The 9 Best Coal Tar Shampoos for Treating Dandruff and Psoriasis

Coal tar is one of the oldest, and most popular, active ingredients used to help combat dandruff caused by seborrheic dermatitis and scalp psoriasis.

We’ve reviewed a number of coal tar shampoos over the years. Indeed, probably the number one shampoo we’ve reviewed is a coal tar and new shampoos are manufactured all the time.  As much as any other active ingredient out there.

However, before we look at what we consider to be the best coal tar shampoo on the market, it’s worth taking a closer look at this ingredient.  To let you understand the benefits and risks of using these shampoos,  allowing you to make a decision whether it’s the active ingredient for you.

In this article we’ll be looking at:

• What coal tar is
• How it works
• What kind of dandruff is is most effective for
• Before reviewing the best coal tar shampoos on the market

What Is Coal Tar?

Coal tar has been used medicinally for thousands of years, and it provides an effective but inexpensive treatment option for sufferers of various skin and scalp conditions.

It is a by-product of coal, created by distilling coal at extremely high temperatures.

The resulting crude coal tar is a dark brown thick liquid with a “characteristic” odor (it stinks basically).  Included on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, it is considered an important healthcare agent and has been for many years. It is one of only two ingredients approved by the USFDA for over the counter treatment of psoriasis.

How coal tar reduces symptoms of psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis is not completely understood. There are as many as 10,000 different chemicals in coal tar, only ~5,000 of them are really understood.  It really is a mysterious substance on so many levels. It has proven anti-fungal properties, antiseptic properties, anti inflammatory properties and it also seems to normalize keratin growth on the skin and reduce the formation of scales.

Coal Tar Composition

Coal tar comes in two forms in shampoos; crude or in a solution.

Crude or raw coal tar is generally considered the most effective form of the substance. However, many shampoos these days use a coal tar extract.  This refined form of coal tar is cleaner, doesn’t smell as bad, is more practical for home use but symptom improvement may take longer.

It’s quite often in shampoos these days to see coal tar mixed with other ingredients e.g. Salicylic Acid to enhance their performance.

Coal tar concentrations between 0.5 and 5 percent are considered effective and safe.  Manufacturers will often have to add 5 times that amount of coal tar solution for it to be as effective as crude coal tar.  Psoriatrax, for example, add 25% Coal Tar Solution and label that as equivalent to 5% Coal Tar.

It is worth noting that stronger isn’t necessarily better when it comes to coal tar.  Quite the opposite in fact.  A recent study suggests that a 1% coal tar solution is more effective than a 5% solution when treating mild to moderate psoriasis.

Over the Counter Availability of Coal Tar Products

There’s been a number of controversies over coal tar in recent decades.

Coal tar contains as many as 10,000 different chemicals, but only about half of these have actually been identified. The composition of coal tar also varies with coal type and origin. Many people have expressed concern over the unknown components that could be potential carcinogens or cancer-causing substances.

In the 1990s, studies appeared apparently linking coal tar exposure to cancer in animals.

A number of countries including the EU, China and Taiwan banned the use of coal tar in cosmetics as a result of these findings.

Polytar, one of the most popular coal tar shampoos at that time, was completely withdrawn.  Coal tar medications started to disappear from the shelves and some manufacturers even stopped producing .

However further research found that coal tar in low doses wasn’t linked to cancer.

This prompted the EU to overturn their own ruling.

Despite its 75-year history of documented use without any clear evidence of increased cancer risk in low doses, some skepticism remains. Formulations containing more than five percent crude coal tar are listed as carcinogenic by the World Health Organization. California still insist that coal tars treatments are labeled, Warning: This product contains chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer.

Some of the controversies may be related to the questionable safety of using coal tar in the production of sealant products and in other industrial settings; these problems are not relevant to the use of weak coal tar solutions in shampoo formulations.

However, and apologies for shouting here, there is no scientific evidence linking coal tar in 0.5 to 5% concentrations to cancer when applied to the scalp.  Even those who have received long-term treatment.

Hopefully, the scare is all but over and some sanity will prevail!

So many people depended on coal tar to treat their psoriasis or seb derm symptoms and it was really distressing to lose access to those treatments over, effectively, pseudo-science.

That said, if you suffer from moderate to severe scalp psoriasis, corticosteroid treatments are available on prescription and will often show more rapid symptom improvement.

Possible Side Effects of Coal Tar Shampoo Treatment

Although most people do not experience significant side effects, coal tar shampoos may cause skin irritation or rashes that were not present before treatment. Mild stinging upon application is also possible, especially when gel and solution products are used. Because coal tar can increase sensitivity to sunlight, skin treated with coal tar products should be protected from ultraviolet rays to avoid irritation and sunburn.

Coal Tar For Psoriasis

Psoriasis.org explains that psoriasis is a condition of the immune system that can cause skin symptoms like itching, flaking, scaling and a rapid buildup of skin cells that creates raised plaques. Coal tar has demonstrated its ability to reduce inflammation and slow the growth of skin cells to restore the skin’s normal appearance while helping to reduce uncomfortable symptoms.

Despite its age, coal tar remains extremely popular and effective for sufferers of mild to moderate scalp psoriasis.  There are steroid treatments available on prescription but the popularity of coal tar never seems to wain.  The effects of coal tar on psoriasis may even be enhanced when the substance is used in conjunction with ultraviolet light therapy.

Coal Tar For Seborrheic Dermatitis

Although the root cause of Seborrheic Dermatitis is still unknown, recent research suggests seb derm to be associated with a type of fungus called Malassezia furfur. Symptoms include itching, scaling, rash and ring-shaped patches of dry, pink skin. The antifungal properties of coal tar are believed to be the primary reason that it reduces symptoms of the common skin condition. In a clinical study, coal tar demonstrated its ability to inhibit the growth of 52 Malassezia strains.

However, there are other more modern treatments for seb derm which seem to be more precise and more effective at combatting the symptoms associated with seb derm.  Piroctone Olamine, Ketoconazole and Selenium Sulfide are three active ingredients that tend to be more popular these days.  If you suffer from anything other than mild seb derm, I would recommend checking out these ingredients first.

Coal Tar Shampoo Reviews

Below is a selection of our favorite and best-formulated coal tar shampoos we’ve yet reviewed.  The list is growing all the time though so be sure to keep checking back!

If you haven’t seen your favorite shampoo listed, chances are we have and it can be found if you check out all our coal tar reviews.

If there’s any we haven’t reviewed then please drop us a note and we’ll be absolutely delighted to look into it!