The internet is home to lots useful and valuable information. However, it is also highly susceptible to false information. These widely spread, fabricated misinformation have been dubbed as "Fake News" One hoax that has surfaced has to do with the colorful markings you see on the bottoms of toothpaste tubes. Referred to as the toothpaste color code, social media posts and internet articles about the subject insist that the colors on a toothpaste tube reveal what the ingredients in the toothpaste actually are. As much as we love cracking secret codes, this one actually has nothing to crack because it’s entirely untrue. These markings have nothing to do with the ingredients in your toothpaste. As it turns out, they mean something else entirely.
The Claim
Several websites and social media posts claim that the squares you see on the bottom of your tube of toothpaste are actually part of a color code that tells you the ingredients in the toothpaste. According to the posts, green marks mean the toothpaste is made from only natural ingredients, blue marks mean it contains a mix of natural ingredients and medication, red marks means it contains both natural ingredients and chemical ingredients, and black marks means it contains only chemical ingredients. The posts warn people against toothpastes with red or black marks and encourage people to choose toothpastes with green or blue marks instead.