Do the colored squares at the bottom of toothpaste tubes tell the ingredients they contain according to a specific color code? No, that's not true: According to Colgate, oral care companies don't use any color-coding system. The color blocks on the tube help in the manufacturing process of the toothpaste tubes "by telling light sensors where the end of the tube is so that it can be cut and sealed properly."
The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok posted on December 5, 2023. It began (translated from Japanese to English by Lead Stories staff):
The color tab on the back of the toothpaste has a meaning:Green is all natural ingredients
Blue is natural ingredients plus medication
Red is natural ingredients plus chemicals
This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Thu Dec 7 02:38:47 2023 UTC)
Below is a screenshot of another post on TikTok with the same claim, which is no longer available on the platform. That text (as translated) read:
The square mark on the back of the toothpaste:
Red is half additive-free and half chemical.
Green is additive-free.
Black is chemicals only.
Everyone, be careful!
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Thu Dec 7 02:45:12 2023 UTC)
A search on TikTok conducted by Lead Stories on December 11, 2023, using the terms "toothpaste color tab," showed several results in English on the alleged color code system.
Lead Stories fact checked a similar claim here.
