The Assessment Institute for Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics Indonesian Council of Ulama (LPPOM MUI) explained the importance of halal certification for cosmetic products to cosmetic business actors in Shanghai, China. This is seen from the regulatory aspects that apply in Indonesia and the critical points of the product.
Cosmetics are one of the products that must have a halal certificate if they want to be distributed in Indonesia. This was stated by the President Director of LPPOM MUI, Muti Arintawati, in a seminar themed “Indonesian Halal Outlook 2024,” which is part of the 2024 Personal Care and Homecare Ingredients Show (PCHi) exhibition series. This activity was organized by Reed Sinopharm Exhibitions on March 20-22, 2024, at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China.
As is well known, Indonesia has implemented mandatory halal certification for all products distributed in Indonesia. This is stated in Act No. 33 of 2014 concerning Halal Product Assurance (UU JPH) and its derivatives, the latest of which is Act No. 6 of 2023. This regulation states that all products circulating in Indonesia must be certified halal by the BPJPH of the Ministry of Religion, except for products that are indeed prohibited.
The Indonesian government has implemented mandatory halal stages. Specifically for cosmetic products, the grace period for mandatory halal stages will expire on October 17, 2026. This means that all cosmetic products circulating in Indonesia must be halal-certified then. According to Muti Arintawati, five points need to be considered in halal regulations in Indonesia, including:
- The BPJPH Halal Certificate is valid for life (if there are no changes to the ingredients, process, or product).
- All products must be halal certified or labeled as non-halal products.
- A halal certificate must support all materials (ingredients, additional materials, processing aids).
- The five criteria of the Halal Product Assurance System (SJPH) issued by BPJPH must be implemented.
- Must have a competent halal supervisor who is Muslim (must be trained and certified in their competence).
Why is a halal certificate necessary for cosmetic products?
In addition to being a form of Company compliance with applicable regulations, there are several reasons why cosmetics must be halal. First, this is a prerequisite in Islam. A halal product can be used or done according to the Islamic Sharia Act. In addition, halal always goes hand in hand with Thayyib, which means quality and health and does not endanger health. Commonly known as “Halalan Thayyiban.”
Some cosmetic products, such as lipstick, lip balm, mouthwash, toothpaste, and so on, have the potential to be accidentally swallowed. This can be considered a food that must be free from haram and najis.
In addition, some cosmetics are used for external use, such as body lotion, soap, nail polish, mascara, and so on. This product must be halal certified because it is applied directly to the skin, so it must be free from Najis. In addition, some products must also be proven to be water permeable to not block the path of ablution water.
Not only that, the source of cosmetic application also needs to be considered. These products include brushes for blush, lipstick, powder, toothbrushes, and so on. For example, brushes can come from synthetic or animal hair. Animal hair brushes need to be ensured not to go from haram animals such as pigs.
“Meanwhile, in terms of ingredients, critical points of cosmetics and personal care can come from animals, human microbes, synthetics, and plants. Even though they come from plants, the extraction process that uses alcohol must be ensured not to come from khamar,” explained Muti Arintawati. This event was attended by various participants in the cosmetics industry who enthusiastically asked questions regarding the latest developments in halal certification in Indonesia. This event was also attended by speakers from Korea and Malaysia, who explained the development of halal cosmetics in their countries.
To make it easier for consumers to find a list of halal cosmetic products, the Halal Inspection Body LPPOM MUI provides a halal product check menu on the website www.halalmui.org and the Halal MUI application, which can be downloaded on Playstore. In addition, the LPPOM MUI Lab also offers various services related to cosmetic testing, such as vegan claims, acrylamide, heavy metal contamination, and microbial tests. Information on the critical points of halal products and various LPPOM MUI services can be accessed on Instagram and Twitter @lppom_mui or YouTube and Facebook LPPOM MUI. (YN)
