Consumer guidance on skincare ingredients and halal certification

Consumers are encouraged to practice diligence when purchasing skincare products by carefully reviewing ingredient lists rather than relying solely on advertisements. Key indicators of informed consumers include checking the order of ingredients, identifying necessary active components, and avoiding products with unclear compositions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that terms such as ‘mercurous chloride’, ‘calomel’, ‘mercuric’, ‘mercurio’, or ‘mercury’ indicate the presence of mercury, which necessitates immediate cessation of product use.

In Indonesia, a distinction is made between halal certificates and halal labels for food, beverages, and cosmetics. A halal certificate is an official document issued by the Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH) based on written fatwas, confirming a product meets halal requirements through rigorous inspection of materials and production processes. In contrast, the halal label is the visual mark placed on packaging to communicate this certified status to consumers, as regulated by Law Number 33 of 2014 and Government Regulation Number 42 of 2024.