Indonesian Halal Cosmetics Regulations Explained at PCHi 2024

On March 20, 2024, the Personal Care and Homecare Ingredients (PCHi) 2024 event commenced at Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center. One of the presentations on Halal cosmetics regulations in Indonesia caught attention. It was delivered by Ms. Muti Arintawati, President Director at LPPOM MUI, a leading Halal inspection agency in Indonesia.

Concept of Halal Cosmetics

To provide clarity on the concept of Halal cosmetics, Ms. Muti introduced the definitions of Halal, Harem, and Najis.

• Halal refers to objects or actions that are permissible or lawful according to the Islamic Sharia Law.

• Haram refers to objects or actions that are prohibited or unlawful according to the Islamic Shariah Law.

• Haram materials include

• Blood, carrion, pork, animal slaughtered during which the name of Allah (God) is not mentioned, khamr, and parts of human body.

• Wild animal (carnivores), animals with sharp teeth and claws, amphibia (animals that live both on land and in water).

• *An exception is made for all sea animals, which are considered Halal even if not slaughtered.

• Najis means dirt/filth that renders unlawful worship.

• Heavy Najis includes pig and its derivatives, saliva from dog, etc.

• Medium Najis includes urine, feces, carrion, khamr, blood, etc.

• Light Najis includes urine from baby boys who are only breastfeed, etc.

Halal cosmetics cover the following products:

• Cosmetics that can be considered as food as they can be unintentionally swallowed (e.g., lipstick, lip balm, mouthwash, toothpaste, etc.), which must be free from Haram & Najis.

• Cosmetics for external use (e.g., body lotion, soap, nail polish, etc.), which must be free from Najis and water permeable.

Halal Certification to Be Mandatory for Cosmetics

As mandated by Indonesian’s Law No. 33 Halal Product Assurance, foods, beverages, drugs, cosmetics, chemical products, biological products, genetically engineered products, as well as consumer goods that are worn, used, or utilized by the public in Indonesia shall be halal-certified or labeled as non-halal products.

While optional at the moment, Halal certification will become a mandatory requirement. Specifically for cosmetics, from October 17, 2026, they must possess halal certificates issued by Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Produk Halal (BPJPH), Indonesia’s halal product assurance agency. 

LPPOM, the institute where Ms. Muti works, is responsible for conducting technical assessment to determine the compliance status of products with the Halal Product Assurance System (HPAS).

According to Ms. Muti, out of the cosmetics registered at Indonesian’s food and drug authority BPOM, 4,668 (19%) cosmetics have been audited by LPPOM and obtained Halal certificates from BPJPH, while the remaining 19,381 (81%) registered cosmetics are not Halal certified.

Challenges and Advice for Halal Certification

Ms. Muti concluded the challenges associated with Halal certification:

1. Sourcing halal-compliant ingredients.

2. Ensuring proper handling of halal raw materials throughout the supply chain, including suppliers and manufacturers, to prevent cross-contamination.

3. Separating productions of halal and non-halal products, as dedicating certain equipment to specific products incurs costs and affects efficiency.

4. Developing a procedure to ensure compliance with Halal regulations during the product development process.

While some challenges remained unresolved, Ms. Muti provided answers to frequently-asked questions regarding manufacturing process. For Halal-certified production facilities that handle non-certified products that may contain porcine ingredients, she suggested that manufacturers with multiple production lines designate a dedicated line for Halal-certified products. Besides, thorough cleaning of porcine contamination should be conducted in advance.