Recently, online rumors circulated about the meaning of colored bands on toothpaste tube bottoms, claiming they represent different ingredients. Some posts even suggested most children's toothpastes contain chemical additives, causing concern among parents. Is this claim accurate? The China Oral Care Products Industry Association has clarified on its official website that these colored bands serve solely for positioning and identification during tube sealing and have no relation to toothpaste ingredients.Below is an explanation of what the color bands on the bottom of toothpaste tubes actually signify. Color-Coded Bands Spark Concerns Recently, posts claiming that the color bands on the bottom of toothpaste tubes represent different ingredients have been widely circulated on WeChat and Weibo. The post stated: "It turns out the color bands on the bottom of toothpaste tubes come in four colors: green, blue, red, and black.Green signifies all-natural ingredients, blue indicates natural plus medicinal ingredients, red denotes natural plus chemical ingredients, and black represents purely chemical ingredients. Most children's toothpaste tubes feature a black color strip on the bottom."
This claim has sparked concern among parents, with many stating, "After checking my child's toothpaste, I found a black color strip on the bottom and felt very alarmed."
Different color codes for the same brand and model?
Yesterday morning, a reporter visited major supermarkets in the city and found that toothpaste brands like Crest, Colgate, Zhonghua, and Blackman indeed had four-color markings printed on the tube ends. While the functions of each toothpaste vary, the most common color codes were black and blue, with red and green being less frequent. However, the reporter noticed that even the same model from the same brand had different color strips.Among children's toothpastes, the reporter randomly selected two "Tianqi" brand children's toothpastes, both of which had black color strips on the tube ends.
During the visits, the reporter also discovered that besides toothpaste, products like moisturizers and body washes—anything packaged in tubes—also featured such markings on the bottom of their backsides. A salesperson stated they had never heard the claim that "the color strip indicates the presence or absence of chemical ingredients."Color Markers Serve Positioning Purpose Regarding claims like "choose toothpaste by color" or "different tube colors indicate varying ingredients," the China Oral Care Products Industry Association recently issued a clarification.According to the association, the color markings on toothpaste tube bottoms primarily serve as positioning and identification points during filling and sealing. Industry professionals refer to these as "optical sensor alignment points." Such alignment points are common in tube packaging and widely used across products like cosmetics and food. They enable automatic filling machines to detect and position the tube correctly before sealing.Regarding the color selection for these marks, the association clarified that it depends on the packaging design. Manufacturers typically choose colors already present on the tube that contrast sharply with the base color and are easily detected by machinery. This choice has no relation to the toothpaste's ingredients.
The above explains the meaning behind the color stripes on toothpaste tube bottoms. We hope this helps you make informed choices when purchasing toothpaste in the future—never just go for the cheapest option. Wishing you all a happy life!