Over the past two years, plant-based food consumption has grown by 49% across the EU, reaching a total sales volume of €3.6 billion.
Are Vegan Cosmetics Halal?
2025-05-15
The vegetarian (vegan) lifestyle, which avoids animal-derived foods, is becoming increasingly popular year after year. Initially limited to avoiding animal-derived foods, it has since expanded to include the use of vegetables in clothing and cosmetics.
Specifically, in cosmetics, many body and beauty care products, such as makeup and skincare, claim to be free of animal ingredients. Vegan cosmetics manufacturers use the slogans of "returning to nature" or "environmental protection" to indicate that their products only use plant elements.
Raafqi Ranasasmita, M.BioMed, Corporate Secretary Manager at LPPOM MUI, explains that vegan cosmetics derived from plant-based ingredients may be an option for Muslim consumers. Production processes that don't use animal compounds as raw materials can reduce concerns that these products are contaminated with impurities or involve the exploitation of religiously prohibited animals or animals not slaughtered according to Islamic law.
But can vegan cosmetics automatically claim to be halal, as is currently the case? “Not necessarily,” says Raafqi, a halal auditor at LPPOM MUI.
According to him, even if vegan cosmetics claim to use plant-based ingredients, it doesn't guarantee they don't contain illicit ingredients. For example, they may use auxiliary materials to produce raw materials derived from animal products whose halal status is unclear, including animal enzymes used to process the compounds. Furthermore, fermentation-derived materials are also important, as they can use culture media containing animal ingredients.
The same is true for the use of alcohol in cosmetics. According to Raafqi, alcohol typically functions as a solvent, emulsifier, preservative, and preservative in cosmetics like skincare products, minimizing bacterial growth and helping maximize product absorption into the skin.
The law regarding the use of ethanol in pharmaceutical products is regulated in MUI Decree No. 11 of 2018 concerning cosmetics containing alcohol/ethanol and MUI Decree No. 26 of 2013 on halal standards for cosmetics and their use.
The fatwa emphasizes that the use of cosmetics for decorative purposes is permissible if the materials used are halal and harmless. Meanwhile, the consumption or ingestion of cosmetics containing impure or illicit ingredients is haram.
Regarding this issue, Raafqi advises consumers to remain selective when choosing vegan cosmetics. “Don’t be easily fooled by unilateral halal claims from manufacturers or traders. Make sure the cosmetics you use are truly halal-certified,” he said.