WHY has coal tar shampoo, standby for psoriasis and eczema disappeared?

By Erin Dean

PUBLISHED: 20:42 EST, 3 March 2014 | UPDATED: 05:54 EST, 4 March 2014

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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.

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WHY has coal tar shampoo, standby for psoriasis and eczema disappeared?