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Person & Covey

DHS Tar Shampoo

Shampoo / Everyday cleanser, balanced

  • Shampoo
  • Silicone-free
  • Protein-free
Size8 fl oz
Price$15.36seen at one store · 8 oz
Price / oz$1.92/ozat 8 oz
Where to buy1 store

Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.

Scent:

No added fragrance, no scenting essential oils, and no declared fragrance allergens on the list.

“Fragrance and dye-free” (Brand page)

Manufacturer page: personandcovey.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

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Upper-mid price for a shampoo

$1.92/oz at 8 oz, more than 59% of the 1544 shampoos , which mostly run $0.79–3.04/oz. The cost less.

Price and stores

Great for

Flaking scalpsit has an over-the-counter active
no fragrance (parfum) on the label
free of strong smells
Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list

Maybe skip if

Sulfate-free routinesit uses a sulfate detergent
Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list
Hair that tangles wetnothing here makes combing easier
Hard waterno chelator here to bind the minerals
Non-medicated routinesthis is an over-the-counter drug as well as a cosmetic
If scent matters to younothing is added here

How much cleansing you need depends on how fast your scalp gets oily, how much product you layer and your water. The consultation works that out.

What the formula actually does

Read from the label, not the marketing

Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.

Cleansing strength Moderate

Removes oil and product; leaves some conditioning behind.

Expected lather High

Thick foam that spreads quickly through the hair.

Slip and detangling Little

Nothing here is built to reduce combing force.

Water-binding (humectants) None found

No humectants, so nothing here pulls water into the hair.

Scalp active coal tar, 0.5%

Carries an over-the-counter scalp active, listed under Drug Facts.

Hard-water defence None

No chelating agent in the list.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

Protein None

No protein or amino acids in the list.

Fragrance None listed

No fragrance is listed.

from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.

Ingredients that matter

The ingredients that change a decision

The workhorse ingredients, plus anything lower down that changes a decision. The chips name what an ingredient does. They are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.

IngredientWhat it doesWhy it mattersChip
Coal TarSolubilized Coal Tar Extract (0.5% Coal Tar) active The over-the-counter active Active
WaterPurified Water solvent The base everything else is dissolved in Neutral
Sodium Laureth Sulfate sulfate cleanser — Cleanses
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine amphoteric cleanser — Cleanses
Peg-8 Distearate thickener Sets the texture Stabilizes
Sodium Chloride salt Thickens the formula Stabilizes
Citric Acid pH adjuster Fine-tunes the pH pH balancer
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo silicones, drying alcohols, or fragrance. Protein-free: this is built for moisture rather than for strengthening. An over-the-counter scalp active is listed (coal tar 0.5%).
Full ingredient list (7)

In the US, ingredients above 1% are listed from most to least. Below 1% they can appear in any order. Each note keeps three things apart: what the ingredient generally does, its role in this type of product, and what its position can tell you.

  • 1 Coal Tar · Solubilized Coal Tar Extract (0.5% Coal Tar)
    General function

    An over-the-counter active for dandruff and scalp psoriasis. Its percentage is stated in the drug facts panel.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    • active
  • 2 Water · Purified Water
    General function

    The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    • solvent
  • 3 Sodium Laureth Sulfate
    General function

    A strong, high-foaming cleanser and the most common shampoo detergent. It removes oil and product efficiently, which can be more than dry or colour-treated hair wants.

    Leading ingredient

    Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    A sulfate detergent can lift deposited silicone, wax and styling films, which is what resets a routine before build-up is visible.

    May suitFine or easily flattened hair

    Fine hair that goes limp under conditioning films usually reads a full detergent wash as volume returning.

    May not suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Coarse and high-porosity hair loses water quickly on its own; an efficient detergent removes the surface oils that were slowing that down.

    Indian Journal of Dermatology
    • sulfate cleanser
    • cleanser
  • 4 Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
    General function

    A mild co-cleanser that keeps foam stable in hard water.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

    Mild cleansing leaves more surface lubrication in place on hair that dries out quickly.

    May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

    One of the mildest detergent classes. It is usually there to let a formula lather without a harsher detergent doing the work.

    May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    The mildest detergents are also the least complete: a routine that deposits films needs something stronger periodically.

    • amphoteric cleanser
    • secondary cleanser
    • cleanser
  • 5 Peg-8 Distearate
    General function

    An ethoxylated fatty ester used to thicken a liquid and hold oil and water together. At high ethoxylation it is a thickener more than an emollient.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    • thickener
    • emulsifier
  • 6 Sodium Chloride
    General function

    Table salt. In shampoo it is used to thicken the liquid, not to treat the hair.

    Supporting ingredient

    Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

    PubChem
    • salt
    • thickener
  • ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
  • 7 Citric Acid
    General function

    Used to bring the product to a slightly acidic pH, which helps the cuticle lie flat. It is almost always near the end of the list.

    Estimated lower-concentration zone

    It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

    May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

    Holds hard-water minerals in solution so they rinse away instead of depositing on the hair.

    May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

    The acid side of pH adjustment, and the reason it matters is measured: alkaline formulas raise the fibre's surface negative charge, increase friction between strands and lift the scales, while lower-pH ones do the reverse.

    May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair

    Where a warm cast comes from water minerals rather than from the hair itself, holding those metals in solution is what removes it.

    International Journal of Trichology
    • pH adjuster
    • hard-water chelator

What the whole list adds up to

  • 2 cleansers
  • 2 thickeners
  • 1 active
  • 1 solvent
  • 1 sulfate cleanser
  • 1 amphoteric cleanser
  • 1 secondary cleanser
  • 1 emulsifier
  • 1 salt
  • 1 pH adjuster
  • 1 hard-water chelator

Drug facts actives

  • Coal Tar 0.5%

This product is an over-the-counter drug as well as a cosmetic. It treats a cosmetic scalp condition; it does not diagnose or treat disease.

Ingredient list captured 2026-09-08. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 8 oz

Seen at $15.36 1 store · checked Sep 8
Good value under $13 Under $1.57/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 8 products we score as doing the same job

Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $13 line; products that do this job typically go for about $16 at this size.

Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it1 listing · 1 store

Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product.

How we work this out
  1. 8 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
  2. Seen at $15.36 is the price we have observed for the 8 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
  3. Good value under $13 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.57/oz; at 8 oz that is $13. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
  4. About $16 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 8 oz.

Formula

Formula score
7 of 10

Both the formula and the price land mid-range: it covers the core of what a shampoo does and costs about what shampoos cost per ounce.

How the score is counted
  • 1 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
  • Costs more per ounce than 59% of the 1544 shampoos we’ve priced
  • No slip for detangling in the formula
  • Reviewers mention 2 things they like about how it performs
  • A working detergent systemWhat actually removes oil and product.3 pts
  • Slip for detanglingReduces the force it takes to comb wet hair.2 pts
  • A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
  • A hard-water chelatorBinds the minerals that dull hair in hard water.1 pt
  • A pH adjusterBrings the formula to the acidic pH hair prefers.1 pt
  • No detergent-dependent filmNothing that needs a clarifying wash to remove.1 pt
  • Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt

The formula score measures completeness for the job: a weighted share of the systems this product type is usually built around that we find in this list. It does not rate how well the product works or its quality, and it never compares across product types.

Does the same job, for less

Formulas that do the same things (cleanse, condition, coat or hold) for less per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy them can still differ.

NeutrogenaLowest cost per oz T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo Original Formula $1.33/oz $0.59/oz less
  • Scalp active
  • Protein-free
  • Deep clean
· Close function
Function
  • Cleansing strength
  • Hard-water defence
Also
  • Drugstore tier
  • 16 oz bottle
Compare

See more alternatives in the product library

These products do a similar job. We haven’t matched them to you. Find the one that fits your hair, routine and budget

Suits every hair pattern

Final decision

Should you buy it?

A solid pick for the hair it suits
Best user

Flaking scalps, for an over-the-counter scalp active and a formula with no added fragrance

Biggest tradeoff

Less suited to sulfate-free routines and fresh keratin treatments, soft, over-stretchy hair that needs protein, or hair that tangles the moment it is wet

Best alternative if not

Consider Neutrogena T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo Original Formula, for similar results at a lower price

We do not sell products or take placement fees. This page states what the formula and the prices show; the consultation is what matches it to a person.

Claims check

What the brand says, and what the formula shows

Claims are quoted from the brand. We mark a claim supported, partly supported or conflicting only when the ingredient list speaks to it. Everything else stays "stated by the brand". That isn’t a criticism: most claims can’t be checked from a label.

2
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
3
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Tar-based formula for the treatment of dandruff and psoriasis

It carries an over-the-counter anti-dandruff active.

  • Coal Tar
Supported

A recognised active does the work.

Designed for control of even chronic scalp conditions

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Helps prevent recurrence of scalp itching and flaking associated with Psoriasis, Seborrheic Dermatitis and Dandruff

It carries an over-the-counter anti-dandruff active.

  • Coal Tar
Supported

A recognised active does the work.

Fragrance and dye-free

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

PABA free

This is a marketing claim; an ingredient list cannot speak to it.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

How to read this

We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula, not at the marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.

Reviewers

What people report

Themes that come up again and again in sourced reviews, written by our researchers in their own words. We don’t store or scrape star ratings.

Repeat buyers who have used the product for years say it leaves hair feeling soft despite being a medicated, tar-based formula.

long-time repeat customers

Several long-time users, including some directed by a doctor after trying prescription options, say it clears stubborn scalp itching and flaking within about a week when other treatments had not worked.

OTC/Rx tar-shampoo users with chronic scalp conditions

A reviewer who switched after his longtime tar shampoo (Neutrogena T/Gel) was discontinued calls this a solid direct replacement, though he would like it offered in larger bottle sizes.

shopper replacing a discontinued tar shampoo

More from Person & Covey

How this page was made

  • Everything above comes from our researched product record: identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated prices and review themes our researchers wrote in their own words. No part of this page is written by hand for one product.
  • The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
  • Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
  • The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
  • 2 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 0 retailer, 2 editorial), last checked 2026-09-08.
  • Ingredient references are linked for 2 of 3 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are general formulation guidance. They aren’t a verdict on the finished product or on you.
  • We haven’t tested this product in a lab, and we don’t physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list. Claims about how it behaves are labelled as the brand's.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are what we saw on the dates shown and can change.
  • Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
  • This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
  • Formula readings: derivation v23. Record last updated 2026-09-08.

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