Muslim Women Avoiding Cosmetics with Pig Residue

Halal cosmetics have come as a relief to all the fashion conscious, pious Muslim women who avoided using skin creams and lipsticks that contained pig residue or alcohol. The word ‘halal’ is an Arabic derivative which means things that are permissible. Consumption of pork in Islam is strictly prohibited but most of the cosmetic products have alcohol and pork derivatives in it. For women who lead a completely halal life, using such cosmetics is not the right thing to do.

The worth of global halal food market is more than 630 billion dollars. This may account for 16% of the entire food industry but the market for halal cosmetics is still in its initial stages. The fact that a devout Muslims would not want to apply skin cream with pig residues and offer prayers five times a day, the market for halal cosmetics is being predicted to grow stronger. OnePure is the first halal cosmetic brand in the Middle East started by Layla Mandi, a Canadian make-up artist who converted into Islam. Mandi’s products are free from alcohol or pig residue and it is also certified by an Islamic body in Malaysia.

The concept of introducing halal cosmetics in the market has sparked criticism from leading brands that claim this to be a marketing gimmick. According to them, the alcohol being used in their skin care products is not pure alcohol. Even though Muslims leading a completely ‘halal’ life differ on this point, it will be interesting to see how far religion and ethical consumption will go hand in hand.