Any cosmetic and medical producthas a certain period during which it can be stored and used without losing its properties. When making a purchase, few people pay attention to the shelf life of toothpaste. But how much is this correct? And what else should you pay attention to when choosing a quality product for oral care?
Shelf life
To find out this information is enoughcarefully study the packaging, it indicates the period during which the product can be stored. Some manufacturers write, up to what month and year the paste can be used. And others put the date of production of the product and indicate for how long (months or years) it does not lose its properties. Usually it is 2-3 years. This information refers to the amount of time during which the paste can be stored in a closed state.
But there is one more shelf life of the toothpaste.Once the tube is open and the protective foil is removed, it should be used within 6-12 months. This information should also be indicated on the packaging. Usually it is applied in the form of an image of an open jar with the letter "M" and a figure on it, which is the number of months during which the remedy should be used after opening.
Mysterious colored stripes on a tube
There is an opinion that the stripes on the toothpaste hide information about the quality, composition and safety. Therefore, many buyers began to pay attention to its color, located at the site of the spike.
If you look at all the products presented, you can see that the color range of the strips is not so diverse, there are only four.
- Green, which, according to many, includingleading experts of various medical programs, speaks about the naturalness of the paste composition. Associative thinking allows you to compare green with ecology and nature. Hence, in such a product there should be no chemical components, the shelf life of the toothpaste should be small.
- Black is the opposite of green.It is believed that the toothpaste with such a labeling consists exclusively of chemical elements, it completely lacks natural components. And this category belongs to the cheapest segment, since black color indicates low-quality products.
- Red and blue strips on the toothpaste allegedly indicate that the product is of medium quality. There are approximately equal amounts of natural and artificial ingredients.
Why can not the color of the strip serve as a guide?
If you follow this logic, toothpastes witha green strip should cost significantly more than a black one. When carrying out a comparative analysis of the assortment series, such a pattern can not be traced.
If this statement is taken as an axiom, thenthe shelf life of toothpaste should be different for goods with black marking and with green, since natural products always have a shorter shelf life. But if you compare products with the marking of different colors, then this is not confirmed.
The paradox of the opinion that color matters,becomes evident after the analysis of tubes with children's toothpaste. Black strip on them is very common. But it is difficult to suspect manufacturers that they will produce dangerous and low-quality products for small consumers. To this category of goods there are increased requirements for certification.
What are stripes for?
Color marking is necessary for production.It serves as a reference point for machine tools that operate in automatic mode. On these strips, they can determine the place of adhesion or what kind of paste should be poured into a particular tube. Since the packaging is not completely white and contains graphic images, so that the sensor can recognize the marking, it must be of a contrasting color. That is why toothpaste for children, the tube of which is very bright and contains many drawings, is often marked with a black strip.
What to look for when choosing a toothpaste
There are Russian and international standards,regulating the composition of toothpastes and their packaging. Each product must have a full name and full information about the manufacturer, as well as contact information. Information should be provided on the volume of the tube, the storage requirements and the shelf life of the toothpaste, and after opening. The full composition is necessarily indicated, if fluoride is present in it, then its mass fraction should be indicated. It is important that the tube is made of materials approved for use for food products and protecting the toothpaste from drying out.
Requirements for the choice of baby toothpaste
Toothpaste for children is significantly different fromadult. Since babies often swallow it, a special requirement is made for the safety of its composition. Therefore, for small family members, it is necessary to choose specially designed means for them. You should pay attention to the fact that in this category there is a division into age categories. It also depends on the composition and the proportion of the active substances.
Tubes with baby paste are less than with adults.This is due to the fact that the period of use of toothpaste after opening the package is negligible. For example, toothpaste firm "ROSS" should be used within one month. When choosing it is important to pay attention to the fact that children's products should contain a minimum amount of fluoride, but it is advisable to choose pasta without it. The best pastes are those that have a natural composition and soft abrasives, while doing a good job of cleaning teeth from plaque.
The composition and cost of toothpaste are notindicators of its expiration date. So, dear Jason paste (about 700 rub.), Which has a natural composition, has a shelf life of 3 years. That is, it is the same as Blend-a-med, whose price is much lower.
