Round Up: Halal Makeup and Skincare Brands

At NENA Skincare, we support all-inclusive, natural skincare. Our glacial clay skincare products are proudly halal certified, which goes beyond our formulations to include everything from the way we source our ingredients to our packaging and distribution. Read on to find out why having a halal certification supports our view that good skin should be available to anyone and everyone.

What are Halal Cosmetics?

So what exactly is halal? In Islamic law, the term means “permissible”. Often used in reference to food consumed, it can also be extended to apply to anything applied topically to one’s body. Halal skincare and cosmetic products include these traits:

1. Free from certain animals and its by-products: halal-certified products don’t contain parts of certain animals (i.e. swine/pork,  carnivorous animals, birds of prey and land animals without external ears), and specifically, avoid these animal byproducts: keratin, carmine, oleic acid, gelatin.  
2. Alcohol and intoxicants-free: halal products do not contain alcohol, unless it’s a non-drinkable and non-intoxicating ingredient such as cetearyl alcohol*.
3. Cleanliness is Key: products must be handled with clean utensils, and made with materials not harmful to humans.

*Cetearyl alcohol is made by combining fatty alcohols from vegetable sources and is solid hence not drinkable nor absorbed through the skin when applied as a cream. Therefore, it is halal to use in cosmetic products.It is used in many cosmetics as an emollient, thickening agent, moisturizer and emulsifier for other ingredients. 

In addition to being halal certified, NENA skincare products are also vegan and Leaping Bunny verified.

Halal Beauty is For Everyone

Although halal cosmetics brands were originally created for Muslim women, halal beauty is an all-inclusive term that can be for everyone. Some brands, like Australia’s INIKA, never intended to be halal, but while striving for organic and vegan certification, their ingredients and processes ended up qualifying to be halal anyway.  If you care for animals, know that halal beauty products cannot be tested on animals. And if you’re concerned about health, no need to figure out whether your nail polish is 3-free, 7-free, or 12-free—just look for a halal logo!

NENA’s Round-Up of Halal Makeup Brands

Besides NENA skincare, what are some other halal beauty brands?  Here are five brands we have our eye on:

Canadian halal beauty brand Tuesday in Love was recently featured on Dragon’s Den

1. Tuesday in Love – You may have seen this husband and wife duo on Dragon’s Den recently, promoting Tuesday in Love, one of the few other Canadian halal beauty brands. They’re known for their large range of colours oftheir halal certified water permeable nail polish that uses micro-pore technology. Word on the street is that their Liquid Lipstick has a formula that won’t feather, and comes in a clicky pen applicator.
   
   
2. Amara Cosmetics – Amara is an Arabic female name meaning “eternal beauty.”  Founded in 2011, Amara Cosmetics is the first North American company to provide completely halal-certified beauty products that are manufactured in the United States. Founder Shamalia Mohamed’s goal was to create a brand that Muslim women could easily recognize as halal without reading too many labels —same goes for those of us looking for healthy food and cruelty-free products too!
   Amara Cosmetics is the first North American company to provide completely halal-certified beauty products that are manufactured in the U.S.
   
   
3. Maya Cosmetics - This 9-free nail lacquer line believes that women of all cultures, faiths, and backgrounds should have healthy (and ethical!) options to help fully express themselves. If you’re looking for halal-certified glitter polishes, make Maya your go-to.
   
   
4. Inglot Cosmetics – Inglot’s O2M Breathable Nail Enamel launched in 2009, more than 20 years after the company was founded. This brand prides its nail polishes in being long-lasting and quick-drying. And if that doesn’t convince you, last year J.Lo herself launched a 70-piece makeup collection with Inglot!
   
   
5. Vivre Cosmetics – Vivre Cosmetics are made in the United States, paraben free, halal, and mineral based. Their mineral-based classic and liquid matte lipsticks are highly pigmented, and come in the most gorgeous shades.  Meanwhile, their breathable polish line features cheeky names like “Nudes? I Sent Him My Nails” and “Fetch My Bentley.”

Is All Halal Makeup Vegan?

Lastly, it’s important to note that not all halal products are vegan. Some permissible non-vegan ingredients include beeswax and lanolin (an ingredient derived from sheep’s wool).

On the other hand, not all vegan products are halal! It’s true that vegan products don’t contain animal byproducts, but vegan products do allow alcohol. So if you want the best for you body, look for halal logos like the IFANCC Halal logo.

Ready to shop for NENA’s EWG-verified, cruelty-free, and Halal-certified skincare?