{"id":15920,"date":"2020-08-10T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-08-10T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/?p=15920"},"modified":"2020-07-29T10:23:42","modified_gmt":"2020-07-29T14:23:42","slug":"are-vegan-cosmetics-halal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/2020\/08\/10\/are-vegan-cosmetics-halal\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Vegan Cosmetics Halal?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"282\" height=\"190\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/csm_180910_Halal_2f120d4013.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15921\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vegan\ncosmetics, by definition, contain no animal products or animal-derived\ningredients from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>meat <\/li><li>poultry\n<\/li><li>fish <\/li><li>seafood<\/li><li>dairy<\/li><li>egg<\/li><li>human\nhair or poultry feathers<\/li><li>insects\n(This last category includes honey, shellac, and carmine\/cochineal.) <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Major Animal Ingredients in Cosmetics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some\nof the major animal ingredients which could be found in cosmetics (and which\nvegans, of course, avoid) include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>gelatin<\/li><li>collagen<\/li><li>squalane\noil<\/li><li>stearic\nacid<\/li><li>stearates\n(magnesium and calcium)<\/li><li>L-cysteine<\/li><li>lanolin<\/li><li>carmine<\/li><li>shellac<\/li><li>honey<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Several of the ingredients above, or functionally similar\ningredients used as substitutes for these in cosmetics, may be sourced from\nplant materials. Commercially, many of these are today (July 2020). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Squalane oil, for example, traditionally came from shark\nsqualene although this is rare today. Currently, it is commonly derived from\nrice, wheat or olives. In cases where the listed ingredients are taken from\nanimals, it is usually cows, pigs or fish. If the animals from which these\ningredients are derived have <strong>not<\/strong> been slaughtered following Islamic\nguidelines, their meat and meat products (including ingredients) would be\nconsidered haram (forbidden) by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.icv.org.au\/about\/about-islam-overview\/what-is-halal-a-guide-for-non-muslims\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">some Muslim authorities<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Said in another way, <a href=\"https:\/\/halalauthenticcertified.com\/faq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">some Islamic\nexperts<\/a> suggest that the ingredients <strong>would be halal<\/strong> <em>if and only\nif<\/em> you can be sure that the slaughter was carried out correctly. <a href=\"https:\/\/muslimversity.com\/is-seafood-halal\/\">Muslim authorities<\/a>\nconsider fish or seafood-derived ingredients as permissible to eat, and,\ntherefore, halal. Today, some gelatin and collagen in consumer products (like cosmetics)\nare derived from fish. Pig-based ingredients are always haram. Cow-derived\ningredients may or may not be halal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Conclusion:<\/strong>\nBased on this assessment of animal ingredients, there may be cosmetics which\nare <strong>not<\/strong> vegan but would be halal. But there is more to consider when\nlooking at vegan cosmetics and their possible halal status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>No Legal Definition of <em>Vegan<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since\nthere is no legal definition of the term <em>vegan<\/em>, companies can use or\ndefine the word as they&#8217;d like without repercussion, and they do. Furthermore,\ncosmetics are poorly regulated in the United States. That is, companies have\nfew governmental restrictions and regulations on how they source and use their\ningredients. Also, all ingredients in the bottle do not have to be listed on\nits label. Those that are listed do not need to have source (e.g., animal,\nplant, microbial or synthetic) indicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Conclusion:<\/strong>\nIt is always difficult to ascertain without a doubt all of the ingredients and\ntheir sources in cosmetics. Therefore, its vegan status is based on trust that\nwhat a company tells you is true and complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Are\nAlcohol Ingredients in Vegan Cosmetics Considered Halal?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alcoholic\nbeverages contain ethanol, making them haram (i.e., forbidden in the Muslim\nreligion). Some cosmetics contain a number of different alcohols including\nethanol. There are different opinions on whether ethanol in cosmetics would be\nconsidered halal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0924224416301601\">Muslim\nauthorities<\/a> say ethanol below 1% as a preservative in food in a substance <strong>is<\/strong>\nhalal. This could be a reasonable percentage in a cosmetic and, so, likely\nhalal (by extension). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesunniway.com\/articles\/item\/321-is-it-halal-to-use-hand-sanitisers-containing-alcohol\">Other\nIslamic authorities<\/a> say \u201cevery drop\u201d of ethanol in hand sanitizer is <em>always<\/em>\nharam. Also by extension, ethanol in cosmetics would <em>always<\/em> be haram.\nCommercial production of ethanol today is almost always plant-based (e.g.,\ncorn) making it vegan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s important to note that the Food and Drug Administration\n(FDA) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/cosmetics\/cosmetics-labeling-claims\/alcohol-free\">states<\/a>\nthat when \u201calcohol\u201d appears on a label, <strong>ethanol is intended<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Strictly speaking, and assuming all other ingredients are\nvegan, cosmetics containing ethanol are vegan, but are <strong>not<\/strong> always halal\n(depends on your chosen authority). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cosmetics listed as \u201calcohol-free,\u201d however, may contain<em>\nother <\/em>types of alcohol (just not ethanol). Some of these, such as stearyl\nalcohol, cetearyl alcohol, or lanolin alcohol, may be produced using\nanimal-derived ingredients. In these cases, the cosmetics would <strong>not<\/strong> be\nvegan. They may or may not be halal (depending on whether the cow&#8217;s slaughter\nor the sheep shearing was religious).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(<strong>NOTE:<\/strong> Cetearyl alcohol got its name from its original\nsource: cetaceans (i.e., whales).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Petrochemicals\nin Cosmetics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many\ncosmetics ingredients today, sometimes including ethanol, are derived from\npetrochemicals (i.e., fossil fuels). These are considered vegan. Similarly,\nalcohols, including ethanol, are often used to extract botanical oils which are\ncommon cosmetics ingredients. Ethanol may be present in residual amounts in the\nfinal oil although it usually has evaporated before it&#8217;s applied to the face.\nEven so, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.halalinusa.com\/criteria\/\">this source<\/a> states\nthese botanicals are <strong>not<\/strong> halal because of their processing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plasticizer alcohols, also made from petrochemicals, are\ncommon in some cosmetics, especially fingernail products. Ethanol is not a\ncommon plasticizer alcohol, but it could be used to make ethyl acrylate in\nthese products. This is of concern to Muslims who prohibit all ethanol-<strong>derived<\/strong>\ningredients. However, the source cited above suggests that ethyl acrylate <em>would\nbe<\/em> halal because it&#8217;s chemically distinct from ethanol (which is no longer\npresent after it&#8217;s chemically transformed into ethyl acrylate.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>General\nConclusion about Vegan Cosmetics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For\nall the reasons stated above, there are many issues to consider before calling\na cosmetic vegan or halal. The two terms are <strong>not<\/strong> synonymous, although\nthey often are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nbest course of action to take when determining vegan or halal status of\ncosmetics is to ask the company directly. We shared some tips on how to do this\nin previous blog posts: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/2013\/02\/11\/tips-for-obtaining-ingredient-information-from-food-companies\/\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/2013\/02\/11\/tips-for-obtaining-ingredient-information-from-food-companies\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/2017\/11\/14\/obtaining-information-from-customer-service-representatives-concerning-ingredients\/\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/2017\/11\/14\/obtaining-information-from-customer-service-representatives-concerning-ingredients\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The contents of this\nposting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal,\nare not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be\nobtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and\ningredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100%\nsure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and\nmistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is\nsuitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS Vegan cosmetics, by definition, contain no animal products or animal-derived ingredients from: meat poultry fish seafood dairy egg human hair or poultry feathers insects (This last category includes honey, shellac, and carmine\/cochineal.) Major Animal Ingredients in Cosmetics Some of the major animal ingredients which could be found in cosmetics (and which [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15920","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15920","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15920"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15920\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15922,"href":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15920\/revisions\/15922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15920"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15920"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vrg.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15920"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}