There’s a fake consumer tip that’s been circulating online for quite some time. According to the tip, you should be paying close attention to the bottom of your toothpaste tubes. There’s a small colored square at the bottom and the color allegedly reveals the ingredients in the toothpaste: green for all natural, blue for natural plus medicine, red for natural and chemical, black for pure chemical. This tidbit of internet wisdom is totally false. The colored rectangle has nothing to do with the toothpaste’s formulation. It’s simply a mark made during the manufacturing process that is read by light beam sensors that notify machines where the packaging should be cut, folded or sealed. They come in many colors and are not limited to green, blue, red and black. Different colors are used on different types of packaging or with different sensors and machines. In other words, all the colors mean exactly the same thing. If you really want to know what’s in your toothpaste, read the ingredients printed on the toothpaste box.
