Don't just be beautiful, be halal: Indonesian influencer urges focus on cosmetic certification

Indonesian halal influencer Dian Widiyanti is urging Muslim women to look beyond beauty and trends when selecting cosmetic products, emphasizing the critical importance of ensuring their halal status. She points out that many beauty products, body care items, and aesthetic procedures may contain elements that conflict with Islamic law.

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Make sure what's in our makeup pouch is indeed halal makeup.

Widiyanti's awareness grew after delving into the production processes and raw materials used by the global beauty industry. She advises consumers to "make sure what's in our makeup pouch is indeed halal makeup." Her personal journey involved a significant shift from being an avid collector of popular international cosmetic brands to actively campaigning for a halal lifestyle.

She found that inquiries about potential pork derivatives or improperly slaughtered animal ingredients in foreign cosmetics often yielded evasive answers, making it difficult to verify their origins. Widiyanti explains that the halal issue in cosmetics is more complex than in food. For instance, glycerin, a common cosmetic ingredient, can be plant-derived or animal-derived. If animal-derived, it could be from pigs or cows, and verifying if the latter were slaughtered according to Sharia law is challenging.

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Glycerin can come from plants, it can come from animals. If from animals, it can be from pigs, it can be from cows, it can be from other animals. If from cows, whether it was slaughtered according to Sharia or not, that is difficult to trace.

Her experience visiting cosmetic production facilities revealed the intricate supply chain for raw materials. This led her to believe that consumers cannot rely solely on simple questions to producers about a product's halal status. Consequently, she has shifted to supporting local cosmetic brands with halal certifications, noting that domestic products now rival imported ones in quality and are more affordable.

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Haram things can be hidden in the products we use every day, including makeup.

Widiyanti also draws attention to ingredients derived from alcoholic beverages, such as wine extract and sake extract, found in some cosmetics. These are often hidden in technical terms on ingredient lists. She warns that "haram things can be hidden in the products we use every day, including makeup." Furthermore, she highlights the use of pig bristles in makeup brushes, a common practice due to their low cost and availability, stressing that "if we talk about halal, we must pay attention to supporting materials like cosmetic brushes."

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If we talk about halal, we must pay attention to supporting materials like cosmetic brushes.