We regularly hear of vegan or organic beauty, but now halal products are also becoming popular which is a great initiative. However, does halal labelling mean that a product becomes vegan by default?

• What Makes Cosmetics Halal? 

Halal beauty products are very similar to vegan ones as they do not contain animal products such as gelatin or pig-derived substances. In order for a cosmetics brand to be listed as halal, it has to follow the following rules: It must be free of alcohol; it has to be free of pork, pork fat or any pork residue; and it has to be animal-cruelty free. In addition, halal cosmetics must also be made with clean utensils and not make use of materials during their production that can be harmful to people.

• Important Things to Bear in Mind about Ingredients 

Besides for pig-derived ingredients, are other animals also prohibited in the making of halal cosmetics? An interesting site called the Muslim Consumer Group contains advice and information about popular beauty brands and whether or not they are halal. From the comments, it's clear to see that most animal-derived products are not allowed in halal cosmetics, and this includes ingredients such as carmine (which is taken from beetles after boiling them). There's a disclaimer, though: some ingredients, such as lanolin are considered halal. This is because the ingredient is derived from wool of a sheep but the animal is not killed for it. This, then, wouldn’t make the product containing it vegan. 

The important thing if you're vegan and halal is to carefully read ingredients lists of cosmetics and even go one step further - make sure you research the products as much as you can and get in touch with brands to find out if their products are safe for your use. 

*Image courtesy  patronestaff  / Dollar Photo Club