Here’s what the colour mark on a toothpaste tube actually means

The internet has been buzzing with speculations about the meaning of the small coloured boxes at the end of a toothpaste tube. Rumour has it that these colours on the tube are an indication of the ingredients of the toothpaste. Buyers are being told to stay conscious about the colour of the box when they decide to buy toothpaste. However, these tips are a hoax and should not influence your toothpaste buying patterns.

The boxes at the end of a toothpaste tube are usually found to be red, green, black or blue. According to the claims of many on the internet, the colours indicate the ingredients used to make the toothpaste. These are what the colours are thought to mean -

Black – pure chemical

Red – natural and chemical

Blue – natural and medicine

Green – all natural

Buyers are being advised to stay clear from toothpaste marked with the black marker as that is thought to be made completely from chemicals and be harmful to your health.

Other than the fact that these rumours are completely false, there are a few things wrong with these claims. The claims differentiate between natural and chemical substances, not specifying the basis of the distinction. All natural substances are also fundamentally chemical in nature. Second, they do not specify what they classify are medicinal. The claims do not shed light on what is considered medicinal

Contrary to popular belief, the coloured markers on the end of the toothpaste tubes have nothing to do with the ingredients of the toothpaste. They are simply made for assisting in the manufacturing process. They are read by light beam sensors and simply indicate where the tubes have to be cut, folded and sealed. Moreover, red, green, blue and black are not the only colours that are used for marking toothpaste tubes.

There are fortunately easier ways to know what has gone in making your toothpaste. The information is printed on the back of the tube or on the box it comes in. All kinds of toothpaste contain some basic ingredients – abrasives to help clean the teeth, humectants to keep the paste soft, fluoride that prevents tooth decay and cavities and flavouring agents.

Combine equal parts of sea salt, coconut oil and water. Add two parts of baking soda to the mix with about 10 to 12 drops of mint essential oil. You can increase or decrease the amount of this oil if you want it more or less minty.