Scytera is a new coal tar psoriasis treatment by Promius Pharma.  Scytera is unique because it’s delivered in the form of an off-white foam.

“What is coal tar?” you might ask.  Coal tar is a dark, viscous by-product of coal that has long been used to treat psoriasis.  It can be applied directly to skin areas affected by psoriasis to suppress the disease itself as well as act as an immediate itch inhibitor.

Thus, Scytera is designed to deliver coal tar in a way that takes advantage of coal tar’s therapeutic qualities all the while minimizing some of its less pleasant cosmetic qualities, such as its strong odor and tendency to stain cloths.  I found that this foam solution smelled more like mint than the coal tar shampoos I am used to smelling.  As you can tell from the picture below, it looks as close to white as any coal-tar based solution could possibly look.

My first impression of Scytera was that it must be a new kind of coal tar shampoo.  But it is actually a coal-tar-based topical treatment that can be applied anywhere on the body, hence the emphasis that it does not stain cloths as standard coal tar tends to do.   According to the directions provided with the product, it can applied up to four times per day.

As a scalp treatment (which is the only kind of psoriasis treatment I need), it worked very well.  It had an immediate “tingly,” soothing effect that effectively suppressed my psoriasis itch all day.  Luckily my head is almost shaved already, so I was able to apply it directly to my scalp.

For my first time using Scytera, I applied it to my scalp after using regular shampoo.  After letting it soak in for a while, then rinsed off any excess.  It worked for the duration of the day.  The efficacy of this coal tar solution is comparable to my favorite coal tar shampoo: Neutrogena’s T/Gel Stubborn Itch Control, which contains menthol.

Scytera is made up of 10% liquor carbonis detergens, which the makers of Scytera refer to as “equivalent to 2% coal tar.”  From researching different sources that use the phrase “liquor carbonis detergens” interchangably with coal tar, it would seem that this can either refer to coal tar directly or a somewhat diluted version of it.