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A good skincare routine can be a great form of self-care, providing a refreshing way to start the day, and a relaxing way to end it. The Serums, treatments, exfoliants, and moisturizers help us look and feel our best, but since these products are applied directly to our skin, we need to have an understanding of what they contain. For Muslim consumers, knowing that the ingredients are Halal, or 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. Luckily, there are options out there that will help you care for your skin without any prohibited ingredients.
The basics 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.
When we speak of prohibited materials, there are two main categories. The materials derived from impermissible animals, and contaminants more generally considered najis or filth. And animals impermissible for consumption or other use. These include pigs, dogs, carnivores, and animals not slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines. Most of these rules applies to food, but since many cosmetics also contain animal-derived fats, oils, enzymes, or acids, those ingredients would need to come from Halal sources as well to ensure the products are Halal.
The first thing to ensure is that the above-mentioned filth is excluded from the products. This is an 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, try to purchase Halal-certified brands. One such brand is 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 where a skin routine can be easily put together a using their products. Another brand to look out for is Anaaka Skincare, based in Slovakia, offering four products for a complete routine. The Australian-based Inika Organic is certified vegan, cruelty-free, and organic and offers luxury skincare products made with Halal values. And lastly, Farmasi, founded in Turkey, also has a wide range of products including cleansers, toners, serums, and moisturizers.
However, finding Halal-certified options that meet your needs can be troubling. If this is the case, reaching out to the companies and asking if they would consider obtaining Halal certification for their products is something that can be done. But as that is a difficult option, 100% vegan products are the next best step. They eliminate the potential of unacceptable animal products from trustworthy, highly rated companies, which helps in ensuring that any and all harmful and undesirable ingredients are avoided. Many key skincare ingredients in these skincare products are plant-derived. For example, retinol, a common ingredient used to smooth skin and increase collagen production, is usually derived from animal sources. But a plant-derived compound called bakuchiol offers the same benefits – as is less irritating to the skin, too.
Finding 100% vegan products is much easier than the other two options. Big brands such as Sephora offer 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 a little researching, finding something pure and Halal for any type of routine, is found to be easy. It is well worth the effort for something as important as one’s skin and not compromise faith-based actions.
