What does Halal Means in a Beauty Product
With the rise of organic, vegan, and cruelty-free makeup and cosmetics, it is clear that there are a number of people who cares a great deal about what goes into their beauty products.
While the common labels such as ‘organic’, ‘vegan’ or ‘natural’ can be found easily on almost every makeup and cosmetics, there is one that is yet to be mention. It is not a new addition to the world of conscious cosmetics but we can strongly say it is one on the rise. Yes, we are talking about halal makeup and cosmetics.
The term ‘halal’ is commonly heard of when we are talking about consuming food or beverages, from the method the meat was obtained to the way the food was prepared. In this week’s post, we explain to you the meaning of halal in a beauty product.
What is Halal?
Halal حلال in Arabic simply means permitted or lawful in traditional Islamic law. It is commonly used when we are talking about halal foods, it means any foods that are allowed to be eaten according to Islamic Sharia law. This also means that for any food to be considered halal it must comply with the religious ritual and observance of Sharia law.
Just like an organic or vegan label, a halal certification is necessary when it comes to labeling. It means that the particular food has been subjected to an approval certification systems, which guarantee consumers that nothing in the food has any forbidden components. These halal certificates are issued, for a fee, by a certifying body in respective countries.
What is Halal Makeup and Cosmetics?
With the advancement in processing technology and increasing financial gains, many cosmetic products available in the market today are made of ingredients from non-halal sources.
Halal makeup and cosmetics is a newer phenomenon, with smaller companies starting to identify their products as adhering to Islamic law. It refers to products manufactured, produced, and composed of ingredients that are “permissible”. This generally means that the makeup is produced without any pork ingredients, like pig fat, which is used in products like lipsticks. Pig fat or pork is just one of the few ingredients that are forbidden, dog, or alcohol are also a few ingredients that are in the same category. Here are a couple of other ingredients that are considered haram (forbidden or non-halal):
- Lard from pigs
- Tallow from cows or sheep
- Gelatin
- Cholesterol from pig or cow fat
The concept of what constitutes a product as “halal” goes beyond the ingredients used and includes the packaging, manufacturing, as well as the distribution methods. Remember that halal also stresses the significance of a holistic lifestyle!
Other requirements suggest that halal beauty products must be handled with clean utensils that have not been in contact with the forbidden ingredients, and must be produced with materials that are not harmful to humans.
A Want or A Need?
There are some who would argue that they do not need a halal makeup or cosmetic when there is a vegan beauty product. We do agree, to an extent. While both vegans and Muslims can enjoy halal and vegan products, it can be misleading to the consumer to lump these products together. A halal product cannot contain any alcohol, pig or any of the ingredient mentioned above, the remaining part of a permissible animal’s meat or bones can be included.
On the other hand, vegan beauty products contain no animal byproducts of any kind including meat, dairy, or eggs. However, they can contain alcohol. Just because that lipstick is labeled vegan, it does not mean it is halal, and vice versa.
This is why it is important for you to do your due diligence and always read the ingredient labels and check for organic and cruelty-free certifications.
All that Glitters
While there are some ladies out there who don’t really focus on what ingredients are in their makeup and cosmetics, and where they come from as long as they look good, it is important to be aware of what you are putting on your skin.
So regardless if that foundation is organic, vegan or halal, we do stress time and time again how important it is to look after your skin, whether you are 25 years old or 75 years old!
If you are looking for any halal makeup or cosmetics, feel free to email us for more information on the products we sell or visit our online shop!
Disclaimer: The author of this article is not a scholar, just a makeup junkie Muslimah. Some of the products are halal certified, whereas others are just halal according to their listed ingredients. So always look out for the labels!
