Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened investigations into tampon and lip-product companies over whether they misled consumers about chemicals in their products.
Paxton’s office announced Monday that it issued civil investigative demands to Tampax, Kotex, L. and LOLA as part of an industry-wide investigation into feminine-care products.
The demands will allow investigators to seek company-specific information about product ingredients, safety testing and marketing claims. They do not represent findings that the companies violated the law.
The Office of the Attorney General also launched an investigation into makers of lip balm, lipstick and related cosmetics. The announcement did not identify the lip-product companies under review.
Potentially misleading product claims
The investigations focus on possible violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, including whether companies misrepresented the safety, quality or chemical composition of their products.
Paxton’s office cited concerns involving titanium dioxide, petroleum-derived ingredients, synthetic dyes and microplastics in lip products. It also raised questions about products marketed to children and collaborations with popular food brands that could make cosmetics appear edible.
“I will continue to work tirelessly to help Make America Healthy Again by stopping companies that illegally put toxic heavy metals and dangerous chemicals in their products,” Paxton said.
“No corporation should mislead women about the safety of its products, and my office will thoroughly investigate any company that harms the health of Texans,” he added.
Metals detected in tampon products
Paxton’s office cited a 2024 study led by University of California, Berkeley, researchers who examined 30 tampon products representing 14 brands. Researchers detected measurable concentrations of all 16 metals tested, including lead, cadmium and arsenic.
The researchers did not identify the brands. They also found no product category that consistently contained lower concentrations across most metals. Non-organic tampons contained more lead, while organic products contained more arsenic.
That study measured the total metal content of tampon materials after chemically breaking down the samples. It did not determine whether the metals would be released during use, absorbed through vaginal tissue or reach the bloodstream.
A peer-reviewed FDA study published in June 2026 later examined potential metal exposure from 11 tampon products representing six unidentified brands. Researchers found negligible toxicological concern under exaggerated extraction conditions and conservative lifetime-exposure assumptions.
However, the FDA study did not identify or individually clear Tampax, Kotex, L. or LOLA. It also did not examine whether individual companies could substantiate “clean,” “organic” or “non-toxic” marketing claims.
Paxton’s investigation will seek company-specific records that could show what the manufacturers tested, what they knew about their products and whether their representations to consumers were accurate.
The new inquiries follow a similar Paxton investigation into heavy-metal claims involving protein powders, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
