The Challenges to get Halal Certificate for Henna Cosmetic: An Analysis from Islamic Perspective and Medical Benefits

The demand of the world’s Muslim community for cosmetic products certified as Halal by Halal Malaysia or Foreign Halal Certification Body is very high. This high demand is driven by the strength of the holistic Halal ecosystem system that includes material review, management, and several other systems inter alia, the Halal Assurance System, Laboratory Analysis and Halal Training. These systems have further strengthened consumer’s confidence in Malaysia’s Halal certified products. In terms of legal provisions, Procedure 6 (5) in the Malaysia Halal Certification Procedures Manual (Domestic) 2020 provides that products with negative implications for religion and society such as cigarettes, drugs, hair dyes and nail dyes are not eligible to apply for the Halal certificate. Henna or scientific name Lawsonia inermis is common ingredient used in hair and nails dye products. Based on the provisions above, hair and nail dye products including those based on henna are not eligible to apply for and obtain Malaysian Halal status because they fall under the category of hair and nail dyes. The issues are what is the rule on the usage of henna, and to what extent do henna cosmetic products get Malaysian Halal certification? The objective of this paper is to analyze the findings from an Islamic and medical perspective. This paper uses qualitative methods to analyze the data. The findings will analyze the needs for re-evaluation by the Malaysian Halal certification body for henna-based cosmetic products in order to be given Halal certification. This is because the initial findings of the study show that the use of henna is required by Syariah, especially for women. In fact, scientific evidence shows that henna has several benefits of its own, such as being rich in antioxidant compounds that can treat wounds. Therefore, if henna-based products are produced from natural henna, free from prohibited chemicals, safe to use, clean and pure, it is submitted that the henna cosmetic products are eligible to be considered and be given Malaysian Halal status.