DHS Tar Gel Shampoo
Everything behind the verdicts on this product: the rule that fired for each concern, the three answers and the documents they rest on, every study on the row with the date it was opened, and the versions of the tables that produced them. Nothing here is edited by hand; it is generated from the same records the verdicts are.
The scaleRecommendedGoodSupportingEarly evidenceNot for thisAvoidhow it works
Engine 5.2.0 · rules 0.5.1 · evidence table ev-2026.10-r231 · computed October 13, 2026 · how we decide · the evidence table · the anchors
for Dandruff
Coal Tar is an approved or monograph active for dandruff; this gel carries it at 0.5%.
A first-line active — approved, monograph-listed or named in current guidelines — at an effective strength, with no trigger for the concern.
- Rule
- R2 → Strong choice. A first-line active (approved, monograph-listed or named in a current guideline); declared at a working strength, or a labelled active.
q1 = first-line · q2 = adequate
Why this rule exists: A regulator- or guideline-recognised first-line active, declared at an effective strength, in a form the claim supports.
Rule R2 decided 905 verdicts across the catalog; “Strong choice” is the verdict on 1,475 of 45,446. The full register. - Carrying active
- Solubilized Coal Tar Extract
- 1 · Standing
- First-line — a regulator recognises it for this use; trials support it
Document: 21 CFR § 358.710 - Active ingredients for the control of dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, or psoriasis (US Code of Federal Regulations — FDA OTC drug monograph (Cornell LII rendering of the current CFR)), opened August 11, 2026 - 2 · Form
- Adequate — declared at 0.5%
Studied range: 0.5–5%, from the OTC monograph or label; judge it after about 4 weeks - 3 · Tolerability
- Standard tolerability — fragrance load
Cautions: fragrance. - Evidence dots
- Limited evidence
Row checked against its sources on August 11, 2026 (evidence table ev-2026.10-r231). - What readers report
- No reviews read yet for this product. Shown beside the verdict; never blended into it.
- Verdict since
- September 5, 2026 (unchanged across rebuilds since then)
The studies and documents on the row
- 21 CFR § 358.710 - Active ingredients for the control of dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, or psoriasis — US Food and Drug Administration — OTC drug monograph (Cornell LII rendering of the current CFR), opened August 11, 2026
- Comparative anti-dandruff efficacy between a tar and a non-tar shampoo — Dermatology (2000), opened August 11, 2026
- Diagnosis and Treatment of Seborrheic Dermatitis — American Family Physician (2015), opened August 11, 2026
← Back to the verdict All dandruff products → Disclose a concentration or correct a fact →
for Psoriasis
Coal Tar is an approved or monograph active for psoriasis; this rinse-off gel carries it at 0.5% — short contact still counts for this active, but a leave-on does more.
A trial-supported active, or a reference standard by mechanism, at a working level; or a first-line active below its studied range.
- Rule
- R2r → Good choice. A first-line active (approved, monograph-listed or named in a current guideline) or a supported active (trial-backed, or a reference standard by mechanism); declared at a working strength, or a labelled active or at a plausible but undeclared level; in a rinse-off product the claim allows; not for a scalp concern.
q1 = first-line | supported · q2 = adequate | plausible · rinse = true · scalp = false
Why this rule exists: Rinse-off exceptions (BPO wash, salicylic acid cleanser) deliver a real but smaller effect than the leave-on form; they cap at 'good choice'. Medicated shampoos for scalp concerns are exempt — the shampoo is the treatment form. Editorial decision 2 Sep 2026, pending advisory review.
Rule R2r decided 413 verdicts across the catalog; “Good choice” is the verdict on 10,340 of 45,446. The full register. - Carrying active
- Solubilized Coal Tar Extract
- 1 · Standing
- First-line — a regulator recognises it for this use; trials support it
Document: § 358.710 Active ingredients for the control of dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, or psoriasis. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration — 21 CFR Part 358 Subpart H, Code of Federal Regulations via GovInfo), opened July 27, 2026 - 2 · Form
- Adequate — declared at 0.5%
Studied range: 0.5–5%, from the OTC monograph or label; judge it after about 4 weeks - 3 · Tolerability
- Standard tolerability — fragrance load
Cautions: fragrance. - Evidence dots
- Strong evidence
Row checked against its sources on July 27, 2026 (evidence table ev-2026.10-r231). - What readers report
- No reviews read yet for this product. Shown beside the verdict; never blended into it.
- Verdict since
- September 5, 2026 (unchanged across rebuilds since then)
The studies and documents on the row
- Joint AAD-NPF Guidelines of care for the management and treatment of psoriasis with topical therapy and alternative medicine modalities for psoriasis severity measures — Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (2021), opened July 17, 2026
← Back to the verdict All psoriasis products → Disclose a concentration or correct a fact →
No category-job specification exists for this category yet, so there is no job reading.
- Fragrance
A verdict is Dermington’s assessment of how well a product’s ingredients fit a concern — never a claim about what the product treats. Every rule is public and the same for every product; a brand cannot buy a reading. How we decide · what has changed · disclaimer.