuits Really About?
At the core, the lawsuits focus on three main issues:
- False Advertising: First of all, there is this problem with their claims of “no artificial sweeteners” or “safe for kids,” which doesn’t match the reality at all!
- Harmful Ingredients: Apart from the false claims, there are concerns about these toothpastes having fluoride, charcoal, and heavy metals like lead and mercury.
- Lack of Warnings: Pakachaing is another matter, where it is not mentioned anywhere that they are using such harmful ingredients. So, how would the parents know about all this?
Any Settlements So Far?
One has really just been verified in 2019, when Hello set to pay $1.5 million for charcoal toothpaste. The other cases are still pending. In class actions, payouts tend to be pretty small: mostly refunds, or checks that run between $5 and $50. Bigger payouts can come, though, if someone can prove real damages, and those certainly aren’t easy to win.