Today, on our blog on cosmetics and regulation, we’d like to share a few thoughts on the Halal Cosmetics, a new trend that brings together products from our sector aimed at Muslim markets. In recent years, new ones have been appearing all the time new trends inside the cosmetics sector. In other articles, we have discussed the vegan, natural and organic cosmetics, which are some of the key growth segments within the sector.
And to begin defining the Halal Cosmetics, the first thing you need to know is…
What is Halal?
The term ‘halal’ means ‘permitted’ under Islamic law – Sharia – because it is beneficial and healthy for humans. All items that are lawful for a Muslim to consume fall into this category of products.
Halal is usually associated with the food industry, although it now also applies to other sectors such as tourism, finance, pharmaceuticals, fashion and cosmetics. For many Muslims, Halal has become a healthy lifestyle, which they have to maintain on a day-to-day basis, and which influences their choices when it comes to food and personal care products.
What isn’t Halal?
Halal is opposed to Haram, a term referring to anything that is prohibited, harmful or abusive, according to Sharia law itself. Among the products Haram, according to the Halal Institute, the leading certification body for goods and services suitable for consumption by Muslims in Spain, includes:
– meat from animals found dead
– blood
– pork
– animals slaughtered outside the Muslim ritual
– alcoholic drinks
– ingredients derived from animals or haram products, such as additives, preservatives, colourings and flavourings...
By avoiding all these products and their derivatives, we will fall within the category of Halal products.
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What should I do if I want to manufacture halal cosmetics? 
In order to market a cosmetic product with the Halal Certification Mark you need to get in touch with the Halal Institute. He is the official representative of the Islamic Council in Spain, and the leading certification body for products of this kind. Its headquarters are in Córdoba, and to have your product certified by them, you should follow these basic principles:
– Use only Halal raw materials during the manufacturing process. The product may be produced either manually or industrially, provided that it does not contain any prohibited ingredients.
- Preventing cross-contamination with other products throughout the entire production process, including processing, storage of raw materials and internal transport. Maintain a traceability throughout the entire process, in order to verify that this condition is indeed met.
– Subject the product to a test to detect DNA from prohibited substances before launching it on the market
– Label the product with the Halal Certification Mark, registration number of the company, as designated by the Halal Institute, and Halal customer service telephone number.
¿What does Halal certification offer me?
The global Muslim population in 2010 stood at 1,600 million people. It is mainly spread across the Middle East, the Asian continent, the islands of the Pacific Ocean and Africa. By 2030, it is expected to grow to almost 2,200 million, far outpacing global growth.
Given the large size and expected growth of its population, certifying a product as Halal opens up access to a huge market in which to sell cosmetic products. Indeed, according to the Thomson Reuters Report, the Halal cosmetics market was worth around 54,000 million dollars in 2014, but the forecast for 2019 is around 80,000 million. In other words, the sector’s figures are set to increase by almost 50% over five years.
Conclusions
Halal certification ultimately makes it possible to overcome the barriers to entry into a market comprising 57 emerging countries. In fact, many Spanish companies, such as Natura Bissé in the cosmetics sector, the Leche Pascual Group and Dulcesol in the food sector, and Repsol in the energy sector, have already taken the step towards Halal certification. And what do you think of Halal cosmetics? Would you like to expand your market in the Middle East?