What do the multi-colored stripes on the tubes mean? What do stripes on toothpaste tubes mean: truth and myths White stripe on a tube of cream

What does the color of the markings on toothpaste mean, which are often located on the seal of the tube? Consumers constantly ask this question, believing that in this way they can reveal the secret of the composition.

Thanks to wild imagination, today there are several theories that are successfully applied in practice - when purchasing. Do these stripes really mean something?

Myths and debunking

There are several theories about the meaning of the color of the strip on a tube of toothpaste, most of which were “invented” by consumers themselves.

Popular opinion

The most popular theory is the connection between the colored stripe and its chemical composition. It fully reveals the meaning of color in accordance with the chemical composition used in the form:

Black the strip indicates the presence of only chemical elements in the composition. There is no need to talk about the use of natural herbal ingredients.
Blue the strip indicates the content of 20% natural ingredients in the entire composition. The rest are harmful chemicals.
Red color indicates the content of natural substances in the cleaning product, but only half of the total amount.
Green strip is the safest paste containing only natural ingredients.

Duration of use

There is also a theory where the stripes on toothpaste tubes indicate how long the product can be used.

There are 4 statements here:

blue a stripe on the toothpaste means it can be used daily;
red– the composition contains substances that provide a therapeutic effect, but it can be used for no longer than 7 days;
green the strip indicates its strengthening effect, the period of use is no more than 30 days;
black color indicates a whitening property, which negatively affects tooth enamel.

Availability of dyes

There is a hypothesis about the presence of dyes in the product:

according to this theory in paste with green marking there are no synthetic dyes, and it consists only of natural ingredients;
tubes with black, brown and blue strips contain many harmful chemical dyes that give color to the product.
there are assumptions that marketers deliberately apply green stripes on tubes of paste so that they sell better - everyone knows that green means the color of nature and benefits for humans.

Protection against periodontal disease

The development warning theory says:

black mark - a composition that provokes the development of periodontal disease;
red mark - there are synthetic elements permitted by GOST;
green mark - an environmentally friendly composition, the most beneficial for teeth.

Content of abrasive components

There is a hypothesis about the presence of abrasive components and the frequency of its use, according to the marks on the tubes. We are talking about the presence of small particles in the paste that whiten and polish teeth, but over time spoil the enamel.

According to this theory, products with a high content of abrasive particles are marked with stripes of dark colors: black, brown, blue. Such formulations can be used for no longer than 7 days.

A red stripe means that the paste contains few abrasive particles and can be used to brush your teeth 3 times a week. But the composition with a green mark can be used every day without harm to health.

Consumer race

There is a somewhat strange theory about the presence of petroleum products in toothpaste, which radically affects the territorial purpose. Here is an example:

tubes with black stripes are intended for Asian and third world countries;
With red and green pasta is made in strips for European residents;
The USA can use the paste with blue mark.

black color indicates a high content of petroleum products;
blue color – contains less petroleum products;
red color – there are very few components in question;
green color is an environmentally friendly product.

Financial conspiracy

There is a theory about the financial situation of buyers who purchase for daily consumption.

According to this hypothesis:

black the strip is applied to tubes of cheap toothpaste, which contains inexpensive ingredients;
blue label – the product is of higher quality;
red The strip is an elite product containing components that are gentle on tooth enamel.

The theory is silent about other color applications.

There are many speculations about these marks on toothpaste tubes, but what do they really mean?

The truth will debunk the myth about colored stripes and disappoint many dreamers.

What do the labels actually mean?

You should not trust the above speculations, because the composition is written on the packaging and it is enough to read it, and not come up with special properties for the colored stripe on the tube.

Although the font chosen for printing will not be able to be read by most consumers, it is therefore necessary to take a magnifying glass and a table of harmful components, with the help of which the entire composition of the product is deciphered.

The colored stripes do not contain any secret messages, no matter how much some dreamers might like them to. Colored rectangles on tubes - this is just a “marking” or “light marking”, which the conveyor needs to correctly cut the tube blank.

The conveyor sensor reads the mark on the moving belt of the tube blank and cuts it at this point. Then, the cut piece of foil is twisted, glued, the tube is filled with paste, with the lid and cap at the bottom. Finally, the edge of the tube is wrapped or soldered.

Why are the label colors different?

Why the colors of the stripes are different depends on the design of the tube. In order for the conveyor sensor to read the mark, there must be maximum contrast between the background and the light mark.

When black is used in the design of the tube, both the label and the barcode will be black; if it is not in the design, then a different, maximum contrasting color relative to the background is assigned.

If the background of the tube is light, then the dark color of the label will be used (black, blue, brown). If the background of the tube is dark, the label will be white.

Typically, tube design uses 4 primary colors, which do not always fulfill the original plans. Then the color schemes are complemented by pre-press finishing.

To prevent colors from overlapping each other, a fifth color is assigned, which is used to print the barcode, the font on the packaging and the light mark on the tube.

It is easier for sensors to capture one color, and this also helps the manufacturer to optimize costs. Sometimes the function of photo marks is performed by design elements, then there will be no colored stripe on the tube.

So the secret of toothpaste labeling has been revealed. It turns out that they do not carry any information about the composition of the toothpaste. In any case, you should not trust such elements when choosing a product. It is important to read the ingredients on the packaging or on the manufacturer’s website before purchasing the product.

FAQ

First of all, one that does not injure the gums during use. At the same time, the quality of oral hygiene depends more on whether the teeth are brushed correctly than on the shape or type of toothbrush. As for electric brushes, for uninformed people they are a more preferable option; although you can clean your teeth efficiently with a simple (manual) brush. In addition, a toothbrush alone is often not enough - floss (special dental floss) must be used to clean between the teeth.

Mouthwashes are additional hygiene products that effectively cleanse the entire oral cavity of harmful bacteria. All these products can be divided into two large groups - therapeutic and preventive and hygienic.

The latter include mouthwashes that eliminate unpleasant odors and promote fresh breath.

As for therapeutic and prophylactic ones, these include rinses that have anti-plaque/anti-inflammatory/anti-carious effects and help reduce the sensitivity of hard dental tissues. This is achieved due to the presence of various biologically active components in the composition. Therefore, the mouthwash must be selected individually for each individual, as well as toothpaste. And since the product is not washed off with water, it only consolidates the effect of the active ingredients of the paste.

This type of cleaning is completely safe for dental tissues and causes less damage to the soft tissues of the oral cavity. The fact is that in dental clinics a special level of ultrasonic vibrations is selected, which affects the density of the stone, disrupts its structure and separates it from the enamel. In addition, in places where tissues are treated with an ultrasonic scaler (this is the name of the device for cleaning teeth), a special cavitation effect occurs (after all, oxygen molecules are released from water droplets, which enter the treatment area and cool the tip of the instrument). The cell membranes of pathogenic microorganisms are ruptured by these molecules, causing the microbes to die.

It turns out that ultrasonic cleaning has a comprehensive effect (provided that really high-quality equipment is used) both on the stone and on the microflora as a whole, cleansing it. But the same cannot be said about mechanical cleaning. Moreover, ultrasonic cleaning is more pleasant for the patient and takes less time.

According to dentists, dental treatment should be carried out regardless of your situation. Moreover, a pregnant woman is recommended to visit the dentist every one to two months, because, as you know, when carrying a baby, the teeth are significantly weakened, suffer from a deficiency of phosphorus and calcium, and therefore the risk of developing caries or even tooth loss increases significantly. To treat pregnant women, it is necessary to use harmless anesthesia. The most appropriate course of treatment should be selected exclusively by a qualified dentist, who will also prescribe the required medications that strengthen tooth enamel.

It is quite difficult to treat wisdom teeth due to their anatomical structure. However, qualified specialists successfully treat them. Wisdom teeth prosthetics are recommended when one (or several) adjacent teeth are missing or need to be removed (if you also remove a wisdom tooth, there will simply be nothing to chew). In addition, removal of a wisdom tooth is undesirable if it is located in the correct place in the jaw, has its own antagonist tooth and takes part in the chewing process. You should also take into account the fact that poor quality treatment can lead to the most serious complications.

Here, of course, a lot depends on a person’s taste. So, there are absolutely invisible systems attached to the inside of the teeth (known as lingual), and there are also transparent ones. But the most popular are still metal bracket systems with colored metal/elastic ligatures. It's really fashionable!

To begin with, it is simply unattractive. If this is not enough for you, we present the following argument - tartar and plaque on the teeth often provoke bad breath. Is this not enough for you? In this case, we move on: if tartar “grows”, this will inevitably lead to irritation and inflammation of the gums, that is, it will create favorable conditions for periodontitis (a disease in which periodontal pockets form, pus constantly flows out of them, and the teeth themselves become mobile ). And this is a direct path to the loss of healthy teeth. Moreover, the number of harmful bacteria increases, which causes increased dental caries.

The service life of a well-established implant will be tens of years. According to statistics, at least 90 percent of implants function perfectly 10 years after installation, while the service life is on average 40 years. Typically, this period will depend both on the design of the product and on how carefully the patient cares for it. That is why it is imperative to use an irrigator during cleaning. In addition, it is necessary to visit the dentist at least once a year. All these measures will significantly reduce the risk of implant loss.

Removal of a dental cyst can be done therapeutically or surgically. In the second case, we are talking about tooth extraction with further cleaning of the gums. In addition, there are modern methods that allow you to save the tooth. This is, first of all, cystectomy - a rather complex operation that involves removing the cyst and the affected root tip. Another method is hemisection, in which the root and a fragment of the tooth above it are removed, after which it (the part) is restored with a crown.

As for therapeutic treatment, it consists of cleaning out the cyst through a root canal. This is also a difficult option, especially not always effective. Which method should you choose? This will be decided by the doctor together with the patient.

In the first case, professional systems based on carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide are used to change the color of teeth. Obviously, it is better to give preference to professional whitening.

Do you know what the multi-colored stripes on tubes of creams, toothpastes, shampoos and other things mean? Have you ever noticed that every tube, for example, with cream, always has a rectangle on the back side. It comes in: black, dark brown, dark blue, dark burgundy (generally dark colors); It also comes in red, blue and green.

Dark rectangle means that the product you are using is entirely chemical, contains coarse abrasive and many synthetic components. 100% chemistry!
Blue rectangle contains more mineral components than black and contains: 80% chemistry - 20% natural substances.
Red rectangle means that the product is approximately 50% consists of chemistry and 50% from natural raw materials.
Green rectangle means that the product you used is chemical-free! Consists of 100% from natural substances.

Here's another opinion:

Black - contains substances that increase periodontal disease;
Red – contains substances hazardous to health;
Blue – contains acceptable synthetic substances that are not hazardous to health;
Green - contains 100% natural raw materials, environmentally friendly substances." "The stripes indicate the percentage of chemicals in the toothpaste.
Black - 100% chemical
Blue - 80% chemical 20% natural product
Red - 50% chemical 50% natural product
Green - 100% natural product" source "There is a stripe at the bottom of the toothpaste tube. These stripes come in three colors: Black, blue and green.
A tube with a black stripe, containing a forming paste. Whitens well, but you can’t use this paste often. Because it will scratch the teeth of the teeth. This paste can be used no more than once a week.
A tube with a blue stripe - the paste contains much less forming agent. It is recommended to brush your teeth with this paste no more than 2-3 times a week.
And the tube with a green stripe is more like a phytopaste, the kind you should brush your teeth every morning and yesterday.” source “if there is a black stripe on the tail of the tube, the paste is terribly poisonous and generally “made entirely of oil”; blue, red - also nothing good, but green - purely herbs and natural substances.
I don’t even know how to comment on this, so I’ll just end with a quote from Balzac: “Ignorance is the mother of all crimes.”

Or this option - by colored stripes indicate the paste class, from black - “economy class” to green “elite class”.

There is also such an opinion - blue stripe– paste for daily use, red– medicinal paste (used for no more than a week), with green stripe– strengthening paste (used within a month after treatment), with black stripes whitening paste (use no more than once a week).

What do you think about this?

Update from 2019:

The color of the strip is related to the composition of the product

Remember that stripes of different colors indicate the degree of naturalness of the product. If the stripes are dark, the product consists only of synthetic components. Red ones are less dangerous - only 70% “chemistry”. Green - can you guess it yourself? That's right, completely natural. Well, how many of you think the same?

In fact there is no connection between the contents of the tube and the color/shape of the strip. This is a myth that has been supported by many media outlets for several years. For example, Elena Malysheva, who had already spoiled her reputation with dubious statements, in one of the episodes of the “Health” program, with a smart look, talks outright nonsense about stripes on tubes, supporting this myth. Apparently, the person who wrote the script for the episode decided not to bother and included in it the first thing that came across on the Internet. Or - and I believe this more - there are manufacturers who benefit from spreading such rumors in order to increase sales.

Stripes on tubes - a technical element

The strip on the tube is a marking that allows the sensor on the conveyor to determine where the tube should be cut. The color of the strip depends on the color of the tube: if it is dark, the strip will be light, and vice versa. The machine reads the maximum contrast color better.

I understand that it’s easier for a person to trust a colored stripe than to look for the composition and try to understand it, but we don’t want to be a thoughtless herd, right? So, when you hear such nonsense, use your head and critically evaluate the information.

It can indicate the naturalness of the product only its composition- read it, don’t be lazy.

Now let's get serious

Initially, the design of the future tube is developed. For most “designers” there are only 4 colors - CMYK (Cyan Magenta Yellow Black). But not all the ideas of the “designers” can be reproduced when printing in full color, so the design goes to the pre-press department for further processing, where problematic design elements are processed: unnecessary colors are removed, replaced with spot colors, color separations are made in accordance with the number of ink sections of the printing machine and etc. technological aspects.

For example, a design contains an image and text (everything is done in full color - cmyk). The designer assigned blue color (cyan + magenta) to the text and barcode, because he was told so by higher powers from outer space, or simply this color is in harmony with the general idea of the design, or it is the brand color of the company, etc... Print such elements by superimposing two paints are not allowed, since if the colors are not combined, the text will be unreadable and the barcode will not be readable, therefore, at the pre-press stage, a spot color is assigned to this text by selecting a color from the Pantone catalog (the design will already be made in 5 colors - cmyk+pantone), therefore, the photo tag will be blue, and not red or green, since an additional color is an additional expense, which the manufacturer will not agree to, trying to reduce costs to a minimum.

Now about technological photo tags. Photo tags are necessary, as mentioned above:

horizontal - for precise cutting of laminate fabric in height (when printing on rolled laminate fabric)
vertical - for precise positioning when soldering the tip of the tube (so that the solder is parallel to the image and text part, and not at an angle or perpendicular)

As a rule, the label is printed with the same ink, just like a barcode.

In order for the photo sensor to catch the photo tag, there needs to be a contrast between the background and the tag. The maximum contrast is a white material and a black photo tag. If the design contains black paint, then both the photo tag and the barcode will be black; if there is no black paint in the design, then the maximum contrast color relative to the background is assigned. If the background is black/dark, then use a white photo tag. There are cases when there are no photo tags at all, and their role is played by design elements. Many manufacturers take a risk by assigning a light color to the photo tag and barcode, since the barcode may simply not be considered a scanner in a store, and the photo sensor may not catch the tag when sealing the tip of the tube.

To select the color of tags and barcodes, preliminary tests are carried out, but most often manufacturers do not risk releasing a low-quality product and use black/dark color.

The Italian notes did not provoke a flurry of comments, so I return to my favorite topic of cosmetics. Each product has this symbol - an open jar. Do you attach importance to it? I'll tell you why I always pay attention to him.

Previously, the sign was just a silent symbol. Until one day, I took out my face mask and was surprised to find that it had peeled off. Then the second face mask - and the same thing, it separated. There are a lot of masks in the household, so I don’t always have time to use them quickly, but I carefully store them not in the bathroom, but in a cool closet, everything according to the rules. I turned the tubes over - on both masks there is a symbol for 6 months, and naturally I had these masks for longer than six months.

Having studied the information on the Internet, I came to the conclusion that when buying cosmetics you need to pay attention to both this sign and the date of first opening. That is, if some product has a lifespan of only 6 months from the start of use, then you need to remember about it and not throw it into a distant closet, but put it in the most visible place. Otherwise, you'll just have to throw it away later. But what’s the best way to do this, to remember the very date of the first autopsy? Write in a notepad, or on the tube itself? On Japanese cosmetics Fancl, for example, there are special round stickers on the annotations - just for writing the date and sticking it on the bottle. But I have never seen anything like this anywhere else.

And yes, after checking all my cosmetics, I noticed that the shortest shelf life - 6 months - is found on some face masks and eye creams. Well, now a little theory in my humble translation))

What does the PAO symbol on the label mean?

The PAO symbol - “Period after opening” (open jar) - is the expiration date during which the cosmetic product can be used without problems, with his first autopsy.

It is depicted on cosmetics in the form of a jar with an open lid, on which or next to it is written a number and the letter M-months. This number shows maximum recommended period of use, which, according to European labeling rules, “will not cause harm to the consumer.” Usually it is 6M, 12M, 24M, 36M.

For example 36 M means that open cream/lotion can be used without problems for up to 36 months from the moment its packaging was first opened. After this period, there is a risk that the product will lose its consumer qualities (delaminate, change color) or microbiological safety. This marking does not affect the effectiveness of the cream in any way; EU rules indicate safety.

If the symbol is not on the label

The “Open Jar” symbol is not always present. Some cosmetics (such as lip balms) have a shelf life of 30 months or less - then the symbolYou don’t have to put PAO on the label, but be sure to write the exact expiration date - best before... or expiration date until... If the product’s shelf life is more than 30 months from the production date, then the manufacturer must apply the “open jar” sign.

There are so many different myths about what the colored stripes on toothpaste tubes mean. Allegedly, they are talking about harmful substances, the permitted frequency of using the paste, and what country or city it was actually made in. The most advanced manufacturers began to produce toothpastes in tubes with a green stripe, supporting the myth of their naturalness. But in fact, such assumptions are wrong, and any dentist can confirm this.

Basic myths about color marks on tubes

According to some consumers, the colors of the stripes on tubes of toothpastes, ointments and creams indicate the characteristics of their composition:

Red is about synthetic.
Green is about the environment.
Blue and brown indicate that the product is half natural.
Black - contains only chemical components.

Another part of consumers is of the opinion that colored markers indicate the degree of abrasiveness, the presence of protective properties, or the cost of hygiene products.

GOST and multi-colored stripes

A modern tube of toothpaste made in Russia must comply with three GOST standards at once:

GOST 7983-99 (based on ISO 11609-95) talks about the correct marking of a paste mass and what it means.
GOST 14192 and 28303 indicate the requirements for containers.

These documents state that:

It must be indicated on the tube:
- Product name;
- brand;
- trademark;
- volume;
- compound;
- acceptable storage conditions;
- best before date;
- availability of relevant certificates.
The marking is applied in the language of the manufacturer and the importing country.
Permissible deviations from weight are 5%.
Containing materials must be environmentally friendly.

But none of the GOSTs talks about the meaning of colored stripes on toothpaste and the rules for applying them. That is The state does not regulate in any way the procedure for applying a “color barcode”, the company itself decides on the issue of marking toothpaste with colored stripes and can do without these designations.

Why are multi-colored stripes applied?

In fact, the colored stripes on the tubes are an identification mark for the conveyor during automated production. They are necessary for high-quality separation of the tube blank from the conveyor belt.

Stripes on pastes

The technological sensor detects the color marking and cuts off the future tube of toothpaste. After this, the plastic sheet is twisted, glued and filled with gel content. After these manipulations, the tube is finally glued and closed with a cap.

The color of the mark on toothpaste, by and large, means nothing. The manufacturer can independently choose the range and height of the strips, regardless of the chemical composition of the product and the shape of the container.

Streaks on creams

Creams are marked as the products move along the conveyor belt in a non-contact manner using special color markers read by conveyor sensors. They allow you not only to correctly cut and solder the tube, but also indicate places for applying drawings and text on the container.

Information about the composition and manufacturer is applied by inkjet using special ink. That is, red, black and other stripes are needed only in the process of producing creams using robotic technology.

The True Meaning of Flowers

Despite the simple explanation for the appearance of stripes on toothpaste tubes, a certain color is chosen for a reason. The choice of mark shade is influenced by:

Tube color. A black (dark) stripe on the toothpaste means that the main tone of the blank and tube is white or just a light shade. Light marks are typical for dark-colored containers, but manufacturers who decide to choose this shade of marker take a risk, since the photo sensor may not “catch” it during the soldering process.
Limited choice. Typically, the marking involves 4 basic shades (CMYK - Cyan Magenta Yellow Black). Additionally, a fifth color can be used to print a barcode, text, or one light mark.

That is, the correct reading of the marking by the optical sensor depends on the contrast of the stripe and the main color of the tube. Most often, the tags are darker than the background, which allows the sensors to read the necessary information most efficiently.

When choosing a marker shade, packaging design is no less important. This means that if there are blue elements on a tube of toothpaste, then the stripe on it will be blue. Since the stripes on tubes of creams and pastes do not mean anything important (impact on the enamel), they can easily be replaced by other design elements at the discretion of the manufacturer.

Technological photo marks can be divided into 2 types based on their position on the sheet:

horizontal markers are placed for precise cutting of the main workpiece when printing on a rolled laminate;
vertical marks are needed to accurately indicate the location of the cut when soldering the tube, so that it is parallel to the main text and image on the final product.

Labeling procedure

Color division depends on the equipment and the number of coloring sections. At the preparatory stage, one main color is taken, which will contrast most with the color of the tube. Based on it, the features of reading elements and printing a barcode are determined.

If you use two colors at once, for example, blue and black, this will lead to unreadable text when the equipment is moved. Optical sensors correctly capture one primary color (red, green). Most often, white color is used for the background, since all the colored stripes are clearly visible on white tubes; the height and width of the marks are discussed individually. This approach allows us to minimize the costs of producing and placing information on tubes using a printed, non-contact method.

But The color of the marking has nothing to do with the composition of the gel. Typically, the tubes are manufactured by a company that has nothing to do with the development of the personal care product itself and dentistry, so its labels simply by definition cannot refer to the chemical composition of the paste-like mass. If stripes on toothpaste mean anything, it clearly doesn't matter to the end consumer.

Depending on the required parameters of the tube, a large blank sheet is divided into parts of a certain size. Light marks are placed as delimiters. They indicate the location of the incision to produce a tube of the required volume. Different colors of markers help identify manufacturing defects and other technological defects.

The stripes on toothpaste do not mean anything, so you don’t need to look closely at them and look for a secret sign in them. If you need to choose a paste with some specific indicators, you should look for information about them not in strips. The content of synthetic and natural substances in the gel can be found by reading the composition information posted on the tube.