14
Innovation
@Halal | may-june. 2020
Halal Cosmetics:
A strenuous
but well-worth exercise?
Cosmetic products now attract a much broader market. In the past,
they used to be associated almost exclusively with women
Freepik
Cosmetic products are regarded
as ‘foods for the skin.’ The pressure
to be well-groomed has
resulted in massive sales of such
products all over the world. Today,
the innovation of such products
coupled with the enormous demand for
them offers a great opportunity for those
who aim for profit from the mass production
of such products. The need for cosmetics has
become self-evident. This is in line with freedom
of choice that assures that consumers
have a wide range of products from which
to choose.
The most crucial consideration, however,
is that the products available to be consumed
are safe and are not a danger to the health of
consumers.
Also, cosmetic products now attract a
much broader market. In the past, they used
to be associated almost exclusively with
women.
But now they have become essential for
both genders and all age groups. Cosmetics
are produced on a larger scale, and their
sales are now astounding. Statistita, a global
survey company, published the annual
growth of the global cosmetic market from
2004 to 2019. In 2018, the global cosmetics
market grew by an estimated 5.5 per cent
compared to the previous sales year.
By DR ZALINA
ZAKARIA
DIRECTOR
UNIVERSITY OF
MALAYA HALAL
RESEARCH CENTER
The trend is also seen in developing
countries such as Malaysia. Global Data,
a leading data and analytics company
estimated that Malaysia’s Cosmetics &
Toiletries industry is expected to grow at a
compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.2
per cent from RM6.4bn (US$1.6bn) in 2018
to RM7.9bn (US$2.1bn) by 2023. This shows
a steady economic growth driven by strong
domestic demand and private consumption
with Malaysian consumers becoming more
image-conscious.
In recent years, the increasing awareness
by Muslim consumers to consume products
that have halal certificates has resulted in
the growing trend of halal cosmetics. With
such demands, the number of halal applications
from cosmetic companies to Malaysia’s
halal competent authority (the Department
of Islamic Development –JAKIM) has also
increased; that is from 179 applications in
2017 to 276 applications in 2018. (Source:
JAKIM). Until March 2017, 232 companies
have Malaysia’s halal certifications under
cosmetic and personal care scheme.
All cosmetic companies must rely on
several relevant references to get halal certification
for cosmetics. The Guidelines for
Control of Cosmetic Products in Malaysia(
1st Revision February 2017), the Manual Procedure
of Malaysia’s Halal Certification (the
third revision of 2014) and also the Malaysia’s
Halal Cosmetic Standard which is called MS
2634: Halal Cosmetics- General Guidelines”
are the most important reference documents
that contain very strict requirements
on halal certification for cosmetic products.
This standard was formulated based on
the concept of halal built-in, a systematic
approach to halal product development. It
integrates the requirements of halal as part
of overall management and control systems.
This standard includes all aspects of
manufacturing/production, from strategy/
planning to research and development to
raw material sourcing until delivery of the
finished product to its point of purchase.
In other words, the standard ensures
continuous compliance to specific halal
requirements and the aspects of product
safety, performance, quality, along with
the hygienic issues in manufacturing and
handling of the halal cosmetic product. In
MS 2634: Halal Cosmetics: General Guidelines,
halal cosmetics is defined as ‘cosmetic
products that contain ingredients permitted
under the Shariah law and fatwa and fulfil
the following conditions:
a) do not consist of or contain any part of the
matter of an animal prohibited by Shariah
law and fatwa for a Muslim to consume or
that has not been slaughtered per Shariah