Coal Tar to Be Banned from Cosmetics in Taiwan

On April 20, 2014, "Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare" officially announced the release of a regulation that all products containing coal tar are prohibited from import, manufacture, sale, supply or marketing in Taiwan starting from January 1, 2016.

Coal tar is a brown or black liquid of extremely high viscosity, which smells of naphthalene and aromatic hydrocarbons. Coal tars are complex and variable mixtures of phenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and heterocyclic compounds. Also known as liquor carbonis detergens (LCD) and liquor picis carbonis (LPC), Coal tar can be used in medicated shampoo, soap and ointment, as a treatment for dandruff and psoriasis, as well as being used to kill and repel head lice.