Tar Oil

INCI: TAR OIL

CAS Number
8007-45-2 (coal tar); various CAS for distillation fractions
Function
Historically: antiseborrheic, antipruritic, anti-dandruff
Safety Rating
POOR

Regulatory Status

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ EU Status prohibited
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ US Status permitted
US Notes Coal tar is permitted in OTC drug products (anti-dandruff/psoriasis) at specified concentrations under FDA monograph, but NOT as a general cosmetic ingredient

For full compliance data across 55 jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.

Safety Data

Margin of Safety (MoS)
not established
Dermal Absorption
low
Sensitization
high

Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.

Expert Verdict

๐Ÿšซ PROHIBITED in EU cosmetics (Annex II). Known human carcinogen (IARC Group 1 for coal tar). Contains PAHs including benzo[a]pyrene. Phototoxic and photocarcinogenic. US allows limited OTC drug use only under strict FDA monograph conditions. Do NOT formulate into cosmetic products

โš ๏ธ
Concern Level: High

Regulatory Flags

plant-oil

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tar Oil safe in cosmetics?

๐Ÿšซ PROHIBITED in EU cosmetics (Annex II). Known human carcinogen (IARC Group 1 for coal tar). Contains PAHs including benzo[a]pyrene. Phototoxic and photocarcinogenic. US allows limited OTC drug use only under strict FDA monograph conditions. Do NOT formulate into cosmetic products The EU classifies Tar Oil as "prohibited". Safety rating: POOR.

Is Tar Oil allowed in the EU?

Tar Oil EU regulatory status: prohibited. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.

What does Tar Oil do in cosmetics?

Tar Oil functions as: Historically: antiseborrheic, antipruritic, anti-dandruff. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 8007-45-2 (coal tar); various CAS for distillation fractions.

What is the Margin of Safety for Tar Oil?

not established The Margin of Safety (MoS) is calculated using SCCS methodology. A MoS above 100 is generally considered safe. Use the MoS Calculator tool to calculate MoS for your specific formulation and product category.

๐Ÿ“ฑ

Is Tar Oil in Your Products?

Scan any product label with Piro โ€” our free ingredient scanner. Point your camera at the ingredients list and get instant safety scores for every ingredient.

Try Piro Free โ†’

Analyze Your Full Ingredient List

Paste any INCI list into the Decoder for instant safety analysis, or calculate the Margin of Safety for Tar Oil in your formulation.