“What is halal makeup?”
“What does wudu-friendly mean?”
“Can I pray with it?”
“Do I have to remove it?”
Is the makeup I am using halal?”
“What ingredients should I avoid?”
If you found your way to this article, you probably have asked yourself at least one of these questions (I had them all!)
These very questions were on my mind when I started to realize that I wanted the cosmetics I was applying on my skin to be in line with my faith.
When I converted to Islam in September 2012, I had no clue.
I was 26 years old when I discovered the religion that my heart was looking for all my life, and I wanted everything in my life to be in harmony with my new lifestyle. In many areas, this transition was easy because I was able to find a lot of advice, information, video lectures, books, etc., about the many different aspects of Islam.
But some of the areas that I could not find a lot of information were: makeup and skin care.
It seems hard to believe, right? I felt lost after looking for so long for other sisters who had already figured out how to deal with prayer while using cosmetics, and not being able to find anyone.
So, I took it into my own hands to read, research, and find out everything I need to know about makeup and skin care in relation to prayer, and now I want to share it all with you!
Read on to learn more about what I discovered on this topic as I have the perfect solution for all of your wudu needs!
First, what is halal makeup?
The word halal in Arabic simply means what is permitted or lawful. So, the ingredients in makeup also need to follow this.
But to understand what makes makeup halal, we need to understand what could make cosmetics impermissible, or haram, as it’s said in Arabic.
As Muslims there are lots and lots of things that are halal, and just a few that are haram (and these are actually things you don’t really want slathering on your face anyways). When any of these forbidden ingredients are present in our food, skin care or clothing, etc., they cannot be considered halal anymore.
So, now let’s take a look at some of the products we can’t have in our products:
- Pork and pork derived ingredients
- Alcohol (there are certain alcohols that are halal, but I have chosen to exclude all alcohol from my products)
- Carmine (Carmine is the red color used in many makeup products, which is derived from crushed, dried-up Cochineal insects, and all insects are haram to consume
It all seems pretty simple, right?
The problem with cosmetic ingredients is that there are a lot of by-products that are made from a combination of pork and other animals, so you have to learn to read the labels and find the many ways these ingredients could be sneaking into your products, or as I like to call them:
Could Be Halal, Could Be Haram Ingredients
- Glycerin/glycerol is found in moisturizers, cleansers, and aftershave. If glycerin is obtained from pork fat, then it is considered haram. If it has a vegetable source, then it’s halal to use. The glycerin used in all of my products is vegetable-based and free of pork.
- Gelatin: Gelatin is the boiled skin, tendons, ligaments and bones of animals. It is haram unless you know that there was no pork involved in obtaining it.
- Tallow: Tallow is a common ingredient in many cosmetics including eye makeup, lipstick, makeup bases, and foundations. In simpler terms, it is rendered animal fat. The process involves boiling the carcasses of slaughtered animals until a fatty substance is produced, which is made ready to add to cosmetics and apply to one’s face. It is haram if there is pork involved, and halal if it’s pork-free.
- Collagen: Found in cosmetic lip-plumping glosses, this is a fibrous protein from animal tissue that has no proven effect on your own collagen reproduction. If the source includes pork, it will be haram.
- Estrogen: Also listed as Estradiol, its origin is very impure, and something I would not consider hygienic for us to use. This hormone-based ingredient can be found in most perfumes, restorative creams, or lotions. Estrogen is extracted from the urine of pregnant horses.
- Ambergris: This is an ingredient that I consider to be harmful to the animal, and therefore, unethical and un-Islamic, as it is derived from the waxy oil that lines whales’ stomachs. This oil substance is used to make the scent “set” in perfumes, but in some instances, whales are hunted and killed for this sole purpose. Sharks are also in great danger because of the cosmetic industry, and you will see why in the next ingredient.
- Squalene: This substance is extracted from the livers of sharks, and then added to your eye makeup and lipsticks. The biggest use, however, is in facial moisturizers. The practice of hunting sharks for the oil in their livers is not in line with a humane and Islamic practice, especially not for my business. There is squalene that is halal, like when it is derived from olive oil, for example.
- Stearic Acid is another ingredient that can be obtained from both an animal and a vegetable source. The stearic acid in my products is from a vegetable origin, but unless you know what the origin is of this ingredient, then it is best to stay away from it.
But Claudia, makeup is not ingested …
You might not be consuming these ingredients as you would a regular meal, but given that the skin is porous, it absorbs whatever you put on it. So, what you apply on the largest organ of your body is just as important as what you put inside of it.
If there are ingredients that are not permissible for us to consume, it makes logical sense that we should not be applying these on our skin, since they will also be absorbed into our bodies.
In 1990, the National Health and Medical Research Council in Canberra, Australia, stated that the average woman could expect to swallow between 500 and 1,500 grams of lipstick in her lifetime if she was a modest or regular user.
This information shows how important it is to pay attention to the things that come in contact with our bodies, not only internally but externally as well.
“I don’t consider halal makeup an idea that prevents us from using this ingredient or that ingredient, but it’s a whole system that is meant to purify us, and to keep our bodies as clean as possible both physically and spiritually.”
Now, let’s talk about the wudu-friendly aspect of makeup.
Now that you know which ingredients are halal, let’s talk about the term, wudu-friendly. To break it down simply: wudu is the ritual cleansing that we as Muslims must do before we pray.
One of the guidelines of wudu is that the water must reach the skin.
So when we have a wudu-friendly product, it means that it will not stand in the way of us purifying ourselves, and it will not interfere with our prayers.
Now, here is where you might be stuck, (I know I was!), and where I could not find a clear approach.
Most of the advice I could find relating to this topic came in the form of comments from other sisters under YouTube videos, Facebook, or Instagram pictures where they guessed and tried to give their best opinion, which would most of the time fall into one of these three overall views:
- Wear no makeup whatsoever
- Remove your makeup completely and then reapply
- Or you know what? Makeup is not that strong; it will not prevent the water from reaching the skin, so don’t worry about it.
I am all for the no makeup look, but for some, it is easier said than done. I think removing all of your makeup and reapplying after is also a good option, if you have the time. But, I disagree with the opinion that you shouldn’t worry about it at all, and let me tell you why.
The current makeup industry is obsessed with getting makeup to stick to your face no matter what, and for this, they use silicones, oils and waxes to make sure that no matter how much you sweat, wipe, rub, or wash your face, your makeup won’t come off.
It is estimated that 70% of cosmetics products on our shelves today contain these layer-forming silicones. So, it’s important to understand why we must be more careful about the things we have on our skin, especially before praying.
So now that you know that halal makeup is products that are free of impermissible ingredients, and that when they are wudu-friendly, it means they will let the water reach your skin, and allow your skin to breathe, you can see why this is the ideal choice for us as Muslim women.
This has become my passion, to offer you a complete line made just for you and your needs!
Choose halal and all-natural products for better skin!
I have created a line of halal, all-natural, and wudu-friendly cosmetics so that you don’t have to read labels and stress over the ingredients yourself!
Wudu Friendly Foundation:
The Mineral Skin Tint is a lightweight foundation that is free of oils, alcohol, silicones, and filled with floral waters, aloe vera and natural minerals!
It comes in 25+ shades, and you can now take the foundation quiz to find your match!
Halal Lipsticks
You don’t need to worry anymore about bugs on your lips, or with drying ingredients that make your lips so uncomfortable! With these halal options, you will not only have products that are free of impermissible ingredients, but you will have all-natural oils and butters that will nourish your lips while making them look beautiful!
Halal, All-Natural Skin Care
Halal, all-natural skin care is the perfect complement to halal makeup products. Infused oils, floral facial spritz, face masks, and cleansing scrubs are some of the products you can use to reveal your best skin yet!
One thing that happens when you choose to not apply impure and impermissible ingredients onto your skin, is that it will actually get better!
Here are three ways that it can help:
- Letting your skin breathe will actually prevent breakouts and other skin issues: Silicones affect a lot of women because the layer they create can trap dead skin and toxins into the skin, causing clogged pores and eventually, breakouts.
- The amount of toxics you cut out when choosing all-natural and halal ingredients will leave you with only the best, most effective products for your skin: No drying alcohol, phthalates, parabens, artificial dyes, talc, petroleum-based products, and many more toxic substances that can disrupt the health of your skin (and your body as well!).
- It will make wearing less makeup, easier: Focusing on healthy skin care products, and learning about your skin (which I love to teach you!) will make you appreciate your natural beauty more, and maybe even help you to rely less on makeup!
Are you just as excited as I am about halal, wudu-friendly cosmetics and skin care? Shop my line, Claudia Nour Cosmetics, handcrafted just for you, and filled with only the most halal, all-natural, vegan and wudu-friendly ingredients at ClaudiaNour.com.
Be sure to follow Claudia Nour Cosmetics across all social media platforms, @ClaudiaNour, on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for updates, product launch announcements, and special offers!
