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Product Review: Scytera Coal Tar Foam

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

scytera

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.

scytera foam

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Selsun Blue with Menthol Update: Day 2

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

Surprisingly, the itchiness on my scalp seems to be a lot worse today than yesterday starting around mid-day.  Since noon I have felt strong urges to scratch both the front and the far back of my scalp.  It feels like the kind of deep itch that will not go away, no matter how much I scratch at it.

Observation: The winter season is just beginning here in Phoenix, which means less sun and lots of cold, dry air.  My knuckles have started to dry out over the last few days, which is a sign that the worst time of year for my psoriasis is beginning.  Phoenix is dry year round; but it gets especially dry when assiduous sweating is taken out of the picture.

I found myself missing the effects of coal tar as the day went on today — coal tar seems to have a longer lasting, suppressive effect on scalp itch.  My inclination at this point is to switch back to T/Gel, Stubborn Itch Control (with menthol as well) as soon as this bottle of Selsun Blue with menthol is finished.  I would feel bad about not using this whole bottle since it cost me $9 (not on sale, but worth it for scientific research, right?).

See my more extended review of Selsun Blue with Menthol here.

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Selsun Blue with Menthol – Product Review

Monday, October 19th, 2009

selsun blue menthol

Selsun Blue is designed primarily to treat itchiness (pruritus) and flaking caused by seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp.  Since scalp pruritus is the main symptom I experience on a regular basis and since psoriasis is similar to seborrheic dermatitis, I decided to give Selsun Blue with Menthol a try.

The most effective type of T/Gel I have found to treat my psoriasis has been T/Gel Stubborn Itch Control, which contains coal tar (2%) and menthol.   The soothing effect of menthol is effective at suppressing pruritus flares-ups on my scalp in addition to the the longer term medicinal effects of coal tar.  In the case of this particular kind of Selsun Blue, the active ingredients are selenium sulfide (1%) and menthol.  While coal tar suppresses skin cell proliferation, selenium sulfide is primarily an antifungal compound — it kills the fungus (malassezia) that feeds on the skin’s natural oils, leading to itchiness and dandruff.  Selenium sulfide has also been proven to suppress keratinocyte proliferation (excessive skin cell production), which leads to the itchiness and scaling characteristic of psoriasis vulgaris (plaque psoriasis).

Observations:

Selsun Blue with Menthol had less of an immediate effect on my scalp than T/Gel with menthol, but as of now, about 2 hours after applying this shampoo, my scalp feels quite at ease.  I have not felt the need to scratch for at least an hour now.  With the help of the residual menthol, my scalp feels as “normal” ore as free from pruritus as it ever does.  This is encouraging for me since, as I said, my main symptom is an itchy scalp.  In addition to being bothersome and distracting, scratching all day is causing a lot of damage to my scalp, which is leading to accelerated hair loss.

***

There are some other advantages to using Selsun Blue that may lead me to switch over to this product over T/Gel:

  • Coal tar is a suspected carcinogen over long periods of exposure.  Experts might claim that I would have to soak my entire body in pure coal tar all day for a year to be at risk of developing cancer… but this argument doesn’t really put my mind ease.  Soaking my scalp with a diluted coal tar solution on a regular basis is comparable, so why risk it?  Also, petroleum based products across the board do not have a great reputation for promoting physical health (from consumables to topical ointments to gasoline).  If crude oil splashed onto your skin would your impulse be to quickly wash it off or would you allow it soak in for a while?
  • Selsun Blue with menthol is significantly less expensive than T/Gel with menthol.  While T/Gel is about $7.00 for 4 ounces (at my local grocery store), Selsun Blue is about $9.00 for 11 ounces.  That’s about half as much, ounce for ounce.
  • Selsun Blue with menthol doesn’t smell as bad as T/Gel with menthol.  For a person who is not accustomed to the smell of coal tar shampoos, the aroma can be suffocating.  This particular kind of Selsun Blue smells like a combination of menthol, Irish Spring soap and sunscreen.

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Neutrogena’s Extra Strength T-Gel Psoriasis Shampoo — Product Review

Saturday, October 3rd, 2009

t gel extra strength

Coal tar is T-Gel’s active ingredient.  This particular version of T-Gel is called “Extra Strength”  because it contains twice as much of coal tar than Neutrogena’s other T-Gel, “Original.”  Extra strength T-Gel contains 1% refined coal tar (4% Neutar) and Original T-Gel has 0.5% coal tar (2% Neutar).

Neutar is Neutrogena’s new and improved variation of coal tar.  Coal tar by itself, which is extracted from coal, has been used for decades to treat psoriasis.  Neutar is a derivative of coal tar, with a whole less the stifling smell and dark color.

Notice the dark brown color of the T-Gel pictured above (this is the actual color of the shampoo).  This color results from the thick, tar-like quality of coal tar.  Original T-Gel has more of a brownish-orange color.

Whether or not you should use Extra Strength or Original T-Gel depends on your psoriasis (or seborrheic dermatitis, or the like).  Start with Original if you’ve never used it before.  Ideally you should to consult with your dermatologist to get authoritative answers about how to treat your psoriasis since every case is unique.

When you first use T-Gel you will notice right away what a deep, penetrating effect coal tar has on your scalp.  In my case, the itchiness that had plagued me for so long went away immediately.  For mild cases of psoriasis such as mine, T-Gel (Extra Strength for me) keeps the burning itchiness at bay for about 24 hours.

T-Gel (especially Extra Strength) is a one of the most effective psoriasis shampoos I have ever used.  Neutrogena did a great job minimizing the smell (which can follow you around all day if you don’t rinse well enough) all the while making the shampoo as concentrated and effective as possible.

I have used Extra Strength T-Gel alternately with T-Sal to drive back the symptoms of psoriasis for years, right up until recently, when I discovered another variation of T-Gel — Stubborn Itch Control — which works better still.

Related: What is Coal Tar?

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