Halal cosmetics: certification and markets to know before exporting

Halal cosmetics are products formulated and manufactured according to halal rules, without ethyl alcohol or prohibited animal-derived ingredients, and ideally certified by a body recognised in the target market. They are not halal by default: compliance is demonstrated through the formula, the raw materials and the process. This article, written from the point of view of a Tunisian laboratory, is informative and does not replace the official texts or the advice of the certifying body.

You will find the formulation criteria to check, what a brand prepares before its certification application, the requirements by market and the outlook for Tunisian brands.

What are halal cosmetics?

Halal cosmetics are a category of products designed according to halal rules: no ethyl alcohol, no non-compliant animal-derived ingredients, no animal testing. They go beyond vegan, as they also cover the manufacturing process. A cosmetic product is therefore not halal by default.

According to Ancre Magazine (January 2022), a cosmetic product is certified halal if it contains no alcohol, no animal-derived ingredients and no harsh chemicals, and if it has not been tested on animals.

These criteria concern the composition, but not only that. Compliance also covers how the product is manufactured and sold. This is what sets halal apart from vegan: a product without animal ingredients is not necessarily halal, as the process and the integrity of manufacturing also count.

The magazine reports the words of an Indian brand founder on this subject:

“Halal is a way of life, it is a holistic concept that encompasses the values of safety, purity and integrity in the way products are made and sold.” (Ancre Magazine)

For a brand, this translates into a concrete approach: document the formula, the origin of each raw material and the process, then present them to the certifying body of the target market. No laboratory can promise certification on your behalf: the decision belongs to the body. The following sections detail the formulation points to check.

Which ingredients and formulation criteria should you check?

Three points need checking: ethyl alcohol, which is prohibited, animal-derived ingredients and the traceability of each raw material. Fatty alcohols, such as cetyl alcohol, are accepted, as they are treated as an oil. The laboratory must document the origin of each ingredient before any certification application.

A halal formula is built from the start. Reformulating afterwards costs time, especially if a key ingredient has to be replaced. A custom formulation adapted to halal requirements lets you set these criteria in the brief.

Alcohol: ethyl or fatty?

Ethyl alcohol is the alcohol of the ethanol family, present in many perfumes and solutions. Fatty alcohols, on the other hand, are fatty substances used as emulsifiers or texturisers. The distinction is therefore decisive for the formula.

According to Ancre Magazine (January 2022), ethyl alcohol is prohibited, whereas fatty alcohols such as cetyl alcohol are permitted, as they are regarded more as an oil.

Animal origin and raw material traceability

An animal-derived ingredient can hide in a compound raw material. You therefore need to trace the chain back to the supplier and keep the evidence. Oppenheimer Lab manufactures according to cosmetic Good Manufacturing Practice (ISO 22716 / GMP), with a full batch history available within 24 hours; Halal certifications are available on request.

Before opening a file, prepare the following:

• the data sheets of each raw material supplier;
• the declared origin of each material;
• the full composition in INCI nomenclature;
• the description of the manufacturing process;
• the line cleaning procedure, to be requested from your laboratory.

How do you obtain halal certification for a cosmetic?

Halal certification is issued by a body recognised in the destination market, after review of the formula, the raw materials and the manufacturing site. The brand prepares its documentation before the application. The choice of certifier depends on the target country, as recognition varies from one market to another.

A halal certification is a written attestation, issued by a third-party body, confirming that a product and its process comply with a given halal standard. It cannot be deduced from the composition alone: it involves a documentary review and, most often, an inspection of the production site. Always ask your laboratory and the certifying body for the exact list of documents expected.

What the brand prepares beforehand

The work begins before any contact with a certifier. Our advice: define your countries of sale in the brief, so as to prepare the corresponding supporting documents and packaging. The process generally follows these steps:

• the brief: countries of sale, positioning and target halal standard;
• the formula file: full composition and declared origin of each material;
• traceability: a documented link between raw material batches and the finished batch;
• the audit: review of the site and the process by the chosen body.

A site operating to ISO 22716 makes this documentary work easier, as traceability is already structured there. To understand how cosmetic manufacturing is organised, review the procedures your laboratory can provide before the application.

Who certifies: choosing according to the target market

No certification is recognised everywhere. Before paying for an audit, check that the chosen body is accepted by the authority of the country of sale. For Indonesia, lepetitjournal.com (September 2026) states that products will have to undergo pre-shipment verification by a halal inspection agency.

In Tunisia, CEPEX and INNORPI are associated with the International Halal Forum, but check with the authority of the country of sale which body is accepted. According to Managers (5 September 2026), the International Halal Forum is held in Tunis on 29 and 30 September 2026 in coordination with CEPEX, and INNORPI is among the participating bodies. This first edition has already passed: it does not replace checking, with the authority of the country of sale, which certifying body is accepted.

Is halal certification mandatory depending on the market?

It depends on the country. Indonesia applies halal requirements to cosmetics from 18 October 2026. For the Gulf and Asia, halal certification is often seen as a barrier to market access, without the source specifying an obligation by country. In Europe, it is mostly a commercial choice, as regulatory obligations remain those of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.

This section is informative. Before any export, check the official texts and the requirements of the authority of the destination country. You can also read our articles on cosmetics export.

Indonesia: a requirement extending to cosmetics

According to lepetitjournal.com (September 2026), from 18 October 2026 Indonesia will apply halal requirements covering food products, but also cosmetics, medicines and chemical products.

Penalties can be severe. According to the same source, the Indonesian agency BPJPH has set out a scale of penalties ranging from written warnings and administrative fines to product recalls and the suspension or revocation of halal certificates.

Gulf, Asia and Europe: different expectations

According to Managers (5 September 2026), halal certification is often seen as a barrier to access to Gulf and Asian markets.

For Europe, our advice: manufacturing in Tunisia does not exempt you from the requirements of the destination market. These notably include a Responsible Person established in the European Union, a Product Information File with a safety assessment, a compliant composition and labelling, then a notification on the CPNP portal before placing on the market. This notification is neither an authorisation nor a certification.

Always ask your laboratory and the certifying body to confirm in writing the documents required for each country of sale.

Is halal an opportunity for Tunisian brands?

Yes, with some nuance. According to Tunisie-Tribune, citing CEPEX, the halal market is growing by 15% a year. Tunisian companies remain thinly present compared with Morocco, and around forty of them obtained certification in 2024, mainly in food processing and cosmetics. This leaves room for well-prepared brands.

According to Tunisie-Tribune (3 March 2026), around 40 Tunisian companies obtained halal certification in 2024, the majority in these two sectors. The same article notes a weak presence of Tunisian companies in this sector, compared with competing countries such as Morocco.

The institutional calendar points the same way. According to Managers (5 September 2026), the International Halal Forum is held under the aegis of the Ministry of Commerce and Export Development, and offers Tunisian cosmetics SMEs an opportunity to access fast-growing halal markets.

Take a typical example: a young French brand wants to launch a short range of skincare. It is considering manufacturing in Tunisia to talk directly in French with the technical team, benefit from geographical proximity and find an offer suited to its starting volumes. Its decision rests on concrete factors: sample quality, available documentation, delivered cost and reliability of the schedule.

At Oppenheimer Lab, in Ben Arous, small batches are possible from 200 units, or even 100 depending on the project, subject to assessment. Quote requests receive a reply within 48 working hours. Our advice: define your countries of sale in the brief, as they determine which certification to aim for. To frame your project, you can request a quote from Oppenheimer Lab.

Sources

• C’est quoi la cosmétique halal ? (in French), Ancre Magazine, January 2022
• Tous les produits exportés vers l’Indonésie devront bientôt être certifiés halal (in French), lepetitjournal.com, September 2026
• 40 entreprises tunisiennes certifiées « Halal » (in French), Tunisia-Tribune, 3 March 2026
• Export : la Tunisie mise sur le Halal pour conquérir le Golfe et l’Asie (in French), Managers, 5 September 2026