Is Your Deodorant Halal or Haram?
Have you ever wondered what ingredients are there in your deodorant? And whether it is halal or not? Most of us use deodorants on a daily basis. It might not occur to you but your deodorant can also contain haram ingredients.
Prophet Muhammad used the finest scents like Musk, Amber and Oud. He especially loved Musk and said, “It is the best of your perfumes”. He said, “The perfume for men is that whose scent is apparent while its colour is hidden, and the perfume for women is that whose colour is apparent, while its scent is hidden.” He guided us about the different kinds of fragrances that should be used by men and women.
When the Prophet was presented with a fragrance, to use or as a gift, he never refused it. He once said that perfume was one of the things that had been made dear to him. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ loved fragrances and used them frequently. His wife Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported, “I used to perfume Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) with the best scent available till I saw the shine of the scent on his head and beard.”
The teachings of Islam ensure that Muslims are tidy and presentable. The Prophet encouraged Muslims to keep themselves clean, healthy and groomed. One of the personal care products that help us in this regard is the deodorant or body spray. Deodorant was first introduced in the United States in the 1950s and has now become a staple item on shelves across the world. Deodorant is a kind of fragrance that is used widely today. It is meant for everyday use as it is cheaper compared to perfume. It is light and helps cover any bad smell that comes from excessive sweating.
Muslims must keep themselves free from impurities, because if they get into a state of impurity (najasah) or there is something impure on their bodies or clothes, their prayer will not be accepted. Cleanliness is a prerequisite for their obligatory daily prayers. Many scholars consider alcohol as an impure substance. So, if Muslims wear any regular deodorant with alcohol in it that would mean that their clothes and body will have traces of alcohol on it too. Therefore, they should completely avoid deodorants and scents that have alcohol. However, it is the most common ingredient used in most perfumes.
A Muslim eats halal, acts halal and uses perfumes and deodorants that are halal. Halal is a lifestyle. There are many halal certified brands in the market now, which have excellent alternatives. Instead of alcohol which dries the skin and causes irritation, they use natural beauty ingredients like aloe vera, tea tree oil and vetiver. These organic ingredients act as moisturizers are also known for their anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. At first, Muslims did not have many alternatives to the normal deodorants manufactured by non-Muslims. But they do now!
Aloe vera helps the skin to stay fresh and moisturized, and the tea tree helps reduce inflammation and scars. It has a soothing and healing effect on the skin. Instead of a harmful and irritant substance like alcohol, one should prefer products that contain natural beauty ingredients that do not pose a danger to our health and skin.
The Quran states that ‘And eat of what Allah has provided for you [which is] lawful and good. And fear Allah, in whom you are believers’. Because not only Allah instructs Muslims to consume halal, he also instructs to consume things that are tayyab. Tayyab means good, unharmful and clean; something that is known to be excellent because of its properties and nature.
The next time you buy a deodorant ensure that you are choosing one that is permissible and pure (halal and tayyab). Halal and tayyab are the hallmarks of a Muslim. You can also know, why halal is the next big thing?
