CAROLINA CONFALONIERI
Gale & Cosm

Abstract

In Europe, the Halal certification is mainly related to food, whereas in the Muslim world every good and service have to respect established canons; for this reason there are many standards to follow for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, clothings and even for tourism, financial, insurance and banking services.

In this article we will concentrate on the application of the Halal certification to the cosmetic field, which is one of the mainly involved industry, with a turnover of 156 billion dollars.

“Halal” is an Arab term which means “lawful”, namely everything that is allowed according to Muslim law; what is forbidden is called “Haram”.

People usually think that Muslim laws only applies to food, but Islam is a religion which regulates every sphere of any practicing Muslim’s life (1). In fact, many goods and services can be Halal certified: apart from the food market, also clothing, tourism, banking, insurance, transport, logistics, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics can get Halal certifications.  The latter, consisting of skincare, bodycare, haircare, make-up and perfumes, together with the pharma segment, constitutes a consistent portion of Halal consumption, with a turnover of 156 billion dollars.

THE ISLAMIC WORLD

Islam is a monotheistic religion originated in the city of La Mecca in the VII century of the Christian era, thanks to the last Prophet Muhammad. The name of this religion can be translated into “submission, total surrender” intended as of oneself to God; from the religious point of view, this concept mean ...