HALAL-CERTIFIED beauty products are undoubtedly one of the best beauty stamps of approval that guarantees the best and safest ingredients used, with strict manufacturing and production regulations that adhere to Islamic practices.
Rehla co-founders Siti Hajar Harun and Che Ruby Mohamed teamed up to provide halal skin and body care products that fit all preferences and people of all skin types. They are formulated with plant-based ingredients, free from harsh chemicals, artificial fragrance and alcohol.
In an interview with theSun, Ruby revealed why halal-certified beauty products provide greater peace of mind.
How did Rehla come about?
As travel enthusiasts, we are very selective about what skin and body care products we bring. The usual checklist would be a full range of various travelling kits to suit the places we would be going to. Having said that, we also look for products that are safe to use with no harmful ingredients. So, to fulfil the market demand for such products, we sat down and started to plan what would be the best gift we would like to present to our consumers that falls under this category. We ended with a full range of starter kits that ticks all the criteria – safe, halal and natural.
How did you discover Rehla’s star ingredient, bromelain?
We brainstormed with our skincare formulator to decide what were the best skin-loving properties we should use that could provide the most benefits for skin. We then narrowed it down to a few and finally picked bromelain for its plentiful benefits.
Bromelain is an extract from pineapple, and it acts as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and exfoliant to achieve clear radiant skin if used regularly.
What does halal mean in beauty products?
Halal beauty products essentially mean that they are manufactured, produced and formulated with ingredients that are permissible under Islam. They do not contain haram ingredients derived from animals slain in a non-halal manner, nor containing pork, animals that were dead prior to slaughtering, and blood, alcohol and carnivorous animals.
Halal beauty is not touted as a religious aspect anymore, it symbolises a holistic way of creating value for everything related to life, products, property, family, the environment and others.
This is where Rehla comes in, we provide safe and premium products for all regardless of race and religion. Hence, they are halal and prayer-friendly for Muslims and vegans.
How difficult was it to get the products halal-certified?
It does take a slightly longer process because companies or formulators have to go through several stages before obtaining a halal certificate from Jakim. The process could take a few weeks from the date of the application if the standards are met. Otherwise, it would certainly take longer than that. The reason is that Jakim sets a high standard in halal certification as their concept is ‘halalan toyyiban’, meaning they are not just ‘halal’ (permissible) but it must also be ‘toyyib’ which means good, wholesome and pure.
What would be the considerations when choosing between halal cosmetics and conventional cosmetics?
There is a growing concern about the usage of animal-derived ingredients that has resulted in the increased production of halal-certified products by many cosmetic industry participants.
There are also many published articles creating awareness on the importance of choosing natural beauty products. These articles are backed by scientifically proven studies about the prolonged use of conventional personal care and cosmetic products over time that would lead to adverse health effects.
On average, women apply over 100 kinds of chemicals on their skin across 12 products and men use half of that. Due to this, consumers should be more mindful when choosing what to use. It would be great if consumers could read the product content and be a little bit more conscious when making their purchases.
