Last Updated on June 13, 2021 by Team THIP
Quick Take
Multiple social media users believe that the colour coding on the edge of toothpaste tubes indicate towards the ingredients used in the toothpaste.
We did a Fact Check and found that the claim is False.
The Claim
According to most social media users who post this popular myth, you should be paying close attention to the bottom edge of your toothpaste tubes. The small rectangle or square colour at the bottom, black, blue, red, or green, reveals the ingredients of the toothpaste:
- green: all-natural
- blue: natural plus medicine
- red: natural and chemical
- black: pure chemical
Fact Check
Do colours on toothpaste tube reveal their ingredients?
No. The colour in the toothpaste tube doesn’t reveal anything about their ingredients. Colgate, one of the largest toothpaste manufacturers, mentions on their website, “Oral care companies don’t mark their toothpaste with coloured squares to try to trick consumers and hide ingredients from them.”
Why do toothpaste tubes have colour coding?
As per a representative of Colgate, “The coloured marks at the tube help the machine detect the end of the tube. It ensures that the printing is in the right place, and it is sealed properly.” The same is also confirmed by a report on Healthline.
The colour codes are only to signify different sensors or different types of packaging. Pacmac, a company that manufactures tube filling machines, has put up a video on YouTube explaining how toothpastes are filled.
How will you know the ingredients of a toothpaste?
The American Dental Association also notes that most toothpastes contain the same basic ingredients, like abrasives to help clean teeth, flavoring agents, humectants to soften the toothpaste, and detergents to help the toothpaste foam.
It is best to check the packaging for a complete list of ingredients and the expiry date before buying the product.
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