Coal tar shampoo was a standby for psoriasis and eczema. So why HAS this trusted skin treatment disappeared?

By Erin Dean

PUBLISHED: 20:42 EST, 3 March 2014 | UPDATED: 20:42 EST, 3 March 2014

Polytar Plus shampoo, 8.99

For decades, Ray Jobling has used a special medicated shampoo to help control his psoriasis. The condition is caused by overproduction of skin cells, leading to a build-up of itchy and sore patches of skin.

Psoriasis can appear anywhere on the body, but is most common on the scalp, elbows, knees and lower back.

Ray, a 72-year-old retired Cambridge University academic, has psoriasis on his scalp and has long relied on Polytar, a shampoo made with coal tar, a by-product of the industrial process that turns coal into coke.

Coal-tar shampoo, an over-the-counter product, has been a standby for psoriasis and other skin conditions, including eczema and cradle cap, for years.

But 18 months ago, it suddenly started disappearing from chemists' shelves for reasons that are far from clear.

Ray's doctor suggested he try Carbo Dome, a coal tar cream - but then a year ago this, too, started to vanish.

Ray, who was diagnosed with psoriasis when he was 14, says for those with painful skin conditions, losing a product that has been relied on for years can have a big impact (2 per cent of the population has psoriasis).

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Coal tar shampoo was a standby for psoriasis and eczema. So why HAS this trusted skin treatment disappeared?