Products entering, circulating, and traded in the territory of Indonesia are required to carry out halal certification based on Law Number 33 of 2014 concerning Halal Product Assurance (UU JPH). Cosmetics are included in the products referred to in the regulation, this regulation will come into effect on October 17, 2026.
The obligation for halal-certified products by the Halal Product Guarantee Agency (BPJPH) has been in effect since October 17, 2019. In the first stage, this obligation was applied to food and beverage products, as well as slaughtering results and services. This also marked the beginning of a new era of mandatory halal in Indonesia as a mandate of the JPH Law.
The halal certification process has since become the authority of BPJPH as an administrative regulator by involving the Halal Inspection Institution (LPH), which is authorized to examine and test the Halal of products, as well as the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI), which determines the halal fatwa of products.
In the second stage, the obligation to have halal accreditation will start to apply to medicines, cosmetics, and daily necessities. This is in accordance with Government Regulation Number 39 of 2021, about the Implementation of the Halal Product Assurance.
Halal Audit Quality Board of LPPOM MUI, Dr. Ir. Mulyorini Rahayuningsih Hilwan, M.Si., M.Si., clarifies that the need for halal certification for cosmetics products is pushed by the need to obey the regulation. The other strong force to do the halal accreditation came from the consumers. The more cosmetic consumers in Indonesia are increasing, the more critical consumers will be about halal cosmetics.
“The complex growth of the technology and materials and the difficulty of the production process can obscure the halal and haram cosmetic products (syuhbat). To clarify, halal accreditation is needed to prove that the products are free from haram substances and najis,” Mulyorini explained.
One of the examples is the process of halal material that has been processed by a shared facility. In this case, the facility can also process the materials containing haram or najis. Therefore, the owner of the facility (maklon) and the material supplier must understand the regulations of Sistem Jaminan Produk Halal (SJPH) or Halal Product Guarantee System and have a standardization so the data can be fulfilled for the client who is going to produce the halal product. Of course, it can be a challenge for halal cosmetics accreditation.
Implementing SJPH is essential in the cosmetic industry. Some of the points needed to fulfill SJPH are having a competent team and a facility that is “halal dedicated.”
“It will be hard to use a facility based overseas, and not all products produced in the same place have the halal certification. Moreover, the use of halal cosmetics is indeed only on the outside of the body. Still, it is also related to the impact of the use of cosmetics on whether or not Muslim prayer is valid,” said Mulyorini.
Furthermore, halal cosmetics testing focuses on the product’s capability, whether it’s waterproof or not. Halal accreditation for cosmetics can guarantee ablution or wudhu that can cleanse through the skin layers; therefore, the Muslim prayer could count as valid.
Of course, all of these can be difficult to identify with the naked eye. Further testing was needed to ensure that all of the cosmetic substances were safe and halal. The halal accreditation process guarantees all halal substances are used and safe to use during prayer. Hence, halal-accredited products are the best choice for choosing cosmetics under Islam Syariah.
Removing dirt from clothing, dishes and our skin is an important part of daily life. From soaps and toothpastes to laundry detergents many products foam when used to unlock their cleaning action.
The ingredients which help make this happen are called surfactants. When used with water they foam and give a product the ability to remove dirt. Two surfactants that help products clean in this way are called Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
SLES and SLS have an excellent safety record and have been used for many years. Prolonged contact by our skin with concentrated SLES or SLS may, however, cause irritation. We therefore take great care when formulating our products to minimize potential irritation and still deliver effective cleansing action.
ARE PRODUCTS CONTAINING SLES AND SLS SAFE TO USE?
The safety of SLES and SLS have been the focus of many scientific studies. The results show that concerns expressed by some linking them to cancer are unfounded. None of the lists of carcinogens compiled by respected bodies such as the World Health Organization, the International Agency for the Research of Cancer or the European Union include SLES and SLS.
Scientific reviews by the independent US Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel found SLES and SLS to be safely used in cosmetic and personal care products. They have also been reviewed as part of the Human and Environmental Risk Assessment (HERA) initiative on ingredients in European household cleaning products. HERA, which delivered impartial, transparent and scientifically-assessed safety information. HERA concluded they are safe and are not a cause for concern with regard to consumer use.
ARE SLES AND SLS SAFE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?
SLS and SLES biodegrade rapidly and completely. Our environmental assessments, which take into account their widespread use globally, show there is no concern about current levels of use.
BPOM Sets Changes to Contamination Limits in Cosmetics
Jakarta – Tuesday (3/9/2024), BPOM set BPOM Regulation (PerBPOM) Number 16 of 2024 concerning Contamination Limits in Cosmetics. This regulation replaces PerBPOM Number 12 of 2019 concerning Contamination in Cosmetics. The regulation regarding contamination limits in cosmetics in the previous regulation is no longer in accordance with legal requirements and developments in science and technology in the cosmetics sector, so it needs to be replaced.
This regulatory update is in accordance with the agreement in ASEAN, namely that the level of 1,4-dioxane contamination is reduced from 25 parts per million (ppm) to 10 ppm. on contamination in cosmetics is clearly stated in the attachment to this PerBPOM which can be accessed via www.jdih.pom.go.id.
The reduction in contamination levels has taken into account various studies and discussions up to the Southeast Asian level that were carried out in order to provide protection to consumers. The chemical 1,4-dioxane is carcinogenic. This material is a chemical contaminant in cosmetics that cannot be avoided but can be limited and its levels monitored.
Before being enacted, this PerBPOM had gone through a public consultation on November 10, 2023. Then a harmonization discussion was carried out on July 25, 2024 by the Ministry of Law and Human Rights and was declared to have been completed, and met the requirements to be submitted for Presidential approval through the Cabinet Secretariat. On September 17, 2024, this PerBPOM received approval from the President.
Thus, this PerBPOM has officially come into effect and the cosmetics industry is required to comply with policies regarding requirements for microbial contamination limits, heavy metal contamination, and/or chemical contamination. The commitment of business actors in fulfilling this new regulation aims to ensure that cosmetic products before and during circulation have met safety and quality requirements.
Contamination is something that enters Cosmetics unintentionally and cannot be avoided, originating from the processing, storage, and/or carried over from raw materials. The presence of microbial, heavy metal, and chemical contamination can be harmful to human health. Therefore, testing must be carried out in an accredited laboratory or an internal laboratory owned by the cosmetic industry certified by Good Cosmetic Manufacturing Practices (CPKB). Testing must use a validated or verified analysis method.
Business actors are also required to document the test results in cosmetic product information documents. For business actors who violate, they will be subject to administrative sanctions in the form of written warnings, a temporary ban on distributing cosmetics for a maximum of 1 year, withdrawal of cosmetics from circulation, destruction of products, temporary cessation of production activities, and/or import of cosmetics for a maximum of 1 year, revocation of notification numbers, and temporary closure of online access to submit notification applications for a maximum of 1 year. BPOM is committed to continuing to ensure the safety, efficacy/benefits, and quality of cosmetic products in Indonesia. Regulatory innovation continues to be carried out in accordance with developments in science and technology. For this reason, BPOM invites all business actors to collaborate in complying with this regulation in order to protect the public from cosmetics that do not meet safety and quality requirements that pose a risk to health and increase the competitiveness of cosmetic products.
Source: BPOM Press Release. (2024, October 25). BPOM Sets Changes to Contamination Limits in Cosmetics.
As one of the producers of cosmetic (personal care) ingredients, ISSU participated in the ICI (Indonesia Cosmetic Ingredients) Exhibition held at Grand City Convex Surabaya on June 7–8, 2023.
This event aimed to introduce the latest innovations and trends in the cosmetic industry, including hair and skin care, as well as to expand networking opportunities between manufacturers and suppliers.The exhibition featured around 120 booths from suppliers of ingredients, packaging manufacturers, contract manufacturers, and machinery for the cosmetics industry.
In addition, several seminars were held focusing on trends and innovations in skin and hair care ingredients. At this event, ISSU was present at the INDOKEMIKA GROUP booth, a leading chemical distributor in Indonesia. ISSU showcased the ECOSOL® SLES product, an anionic surfactant for the cosmetics/personal care industry. ECOSOL® is a type of SLES with low 1.4 – Dioxane content, offers a safer choice for personal care applications while maintaining excellent cleaning performance.
Surfactants are perhaps the most important of all cosmetic ingredients. Surfactants have so many useful applications that the cosmetic industry probably wouldn’t exist without them. In cosmetics, surfactants are used for cleansing, foaming, thickening, emulsifying, solubilizing, penetration enhancement, antimicrobial effects, and other special effects.
The key property of surfactant molecules that makes them useful cosmetic ingredients is that they are compatible with both water and oil. When put in a water solution, they naturally create structures with lipophilic portions aligning with lipids and hydrophilic portions aligning with water. The exact structure that is produced depends on the concentration of the surfactant solutions but the most important structure for cosmetics is micelles.
Detergency
One of the most common applications of surfactants in cosmetics is for cleansing formulations. When skin and hair get dirty there are really two types of dirt: solid particulates and oily deposits. The oily deposits come from natural sebum which is produced in the hair follicles. Solid particulates are just naturally picked up from the environment. They remain on hair and skin via Van der Waals forces.
Although rinsing the surface with water can remove some of the dirt, oily deposits will tend to adhere to the more lipophilic surfaces of hair and skin. Surfactants in detergent help get rid of these oily deposits. The lipophilic ends of the molecules are attracted to and align with the lipids on the surface of hair and skin. Meanwhile, the hydrophilic ends of the molecules align toward the surface of these deposits, thereby increasing the hydrophilicity. That allows the lipid deposits to lift off the surface of skin or hair where the rinse water washes them away.
Wetting
Surfactants are also wetting agents that reduce the contact angle between a solution put on a surface and the surface. This property allows surfactants to spread more easily on the surface and inject themselves between the oily deposit and the skin or hair surface. This lifts up the oil and allows it to be removed. Wetting also makes the product easier to spread and prevents it from balling up on the surface. This is useful in cosmetic creams and lotions.
Foam
Foam is an important characteristic of cleansing cosmetics. It is formed when air is dispersed in a continuous liquid medium. The air bubbles are surrounded by thin layers of liquid, and the surfactants help stabilize the bubbles that are formed, creating foam. It’s important to note that foam doesn’t really contribute much to the removal of dirt but consumers like it, so it’s very important for a cleansing product to foam.
Thickening
In a water/surfactant solution in which water is the major ingredient, surfactants align themselves in structures called micelles. These are tiny spherical structures in which the lipophilic tails orient inwards and the polar heads orient outwards toward the water. Micelles are important for the creation of emulsions and for thickening.
The thickness of a surfactant solution depends on how closely the micelles pack together. Since cleaning products are typically made from charged surfactants, the outer surfaces of the micelles have a specific charge density that causes them to repel other micelles. The more distance between the micelles, the thinner the solution. When the surface charge density is lowered by adding salt, for example— the particles pack together more closely, and the solution thickens. For this reason, salt is frequently added to adjust the viscosity of detergent systems.
Emulsification
Another major application of surfactants to cosmetics is in the creation of semi-stable mixtures of oil and water, or emulsions. Emulsions are the creams and lotions that deliver beneficial lipid materials to the surface of skin and hair. They can be simple oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsions or more complex multiple emulsions. Each type has benefits that make it ideal for certain cosmetic applications. An entire article can be written about emulsions, but for our purposes, suffice it to say that nearly all creams and lotions are created using surfactants.
Types of surfactants
Surfactants can be classified according to the charge of their counter ion or whether they form ions in solution or not. There are anionic surfactants, which have a negatively charged ion. There are amphoteric surfactants, which are capable of both positive and negative charges depending on the pH conditions of the solution they are in. There are cationic surfactants, which are positively charged. And, finally, there are nonionic surfactants, which have no charge at all. All four of these surfactant types are used in cosmetics for different reasons.
Anionic
Anionic surfactants, the most common of which are the alkyl sulfates, are really the primary ingredient used in cleansing products. They are positively charged surfactant ions. Examples include sodium lauryl sulfate and ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS).
Sometimes anionic surfactants are modified to make them less irritating. For example, ALS is commonly “ethoxylated” by reacting it with ethylene oxide to produce ammonium laureth sulfate. This additional chemical processing makes the final product significantly less irritating and slightly more water soluble.
Nowadays there is a tendency for companies to get away from using ingredients with the name “sulfate” in them, so other options are used. Other anionic surfactants include sulfosuccinates, alkyl benzene sulfanate, acyl methyl taurates, acyl sarcocinates, the isethionates, propyl peptide condensates, monoglyceride sulfates and fatty glycerol, ether sulfanates. These are all anionic surfactants that have been used in shampoos or body washes.
Anionics are used primarily as the main detergent in cosmetics because they are good at removing dirt and oil, they produce pleasing amounts of foam, and they are relatively inexpensive. Their primary drawback is that they can be irritating. This is why they are often blended with amphoteric surfactants.
Amphoteric
Amphoteric surfactants can have both a negative charge and a positive charge, depending on the pH. These materials are also referred to as zwitterionic materials, and they include ingredients such as cocamidopropyl betaine, cocoamphopropionate, and sodium lauraminopropionate. These three ingredients are probably the most commonly used amphoteric surfactants in cleansing products, particularly in shampoos.
Amphoterics are used because they have good detergency and are less irritating than the anionics. They also can help thicken a formula and have a positive effect on foam, as they make the bubbles smaller and feel creamier. The main drawback to using them is that they are significantly more expensive and, on their own, don’t really foam well enough to produce a good shampoo.
Nonionic
Nonionic surfactants are molecules that do not have a charge. When placed in a solution of water, the molecules do not dissociate as the previously mentioned surfactant molecules do. Salt also has no effect on whether these chargeless surfactants thicken or not. Some types include fatty alcohols and fatty alkanolamides, including lauramide diethanolamine (DEA) and cocamide DEA. Other nonionic surfactants found in cosmetics include amine oxides such as lauramine oxide or stearamine oxide.
There are a variety of reasons to use nonionics in cosmetics. They are good foam enhancers (when used with anionics) and can reduce irritation. They also can thicken systems and provide a conditioning effect. Additionally, they are very good for solubilizing fragrances and other natural oils in formulating. Finally, gentle cleansers such as baby shampoos are based on nonionics, the most common of which is PEG-80 sorbitan laurate. Nonionic surfactants are also the primary surfactants used to create emulsions.
The reason these surfactants aren’t used as the primary cleansing surfactant in most formulas is that they don’t foam nearly as well on their own and are significantly more expensive. Overall, nonionics do not work as well as anionics in shampoos.
Cationics
These are positively charged surfactant molecules. They are not used for cleansing formulas because they don’t clean, rinse, or foam as well, and they are more irritating—so they have a lot of drawbacks. They are also not compatible with anionics, so their positive benefits can’t be obtained from formulations that also contain an anionic surfactant.
Source:
AOCS. Perry Romanowski. April 2015. https://www.aocs.org/resource/an-introduction-to-cosmetic-technology/
