The coal tar in this ointment does work. Coal tar is recommended in psoriasis guidelines from the AAD and the National Psoriasis Foundation. In one head-to-head study, a prescription vitamin D cream worked faster, but by week 12 there was no meaningful difference between them.
The way it works is well understood. Coal tar switches on a receptor that restores skin barrier genes and calms inflammation. That same research led to a modern prescription drug that works the same way. This is not folk medicine.
The ointment base is the most effective format. Petrolatum is occlusive, which holds the tar against the skin and stops water escaping. The trade-off is mess: it is greasy, it stains, and it smells.
| Key active | Coal tar 2% |
| Texture | Greasy petrolatum ointment |
| Best for | Plaque psoriasis on the body |
| Approximate price | $10–$14 |
| Fragrance | Fragrance free |
Coal tar is a real drug, and it is better than its reputation.
The AAD and National Psoriasis Foundation guidelines recommend it for mild-to-moderate psoriasis. In a head-to-head against calcipotriol — a prescription vitamin D analogue — calcipotriol worked faster, but by week 12 there was no significant difference between them.
The mechanism is properly understood. Coal tar activates a receptor that restores the activity of skin barrier genes and damps inflammation. That research led directly to tapinarof, an FDA-approved prescription drug that works the same way. This is not folk medicine.
The ointment base is the most effective format. Petrolatum is occlusive — it holds the tar against the skin and stops water escaping, which helps on both counts.
About $10.
It is greasy, it stains, and it smells. The ointment is the messiest of the three formats. It will mark sheets and clothes.
MG217's own label says not to use it on your scalp — it will not wash out of hair. Use their gel for that.
The label says 2% coal tar. A data field on the same FDA label says 3%. Both are legal. We are printing 2%, because that is what the panel a consumer reads says — but the discrepancy is real and we could not resolve it.
The real problems with coal tar are not cancer — they are why people quit it.
It smells. Strongly, medicinally, and it lingers. This is the number one reason people stop.
It stains clothes, sheets, towels and baths.
It makes you sun-sensitive for up to 24 hours after you apply it. Cover the area or stay out of the sun.
It can cause folliculitis — "tar acne" — and irritant rashes.
About the Prop 65 cancer warning on the box: that is a California labelling law, triggered by the presence of the chemical — not a finding about the risk of using it as medicine. The cancer classification people cite applies to industrial exposure — coke ovens, roofing, gasworks — at doses vastly higher than a tube of cream. The largest study followed 13,200 patients for a median of 21 years and found no increase in cancer.
When to stop self-treating and see a doctor — this matters more than which cream you buy.
Psoriasis is not a skin problem. It is a systemic inflammatory disease.
Psoriatic arthritis develops in roughly 20–30% of people with psoriasis, and the joint damage it causes can be permanent if it is not treated. Psoriasis also carries a raised risk of cardiovascular disease, driven by long-term inflammation.
See a doctor if: You have any joint pain or stiffness — especially morning stiffness lasting over 30 minutes — or swollen fingers or toes Your plaques cover more than about 3–5% of your body (your palm is roughly 1%) It affects your face, scalp, genitals, palms, soles or nails It is not improving after a few weeks It is affecting your sleep or your mental health
Every one of these products says "ask a doctor if your condition does not improve." This is why.
Active ingredients: Coal Tar 2% (from Coal Tar Topical Solution, USP 20%)
Inactive ingredients: Petrolatum, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Vitamin E Acetate, Vitamin A (retinyl palmitate), Vitamin D 3 (cholecalciferol)
1. Coal tar induces AHR-dependent skin barrier repair in atopic dermatitis (https://www.jci.org/articles/view/65642) — Shows coal tar activates the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), restoring skin barrier genes such as filaggrin and dampening Th2 inflammation — the mechanism the page describes and the research line that led to tapinarof. 2. Calcipotriol versus coal tar: a prospective randomized study in stable plaque psoriasis (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14521705/) — Head-to-head trial finding calcipotriol produced a faster initial response but by 12 weeks coal tar had comparable efficacy with no statistically significant difference between them. 3. Joint AAD-NPF Guidelines of care for the management and treatment of psoriasis with topical therapy and alternative medicine modalities for psoriasis severity measures (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32738429/) — The AAD-National Psoriasis Foundation topical-therapy guidelines address and recommend coal tar as a treatment option for psoriasis. 4. Psoriasis: Update on Topical Therapy From the American Academy of Dermatology (https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2022/0500/p558.html) — Summary of the AAD-NPF guidelines confirming coal tar is recommended as an effective topical therapy for mild-to-moderate psoriasis (noting it appears even more effective than calcipotriene). 5. Tapinarof: A Novel Topical Agent For Psoriasis (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10718102/) — Confirms tapinarof is an FDA-approved (2022) topical aryl hydrocarbon receptor–modulating agent for plaque psoriasis, working through the same AhR pathway targeted non-specifically by coal tar.