WHAT IS HALAL SKINCARE AND WHY IS IT BECOMING POPULAR?

WHAT IS HALAL SKINCARE AND WHY IS IT BECOMING POPULAR?

The natural skincare and cosmetics industry has been constantly growing in size, each company competing in quality and value. Consumers have become more aware recently of the eco-friendly brands that support the environment, the vegan brands that are against animal cruelty, the brands that do not include harsh and harmful chemicals and preservatives in their ingredients list and the brands that only use halal ingredients. 

Halal skin care products and make-up have been sweeping the market showing promising growth in the near future of the category. The rising popularity and demand of halal skin care products is owed to the better economic conditions of the countries with a large Muslim population, specifically Asian countries. As per the report of Polaris Market Research,the halal skincare market is anticipated to reach about USD 22.53 Billion by 2026. According to Forbes magazine, the UK's Muslim population alone is now running at 3.1 million people, which means a higher demand for more halal products. Before we get into the reasons for this popularity, let us first understand what “halal” really means. 

The word “halal’ has an Arabic origin used in Islamic law, meaning anything that the people of the community are allowed, by the religion, to use or do. In simple terms, it means “lawful”. Everything that isn’t lawful and is prohibited, is termed haraam. Things like alcohol, drugs, anything derived from animals not killed according to Islamic law, blood, harmful ingredients and pork products are haraam. The concept of halal, in a deeper spiritual and moral sense, is against animal cruelty, environmental damage, and health degrading products, as it encourages us to ensure that no one and nothing is harmed in the process of preparing food and products.

Halal Skincare Products

While the halal skincare market is surely growing rapidly, the question that arises is what exactly do halal products contain and how are they ensured to be halal? 

Halal skincare and cosmetics is a new addition to the list of conscious cosmetics which includes vegan, organic and cruelty-free skincare and large companies are often certified by boards such as Halal Certification Europe when many animal-derived ingredients are involved in their products. Halal skin care products may use beeswax, milk, honey, and other animal by-products as long as they are derived from animals and via the halal procedure. Raw materials such as animal-based collagen, keratin, stem-cells, gelatin and high concentrations of toxic alcohol are all deemed to be problematic in skincare for practicing Muslims, due to the fact that anything that is applied onto the skin is absorbed into the blood stream. Aside from the ingredients, the packaging, and everything that comes in touch with the product should abide by halal standards as well. 

It is worth noting that halal products are not necessarily vegan or even vegetarian for that matter and vice versa. Vegan products may contain alcohol contents for example and be problematic.

Other than being a religious virtue of utmost importance for many Muslims, halal products are very hygienic as they are made from high quality ingredients that are free from harsh chemicals, animal cruelty and toxins. This makes halal skincare a healthier alternative to regular skincare and cosmetic products even for non-Muslim consumers, which is why it is important that more people become educated and familiar with the existence of this option.

All the products at L’Araboutique are halal, natural and organic. Browse through our beautiful range of hand-made and eco-friendly skin care products and find your skin’s new best friend.       

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