How to Make Your Skincare Routine Halal?

A good skincare routine can be a wonderful form of self-care, a refreshing way to start the day, and a relaxing way to end it. Serums, treatments, exfoliants, and moisturizers help us look and feel our best, and since these products are applied directly to our skin, we also want to know that they contain the best, most pure ingredients. For Muslim consumers, knowing that the ingredients are Islamically pure and acceptable is essential, too. New Halal make-up options have received a lot of attention in the past few years, but skincare is just as important.

The basic elements of a skincare routine include gentle cleansing; exfoliation with salicylic, lactic, or glycolic acids; treatment with compounds such as retinol, peptides, or vitamin C; moisturizing with hyaluronic acids, squalene, light oils; and sun protection as needed. (Check out this handy guide to skincare basics for helpful tips.) Luckily, there are options out there that will help you care for your skin without any prohibited ingredients.

When we speak of prohibited materials, there are two main categories: materials derived from impermissible animals, and contaminants more generally considered najis, or filth. Animals impermissible for consumption or other use include pigs, dogs, carnivores, and animals not slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines. For example, cows are permissible for Muslims to eat, but must be slaughtered in a specific way in order to be considered Halal. While this obviously applies to food, many cosmetics also contain animal-derived fats, oils, enzymes, or acids. In order for these products to be Halal, those ingredients would need to come from Halal sources as well.

Filth includes a wide range of contaminants – toxic chemicals, dirt, feces, insects, or anything else impure or harmful. This is a really important consideration for products we use on our faces each day! In fact, this emphasis on the purity of ingredients is one of the things that makes Halal-certified products so attractive to many non-Muslim consumers as well.

To find products that meet these standards, check out Halal-certified brands such as PHB Ethical Beauty, a UK-based company that offers one of the widest ranges of Halal, vegan, and cruelty-free make-up and skin care products. You can easily put together a routine with their products, using lavender and salicylic acid face wash, a vitamin C and kojic acid serum, and pomegranate and hyaluronic acid moisturizer.

Anaaka Skincare, based in Slovakia, offers four products for a complete routine: a foaming cleanser, a firming serum, an anti-aging day cream, and a revitalizing night cream. Check out this article for a more complete list of Halal cosmetics companies. Australia-based Inika Organic is certified vegan, cruelty-free, and organic and offers luxury skincare products made with Halal values, including a camellia oil cleanser, a lime exfoliator, a maca root day cream, and resveratrol serum and night cream. One more to check out: Farmasi, founded in Turkey, has a wide range of products including cleansers, toners, serums, and moisturizers.

If you are having trouble finding Halal-certified options that meet your needs, reach out to companies and ask that they consider obtaining Halal certification for their products. In the meantime, look for 100% vegan products – which eliminates the potential of unacceptable animal products – from trustworthy, highly-rated companies, which helps ensure that you are avoiding any harmful and undesirable ingredients. Many key skincare ingredients are actually plant-derived anyway, and those that don’t have plant-based alternatives. For example, retinol is a common ingredient used to smooth skin and increase collagen production and is usually derived from animal sources. A plant-derived compound called bakuchiol offers the same benefits – as is less irritating to the skin, too!

Finding these products is easier than you might think. Sephora has a Vegan Skincare category with over 700 products, many of which also have a Clean at Sephora seal – meaning that they are “formulated without specific ingredients that are known or suspected to be potentially harmful to human health and/or the environment.”

With some searching you can find something pure and Halal for any type of routine– it’s well worth it for something as important as your skin! Contact ISA to know more about Halal certification of skincare products.