Alcoholic Cosmetic Products Based on The Concept of Halalan Toyyiban: An Analysis of Cleansers Products in Malaysia

Abstract

Alcohol is widely used as an active ingredient in cosmetics, such as perfumes, skin care products, and lotions. Mixing alcohol with some other chemicals can produce a firmer and smoother skin texture. When Muslims hear the word alcohol, they usually imagine alcohol in drinks. This view is inaccurate, because not all alcohol is actually illegal unless it is extracted from al-khamr. However, the status of alcohol usage in cleanser from Syariah and scientific point of views are limited. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify the status of alcohol usage in cleanser products. Data collection methods in this study include participatory observations to analyse data and obtain more regular and complete information. Lab experiments are conducted in the laboratory of Halal Products Research Institute Universiti Putra Malaysia to contents the safety and types of alcohol in cosmetics products. Results shown that ten alcohol compounds were identified in the sample cleansers. These alcohols were 1-butanediol, 2-phenoxy ethanol, 3-hexanol, 4-ethanol, and 5-propylene glycol. These alcohols are used as cleaning agents and solvents in cosmetic products and are suitable to be applied to the skin. Among these ten alcohol compounds, three compounds were found with the highest percentages which were 2-phenoxy ethanol (64.39 ± 10.43), 5-propylene glycol (31.96 ± 11.59) and 4-ethanol (1.29±0.06). Furthermore, this study proves that the use of alcohol in cleanser products is permissible in Islam if the alcohol is derived from plants, fruits, and grains. In other word, the status of alcohol usage in cleanser products is permissible according to Syariah based on this study.