Coal Tar
Tar / hydrocarbon · INCI: Coal Tar
Reviewed by Elysiana Aguilar, master esthetician
How we read it
Known to clog pores. If you break out easily, this is the one to skip.
Is Coal Tar comedogenic?
Yes. Coal Tar is a known pore-clogging ingredient, and we read it as highly comedogenic. If you're acne-prone, it's worth avoiding, especially when it sits near the top of an ingredient list.
Why we read it this way
A hydrocarbon distillate used in some medicated products; heavy and occlusive on the skin, and commonly flagged as pore-clogging.
The nuance
Used medically for scalp and skin conditions; the pore-clogging concern is leave-on facial use.
Names we read the same way
- Liquor Picis Carbonis
- Crude Coal Tar
- Coal Tar Extract
- Solubilized Coal Tar Extract
- Coal Tar Solution
- Coal Tar Topical Solution
Related ingredients
One ingredient rarely tells the whole story. The acne ingredient checker reads everything in a product at once, the pore-clogging ingredients list has the rest of what we flag, and there is more on what comedogenic means. Also in the guides: What causes acne.