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Review
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Ingredients
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Wash
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Smell
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Price
Summary
Capasal have formulated a unique blend of active ingredients to help control scalp psoriasis, perhaps the most original and interesting shampoo formulation we’ve yet seen. It’s SLS, fragrance and paraben free too. The downsides are that it smells like a coal tar shampoo and, despite the gentle formulation, there are still a few known contact allergens in there.
User Review
( votes)
With the demise of Polytar Liquid many scalp psoriasis sufferers have been forced to switch from, what was, a very effective coal tar shampoo.
Capasal Therapeutic Shampoo is one of the shampoos a lot of sufferers have turned to and the general response has been extremely positive, certainly in the UK where the shampoo is manufactured.
Unlike Polytar, Capasal have mixed active ingredients to produce a unique formulation. Like Polytar, The shampoo is a coal tar shampoo. However they’ve combined coal tar with salicylic acid and coconut oil – a genius combination I’ve never seen used before.
Coal tar is an anti-inflammatory that also slows the regeneration of the skin – the salicylic acid helps to exfoliate the scalp of existing flakes of dandruff.
In theory, this would allow the coal tar to work on the scalp rather than the flakes. Both these active ingredients can dry the scalp so the addition of coconut oil is the true genius; coconut tar is both an anti-fungal agent that helps keep the skin moisturized.
So how does this shampoo actually perform?
The shampoo smells like a typical coal tar shampoo. If you’ve experienced that smell before you know what I mean. If you haven’t, think of a slightly anti-septic tarmac. This smell is strong and only Alphosyl seem to have taken any steps to alleviate the smell in any way – a genuine surprise in this day in age.
The shampoo itself feels surprisingly luxurious when washing, despite looking and smelling like nicotine. My hair felt really clean and soft at the end of the wash. Typically coal tar shampoos leave my hair dry and almost straw-like but this is where the coconut oil comes into its own, offering a wash that genuinely gives the hair volume.
In keeping with the unique active ingredients, the rest of the shampoo is made up of a combination of ingredients I have never seen in my life. Admirably the shampoo has only 9 ingredients in there and it is both paraben and SLS free.
Three of the ingredients are active but unfortunately, three of them are known contact allergens. Not major contact allergens but definitely something to be aware of all the same. This shampoo will cause a reaction in some of you and it’s best to know why.
Contact allergens aside, Capasal is an excellent shampoo for those of us who suffer mild to moderate psoriasis. The anti-fungal properties of coal tar may also help seborrheic dermatitis sufferers too. However, if the company could remove the contact allergens while improving that smell, they may just have the best psoriasis shampoo on the market.
Can’t believe my eyes, this is incredible stuff. After just one shampoo I can actually see a massive difference . I was worried that I was going bald even though I always had thick hair but lately the top of my scalp was looking very thin hairwise. I felt flaky scaly stuff on my scalp and was just about to go to the doctor however I bought this shampoo and as I said I just cant believe the results so far. Please God, long may it last. Smell is horrific, but will get over that if it continues working.
After years of suffering I was referred to a Dermatologist. She diagnosed Psoriasis and prescribed this shampoo. I have had to soak my hair overnight three nights on a row and then apply a gel she prescribed overnight. Then I have to put the shampoo on the dry hair and leave for 5 minutes before washing off. I have to use the gel and shampoo then every day for 8 weeks. It might still be a good idea to ask your doctor to refer you on to a Dermatologist. Don’t suffer for years as I have done
Hi Eleanor – thanks for the great feedback there. I can’t stress how important it is to see a dermatologist for a scalp condition. Once diagnosed you can actually work on the problem. It may sound obvious, but you can’t fix the problem if you don’t know what the problem is. It’s amazing how many people fall over at that stage – me included. For many years.
Forgot to add that I soaked my scalp in Olive Oil.
Eleanor – did not understand your comment about soaking your hair every night three days in a row. I have now seen a dermatologist and treatment is to wash with Carpasal, rub in Diplosalic lotion over affected areas one day and the next day rub in Dovobet gel and continue this routine till it clears up. Got these items on prescription and seems to be doing the job.