The word Halal in Islamic Sharia is considered the ultimate stamp of purity, clear of all acts or practices forbidden to Muslims in the Holy Qur’an.
In that context, “Halal cosmetics” refer to beauty products free of such additives specifically referenced to as “Haram” for consumption or usage in the religion “Islam.”
For example, Muslims are prohibited from consuming alcohol and pork, among other unacceptable things. Therefore, usage of any beauty product containing such ingredients should be avoided as well.
Keeping that in mind, it’s best that you make a priority of knowing the source of your cosmetics “before” their purchase. After all, it’s only when you examine each product’s authority yourself that you can identify questionable elements that have any sort of ambiguity to them in Islam.
In conclusion, Halal cosmetics don’t include any food or non-food item containing animal-by products or other such constituents that are impermissionable for Muslims to eat or use in any way.
It’s also worth mentioning that Halal cosmetics should not be confused with Vegan cosmetics. That’s because while Vegan products are free of any and all animal or animal-derived products, Halal cosmetics might contain some, as long as they remain compliant with the Islamic Sharia.
In other words, only those ingredients extracted from Zabihah (slaughtering of lawfully Halal) animals can be used in Halal cosmetics. Moreover, bear in mind that even in slaughtering of Halal animals, there are still some elements that are forbidden to use or consume in any way.
Therefore, the elements delineated below can’t be a part of Halal cosmetics:
1) Dum Masfuh, meaning flowing blood
2) Urethra
3) Testicles
4) The place of defecation
5) Glands (Hard flesh)
6) Bladder (Urine bag)
7) Gallbladder
Due to the sustainable, organic, cruelty-free, and environmentally ethical practices supported by Halal cosmetic brands, this Halal industry has gained a lot of attention and acceptance recently from the Non-Muslim community as well.
Consequently, in a way, “Halal” has now become a global symbol for anyone choosing to follow a cleaner and healthier lifestyle.
It’s true that, at the moment, there are more Muslims than anyone else following the industry and consuming Halal beauty products. However, considering how effectively it’s hitting the social media platforms these days, it surely wouldn’t be long before we see the Halal cosmetic industry trending worldwide, gradually moving from South East Asia to other Asian countries, the UAE, the USA, and Europe.
