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Received: 14 June 2020    Revised: 9 August 2020    Accepted: 12 August 2020

DOI: 10.1111/jocd.13691

REVIEW ARTICLE

A systematic review on the skin whitening products and their

ingredients for safety, health risk, and the halal status

Fatin N. M. Nordin1 | Atiqah Aziz2  | Zalina Zakaria2 |

Che Wan Jasimah Wan Mohamed Radzi1,2

1
Department of Science and Technology
Studies, Faculty of Science, University of
Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2
Universiti of Malaya Halal Research Centre,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Correspondence
Atiqah Aziz and Che Wan Jasimah Wan
Mohamed Radzi, Universiti of Malaya
Halal Research Centre, Ground Floor, HIR
Building, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Emails: eyqa@um.edu.my;jasimah@um.edu.my
Funding information
Grand Challenge for Humanities Research
Cluster, Grant/Award Number: GC002C-
17HNE and GC002B-17HNE; Ministry of
Education Malaysia, Grant/Award Number:
MOO02-2018
Abstract
Background: Skin-whitening products are in the high trend of demand for skin beau-
tifying and lightening. Sources of ingredients for cosmetics could be natural, semi-
synthetic, and synthetic that may affect the halal status of a product. The lack of
scientific evidence on the safety and risks of such ingredients is a major concern to
many consumers.
Objective: This review paper aimed to shed light on the skin-whitening ingredients
and their issues related to safety, health risk, and halal status.
Methodology: Based on the reviews scientific publications published from January
2015 to July 2020 using Web of Science and Scopus engines.
Findings: Based on the review, most of the common ingredients in the skin-whitening
products are originated from plants, animals, microbes, and heavy metals. Health risk
of the ingredients was evaluated based on the usage, chronic or acute adverse effect,
frequency of incidence, and the hazardous chemical contents of a halal cosmetics.
The halal status of the ingredients was investigated based on the sources of origin,
safety evaluation, and associated health risk of the ingredients.
Originality: This review shows that ingredients play a vital role in the halal status
decision-making of a cosmetic product. Therefore, the categories of Halal-Safe,
Haram-Prohibited, and Critical-Need further evaluation were suggested to integrate
the sources of ingredients with safety.

KEYWORDS

halal cosmetics, halal status, health risks, ingredients, safety, skin-whitening products

1 |  I NTRO D U C TI O N
Recently, the demand of skin-whitening product is in high trend not
only in Asia but also all around the world and becoming a big busi-
ness in the Asian beauty industry.1 The desire for white and fair skin
is a global phenomenon, especially in nonwhite cultures and is not
limited to the Asian context. Historically, from religious to cultural
practices of countries across the globe, a woman having white and
fair skin is believed to be one of the hallmarks of virtue and per-
sonal beauty. Theoretically, whiteness is considered as a source
of symbolic cultural capital that is associated with the upper-class
image, luxury, prestige, and success in Asian cultures. 2,3
Skin lightening is defined as “the practice of using chemical
substances or any other products with a depigmenting potential
in an attempt to lighten the skin tone or improve skin complexion
by lessening the concentration of melanin to obtain a reduction of
the physiological skin pigmentation”.4,5 Skin-lightening products are
used in medical treatments for a range of skin disorders, including
hyperpigmentation.6 However, a major market has been developed
in its use for cosmetic purposes.7

J Cosmet Dermatol. 2020;00:1–11. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jocd© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC     1 |

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2       NORDIN et al.

Besides the usage of skin-whitening products, halal cosmetics is
also increased in demand due to the quality offered by the products,
although halal denotes religious practice. Halal cosmetics highlight
the use of lawful ingredients and practices standard manufacturing
process that comply with Shariah law and quality assurances proce-
8 9
dures. According to Malaysian Standard (MS 2634:2019), halal cos-
metics must fulfill the following conditions; (a) do not consist of or
contain any part of matter of an animal that is prohibited by Shariah
law and fatwa for a Muslim to consume or that has been slaughtered
in accordance with Shariah law and fatwa, (b) do not contain anything
which is najs according to Shariah law and fatwa, (c) do not intoxicate
according to Shariah law and fatwa, (d) do not contain any part of a
human being or its yield which are not allowed by Shariah law and
fatwa, (e) are not poisonous or hazardous to health, (f) have not been
prepared, processed, or manufactured using any instrument that is
contaminated with najs according to Shariah law and fatwa, and (g)
have not in the course of preparation, processing, or storing been in
contact with, mixed, or in close proximity to any materials that fail to
satisfy items (a) and (b).
There is a range of legal provisions to regulate the production
of such harmful cosmetic products in Malaysia to ensure consumers
health and protection from the use of cosmetic products which uses
banned materials. The Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations
198410 and the Sale of Drugs Act 195211 are among the provisions
of the legislation regulating the safety and/or risks of cosmetic prod-
ucts. The regulations of this legislation were introduced to protect
consumers from the use of unsafe and harmful cosmetic products.
Although there are specific laws on banning and regulating the pro-
duction and selling of such dangerous goods, there are still some
issues with the selling and manufacturing of products mixed with
hazardous chemicals and the selling of unregistered cosmetics.12
The most widely used active ingredients in skin-lightening prod-
ucts are mercury, hydroquinone, and steroid.13 Even though these
chemicals have undesirable side effects reported, they are still being
used in the cosmetic industries. Hydroquinone was reported to
have been associated with ochronosis while implicated in nephrop-
athy.14 In Ghana, a study reported that prolonged bleaching could
cause squamous cell carcinoma.15 Meanwhile, chronic exposure

No. of records identified No. of additional records

through database searching identified through other
(WoS), sources (Scopus),
Identification

n=13 n=141

Total records identified

n=154

No. of records excluded (n=96), due to

No. of records
review articles, report, and chapter in
screened,
book, non-English articles, published
Screening

n=58
before 2015.

No. of duplicates records removed,

n=3

No. of full-text articles excluded

No. of full-text (n=44), because the articles were not
Eligibility

articles assessed focus on ingredients of skin

for eligibility, whitening, their health risk, safety,
n=55 and halal, non-empirical articles.
Included

No. of studies included in qualitative synthesis, F I G U R E 1   Flow of information

n=11 through the different phases of a
systematic review (adapted from Moher et
al 2009)52
NORDIN et al.
TA B L E 1   Search strategy for
Database
systematic review process
Scopus
Web of science
to mercury even at a very low concentration can cause long-last-
16
ing neurological damages and may lead to kidney to impairment.
An investigation on Kenyan women with damaged kidneys also re-
vealed a high incidence of severe nephritic syndromes, which was
attributed to the use of creams containing mercury.17 On the other
18
hand, Pollack's study (2018) indicated links between chemicals
that are widely used in cosmetic and personal care products with
changes in reproductive hormones including estrogen.
Among the main adverse effects of the skin-whitening prod-
ucts with mercury are thinning of the skin; scarring; inflammation;
irritation; depigmentation; allergies; organ damages involving kid-
ney, liver, and nerve; and disruption or abnormalities of brain devel-
opment in children and fetus with usage during pregnancy.19 Other
adverse effects include reduced resistance to bacterial and fungal
infections and psychological effects such as anxiety, depression, and
psychosis World Health Organization. 20 According to Siti Zulaikha
et al (2015), 21 the presence of heavy metals in cosmetics could be
unsafe, unhygienic, and a kind of adulteration which is against the
Toyyiban concept of Shariah.
Halal cosmetics draws attention to the source of ingredients as
it has a huge impact to the halal status of cosmetic products. This is
consistent with the definition of halal cosmetics which the products
must not have any human parts or ingredients nor containing any
animals forbidden to Muslims and must be slaughtered according
to Shariah law; no genetically modified organism (GMO) which are
declared as najs; no alcohol drinks (khamr); no contamination from
najs during preparation, processing, manufacturing, and storage; and
safe for consumers. 22 In addition, any use of animal fats and test-
ing and dangerous chemicals are considered as unacceptable for
23
Muslim consumers. Another vital aspect that seems separated in
any discussion of halal ingredients is the use of harmful or hazard-
ous ingredients such as mercury and hydroquinone. This element
is related to another aspect of halal called Toyyiban. According to
24
Alzheer et al (2018), Toyyib is related to the whole process of halal
production in the food industry. The same reason can be applied to
halal cosmetics.
Therefore, this review aims to present the current knowledge
and classification of skin-whitening ingredients, and its safety and
impact on health and halal status. This review summarizes the cur-
rent ingredients used in skin-whitening products based on the arti-
cles published from Jan 2015 until June 2020.
      3 |
Search strategy
TITLE-ABS-KEY("cosmetic" OR "skin whiten*" OR "skin lighten*"
OR "skin bleach*" OR "skin brighten*") AND (religio* OR islam
OR halal OR halalan) AND ("health risk*" OR "health hazard*"
OR "safety" OR t?yyib OR t?yyiban OR t?yib OR t?yib) AND
("ingredient*")
TS=(("cosmetic" OR "ingredient*" OR"skin whiten*" OR "skin
lighten*" OR "skin bleach*" OR "skin brighten*") AND (religio*
OR islam OR halal OR halalan) AND ("health risk*" OR "health
hazard*" OR "safety" OR t?yyib OR t?yyiban OR t?yib OR t?yib))
2 | M E TH O D O LO G Y
This review process adapted a method called Preferred Reporting
Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The
process included resources from selected databases used to run the
systematic review, eligibility and exclusion criteria, steps of the re-
view process (identification, screening, and eligibility), data abstrac-
tion, and analysis. This process is depicted in Figure 1.
Relevant papers were found through computerized literature
searches on two primary databases, namely Web of Science (WoS)
and Scopus, by using a search strategy as presented in Table 1.
Selection of articles was based on inclusion and exclusion criteria,
with eligibility process. Determination of inclusion and exclusion
criteria is important as it helps to enhance objectivity and avoid mis-
takes in study selection. Besides, the selected articles should reflect
the study objectives. The main inclusion and exclusion criteria used
in this review are listed in Table 2.
Eligibility is a process of where the selected articles were care-
fully examined (n =  55). The full-text eligibility is based on the in-
clusion criterion. A total of 44 articles were excluded because the
articles were not focusing on skin-lightening ingredients and their
health risk and safety, or they were nonempirical articles. The last
stage of review resulted in a total of 11 articles that were used for
the qualitative analysis (see Figure  1). The validity of the finding
was confirmed by crosschecking the researchers involved. A ran-
dom sample of synthesized data was validated in a discussion group
among the researchers. In cases of conflicting findings, discussions
were conducted to achieve mutual agreement.
The final phase of this review was data analysis that includes
data synthesis and data categorization. A total of 11 articles
were reviewed, and insights related to skin-whitening ingredients
and safety of ingredients and health risks were extracted. The
data were extracted by starting to read through the abstracts,
TA B L E 2   The inclusion and exclusion criteria
Criteria Inclusion Exclusion
Time duration 2015 to June 2020 Published before 2015
Language English Non-English
Document Type Article, proceeding, Review, report, chapter
conference paper in book
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4       NORDIN et al.

TA B L E 3   Ingredients of skin-whitening products, their source of origin, and safety information

Study outcomes

No Author(s) Ingredient Source of origin Health risks/safety

1 35 Dried pomegranate Fruit • The evaluated concentrations of PCP (0.75, 1.00, 1.50, and
concentrated powder (PCP) 2.00 mg/ml) exhibited no cytotoxicity in B16F10 cells.

2 27 Henna and walnut tree bark Plant/tree • The content of heavy metals namely lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and
arsenic (As) (P < .05) showed a significant difference.
• Pb and Cd contents in most henna (Pb = 60%, Cd = 80%) and
walnut tree bark (Pb = 90%, Cd = 90%) products were far above
the recommended limits.
• Even though concentrations were lower in the most products.

3 36 Traditional medicinal plants Plant/tree • Among all the plants examined, leaves and stems of
from the Erzurum region of ferula (Ferula orientalis L.) exhibited good activity against
Turkeya  tested bacteria.
• While other plants have activity against yeast strains, they
have not shown good activity against bacterial strains.

4 37 Mushroomb  Fungi • The natural compounds isolated from F torulosa mushroom could
be used as promising anticancer, antioxidant, and
anticholinesterase agents as due to the highest cytotoxic activity
against PC-3 cells (prostate cancer)

5 38 Araucaria angustifolia pine seed Plant/tree • No information

starch

6 39 Plant species in the CosIng Plant/tree • The bleachingc  ingredient registered in CosIng showed tyrosinase
database inhibitiond 
• The main taxonomic families of plants containing bleaching
ingredients are the Asteraceae, Orchidaceae, Moraceae, and
Rosaceae families.

7 40 Fullerene (C60), carbon Carbon – chemical • The nanocarbon inhibits the tyrosinase activity and the melanin
nanotube (CNT), graphene, element (food, content and did not cause any serious injury to pigment cells.
and graphene nanoribbon insect, waste,
(GNR) are four kinds of sp2 CO2)/synthetic
nanocarbon
8 41 Pomegranate seeds (PS) Fruit/plant • PS blanched at 90°C for 3-5 min significantly improved the oil
yield, Total Phenolic Compounds, and DPPH radical scavenging.
NORDIN et al.
Halal status/issues
• No issues as the source of ingredient is from fruit/plant.
• No cytotoxicity showed it is safe and toyyib.
• No issues as the source of ingredient is from fruit/plant.
• However, due to the presence of heavy metals, the toyyib of this
aspect is questioned.
• No issues as the source of ingredient is from fruit/plant.
• The toyyib aspect such as safety and health hazard also need to be
ensured.
• No issues as the source of ingredient is from fungi which is a part of
eukaryotic organism that is not from forbidden element.
• The toyyib aspect such as safety and health hazard also need to be
ensured.
• No issues as the source of ingredient is from fruit/plant.
• The toyyib aspect such as safety and health hazard also need to be
ensured.
• No issues as the source of ingredient is from fruit/plant.
• The toyyib aspect such as safety and health hazard also need to be
ensured.
• No issues as the source of origin is not from forbidden element.
• The toyyib aspect such as safety and health hazard also need to be
ensured.
• No issues as the source of ingredient is from fruit/plant.
• The toyyib aspect such as safety and health hazard also need to be
ensured.
|
      5
Reported finding(s)
• PCP is used as active ingredients is cosmetic products
• The p38 and PKA signalling pathway are associated with the effects
of PCP on melanogenesis in B16F10 cells by suppressing α-MSH.
• The henna and walnut tree bark are used as active ingredients in
cosmetic products.
• However, the prolonged use of traditional plant cosmetics
particularly from such cosmetics can increase the absorption of Pb,
Cd, and As into the human body and elevate the health hazards,
especially among women that used them regularly.
• Thus, studying the sources of origin of cosmetic ingredients and
effects of heavy metals in such cosmetics is strongly recommended.
• The traditional medicinal plants are used as active ingredients in
cosmetic products.
• The plant extracts of giant fennel, rumex, acanthus, asphodelus,
polygonum, chives, and ferula contain total phenolic and flavonoid
contents with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antifungal activities.
• The replacement of synthetic with natural antioxidants may
be advantageous. However, the active principles of the active
components should be further investigated.
• Mushroom is used as active ingredients in cosmetic products.
• Polysaccharides from mushrooms are the major class of bioactive
compounds with various biological activities that may be used as
bioactive natural sources in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food
industries.
• Galactose, glucose, and mannose were identified as major
monosaccharides in all polysaccharides.
• The pine seed starch is used as excipients or preservatives or
additives in cosmetic products.
• The modified starches demonstrate improved physicochemical
properties which are suitable for several industrial applications
including as stabilizers for frozen bakery products stabilizer,
whitening agents for paper products, and tableting agents for
cosmetic and pharmaceuticals products.
• Sixty percent of the ingredients registered as bleaching are obtained
from plant species native to Asia, and only 7% are from Latin
American plants.
• About 31% of bleaching ingredients are derived from plants. Of
these ingredients, 5% had bleaching properties and were obtained
from the calluses or meristems of plant species.
• Further studies are needed to evaluate a possible skin-whitening
effect and to promote its bleaching function.
• This work established the anti-melanogenesis functions of four
types of nanocarbons.
• Future studies will be examined about the mechanism of these
compounds on specific gene and protein expressions related to
melanin maturation, transportation, and accumulation.
• PS contain oil rich in punicic acid (65%-80%), a polyunsaturated
fatty acid with multiple functional properties that are related to
the prevention of coronary heart diseases, hypertension, diabetes,
carcinogenesis, skin aging, and food decay.
• The valorization of PS into oil is a valuable way of managing the
pomegranate waste generated during processing.
• This is an attribute that is valuable to the oil for its application in the
cosmetic, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and food industries.
(Continues)
6       | NORDIN et al.

TA B L E 3   (Continued)

Study outcomes

No Author(s) Ingredient Source of origin Health risks/safety

9 42 Spirulina (p-Coumaric acid) – S. Algae/plant • Spirulina rich in phycocyanin (20%-28%), carbohydrates (15%-20%;
p-CA a blue-green microalgae major of which are polysaccharides), and lipids (6%-13%; half of
which are fatty acids).

10 43 Chalcones – color pigments Synthetic/fruit • Chalcone is free from harmful nitrogenous chromophore
flavonoids and plant (-CO-CH = CH-) with numerous biodynamic properties.
• Chalcone (scheme-1), a distinct subclass of flavonoid and natural
color pigments that are safe for food and dyes.

11 44 Chitosan Chitin extracted • Chitosan is a nontoxic, biodegradable, and biocompatible amino

from crabs, polysaccharide, which makes it useful for the encapsulation of
shrimps and various active ingredients with potential applications.
some other
crustaceans’
shells

a
The plants are Ferula communis L., Rumex patientia L., Gundelia tournefortii L., Rheum ribes L., Asphodeline taurica, Polygonum arenastrum,
Allium schoenoprasum L., and Ferula orientalis L.
b
Name of the mushrooms are Fomes fomentarius (FF), Fuscoporia torulosa, Ganoderma adspersum, Ganoderma applanatum (GAP), Ganoderma lucidum,
Phellinus igniarius, Pleurotus ostreatus (PO), and Porodaedalea pini (PP).
c
Bleaching is defined as an ingredient that lightens the shade of hair or skin.
d
Name of the plants are Bixa Orellana, Myrciaria dubia, Theobroma cacao, Camellia sinensis, and Eugenia stipitate. Tyrosinase is a key enzyme in normal
melanin synthesis in melanocytes and in skin hyperpigmentation.

identifying objective(s) of the articles, followed by the in-depth
reading of the whole articles. Discussions on halal ingredients
were scarce and limited. Therefore, this review discussed accord-
ing to identified themes, namely source of origin and their safety.
These two aspects mostly affected the halal status and health
risks of cosmetic products.
3 |   R E S U LT S
This review presented three main information, namely the ingredi-
ents used in skin-whitening products, together with the source of
origin and their safety evaluation as tabulated in Table 3. Extraction
from 11 articles for the sources of ingredients for cosmetics, par-
ticularly skin-whitening products found fruit, plant, fungi, synthetic
material, and chitin from animals. Due to the fixed range of 5 years
of publications for review, the sources found were limited to plant-
derived components and chemical synthesis with only one animal-
derived component.
The source of origin is a critical point for halal status determina-
tion. Based on MS 2634:20199 and Manual Procedure for Malaysia
Halal Certification issued by Department of Islamic Development
Malaysia or locally known as JAKIM, 25 halal cosmetics must not
contain ingredients derived from pig, carrion, blood, human body
parts, predatory animals, reptiles, and insects, which all are known
as haram components. Ingredients from permissible animals are
deemed halal after going through the slaughtering process that is
in accordance to the Shariah law. Besides, halal cosmetics will al-
ways emphasize on the absence of filth, no mixing element in all
aspects of manufacturing and distributing processes, no intoxica-
tion elements, and do not contain elements of hazardous or poi-
sonous to health.
Based on the Manual Procedure for Malaysia Halal Certification
and MS 2634:2019,9 the source of ingredients can be categorized
into halal, haram, and syubhah. Meanwhile, another category used
by the National Pharmaceutical Research Agency (NPRA) Malaysia26
is safety, allowed with limitation and prohibited. Sugibayashi
et al (2019) 8 categorized the sources of ingredients into halal (per-
mitted), haram (prohibited), and critical (gray area). He used critical
to highlight the uncertain sources of ingredients. In this review, the
categories were suggested to integrate the sources of ingredients
with safety; hence, came out with these categories: Halal-Safe,
Haram-Prohibited, and Critical-Need for Evaluation. Figure 2 de-
scribes the classification of the sources of halal ingredients.
In regard to the common ingredients used in cosmetics, there are
two main categories of ingredients used, which are active (functional
ingredient) and excipient (additional ingredient). The functional in-
gredient is the main cosmetic substance that can give the desired
effect or the stated claim of a product. For instance, products with
whitening effect use arbutin, kojic acid, or mercury as an active
NORDIN et al.
Halal status/issues
• No issues as the source of origin is from plant.
• The toyyib aspect such as safety and health hazard also need to be
ensured.
• No issues as the source of origin is not from forbidden element.
• The toyyib aspect such as safety and health hazard also need to be
ensured.
• Crustacean family is allowed (halal).
• No halal issues if it is not mix with forbidden elements.
• The toyyib aspect such as safety and health hazard also need to be
ensured.
ingredient in order to produce the stated claim. In comparison, ex-
cipients or inactive ingredients have versatile functions, namely as
preservatives, stabilizers, emulsifiers, thickeners, moisturisers, pig-
ment agents, and fragrances. The sources of inactive ingredients
can be natural, synthetic, or semi-synthetic. Some ingredients can
be used as active or inactive ingredients depending on their func-
tional effects on the product. For example, gelatine and collagen can
be used as active ingredients in anti-aging products, or as excipient
such as thickeners or emulsifiers in other kinds of products.
Thus, in halal status and health risk determination, it is important
to thoroughly monitor and check all aspects of ingredients including
the source of origin, functional and excipients substances, and not to
exclude the manufacturing process, distribution, and transportation
before reaching the consumers. It is a need to highlight the impact of
the ingredients to the consumers, and the environment to maintain
the quality of halal cosmetics.
In this review, all ingredients originated from fruit, plant, fungi,
synthetic material, and chitin from animals have fulfilled the condi-
tion of halal cosmetics ingredients. There are no issues related to
halal status. However, halal aspect is not alone but must be followed
with toyyib elements such as cleanliness, absence of filth or najs, and
does not contain hazardous or poisonous elements to the health. The
issue of hazard to health is sometimes being neglected or ignored. A
study by Bobaker et al (2019)27 indicated that such cosmetics might
expose consumers to high levels of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) and
|
      7
Reported finding(s)
• This study found that S. p-CA exhibited reversible mixed-type
inhibition on α-glucosidase and tyrosinase, and the inhibition
constants.
• p-Coumaric acid was isolated and identified from Spirulina for the
first time, which can be used as a lead compound for the design of
functional food additives and skin-lightening active ingredient in
cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals against type 2 diabetes.
• Chalcones are used as additive or preservative in cosmetic products.
• Chalcones are reported to exert antimicrobial, antioxidant, and
radical scavenging activities because of its polyphenolic groups.
Some chalcone have good potency as colorant as it produces
transparent and appealing color while added to carbomer gel.
• Chitosan is used as excipients or as a medium of delivery.
• A microcapsule comprises of a core and a shell matrix. The core may
contain active ingredient, whereas the shell is either a polymeric or a
waxy material.
• Chitosan coated microcapsules are used for the protection of active
ingredients from external factors such as temperature and pH
variations.
potentially led to health risk. This issue proves that the element of
toyyib is not being fulfilled.
4 | D I S CU S S I O N
This study was conducted to explore the current research done on
ingredients of skin-whitening product that related to health risk and
halal status. This review focused on the safety of ingredients and
their health risk because nowadays, most cosmetic manufacturers
offer natural products but provide inadequate information on the
product's safety to the consumers. Besides, there are limited dis-
cussions regarding halal cosmetics, even though the market of halal
cosmetics is encouraging, and its demand keeps increasing.
Based on the 11 articles, most of the skin-whitening ingredients
were alternatives to the current ingredients used in the products
such as arbutin, kojic acid, resveratrol, and vitamin C. Plant-derived
components particularly from local plants being introduced to replace
the commonly used ingredients such as hydroquinone and kojic acid.
Japan and Korea are the most active countries working on intensive
research pertaining to active ingredients from local sources and as-
sessing the perception of consumers toward skin-lightening prod-
ucts. However, most of the researches are still in the first stage of
work, and further research on the effectiveness of the active ingre-
dients to the tissues is in need. Furthermore, most of the alternative
 |
8       NORDIN et al.

F I G U R E 2   Classification of halal
• Any constuents derived from plants, soil, water, ingredients sources (adapted from
Halal-Safe slaughtered animals according to Syariah law, marine
animals deemed halal, synthec materials that are safe references 8, 9, 25 and 26)
for consumers and unadulterated with filth (najs)

•Any constuents derived from pig and its derivaves,

Haram- carrion, blood, human body parts, forbidden animal
parts, khmar (intoxicant), predatory animals, reples,
Prohibited insects, and prohibited or restricted chemicals that
are harmful or injurious to consumers.

•Any substances that are doubted either their sources

Crical-Need of origin (such as from sources of unspecified animals,
halal animals slaughtered in unspecified manner), or

for Evaluaon process of synthesis (such as incorporaon of haram

processing aids, contaminaon with haram or najis)
that were nonconforming to the halal system.

ingredients used are usually hydrophobic (water-repelling), which form
a nonpermeable barrier over the skin to prevent water from escaping.
Therefore, a product that claimed natural is not totally safe to be used
by consumers as it may cause intolerant condition to the skin such as
irritation or allergic reactions.
The health risk aspect is inspected based on the information
of cytotoxicity, phototoxicity, and the safety assessment on the
ingredients such as heavy metal concentration. In this review, the
presence of lead, cadmium, and arsenic was investigated. This in-
vestigation is in accordance with the current research that focused
on the presence of restricted chemicals such as mercury, hydro-
quinone, and titanium dioxide, to name a few (8, 13, 28 and 29).
These heavy metals cause impacts on the health of the consumers
and to the environment as well. In regards to the use of heavy
metals, the main concern is the lack of long-term effect studies of
most cosmetic products. There is little evidence suggesting that
using these cosmetic products, or being exposed to the ingredi-
ents in the products within regular usage, could increase cancer
risk or other health risks. Table 4 lists the restricted ingredients
and Figure 3 shows the cosmetic products containing the re-
stricted substances.
This uncertain condition can put the products and their in-
gredients under critical category due to the uncertain impact on
health risk. This uncertainty also exists because a lot of products
and ingredients were not being tested thoroughly. Even when in-
gredients in the cosmetic products were tested, the results may
not always be straightforward. For example, some ingredients in
the cosmetic products were found to be toxic in high concentra-
tions. However, the amount of these ingredients used were much
lower than what can cause unwanted effects. 30 Moreover, the
way that the ingredients are used in cosmetic products may vary
from how they are used in the lab tests or clinical tests. Also, there
was little information found regarding on what ingredients are ab-
sorbed into the body (and how much they are absorbed) when ap-
plied to the skin during the actual product use. For these reasons,
the ingredients may not cause the same problems in the actual use
of cosmetic products.
This review has illustrated to find poor low records of studies on
the ingredient used in cosmetic products and studies that touch on
halal and Toyyib aspects as well. One of the causes of this problem
is the lack of awareness of halal cosmetics among consumers and
manufacturers. Cosmetic manufacturers should be able to answer
the needs of today's consumers. The efforts to continually address
the consumers’ needs and to be successful in the market should
trigger the cosmetic manufacturers to take this issue seriously
as it able to influence consumers’ intention to purchase the halal
cosmetics.
The word halal mentioned in the Quran explained an act, object
or conduct over which the individual has freedom of choice and its
exercise does not carry either a reward or a punishment. It refers
to the whole system of principles and rules to be complied by every
Muslim. 31 There are parameter of halal and haram, or the minimum
and maximum requirement of halal and haram. Identification of the
parameter and components of halal-toyyib will help in ingredients
classification, as well as identification of halal status and health risk
of the ingredients used in cosmetic products. This paper catego-
rized halal-toyyib into three namely Halal-Safe, Haram-Prohibited
and Critical-Need for Evaluation. Critical is for syubhah items or
any substances that are doubted either their sources of origin, or
process of synthesis that were nonconforming to the halal system.
While referring to the discussion of classical scholars related to
halal, it is always associated with the five (5) defining law in Islam or
the scale of five values known to Islamic jurisprudence (hukm tak-
lifi) namely the obligatory (wajib), recommendable (mandub), per-
missible (mubah), reprehensible (makruh) and forbidden (haram). 31
Those days, the word halal is rarely associated with the term toyyib,
however, discussion on halal and toyyib was highlighted when the
halal industry began to develop. It has a strong foundation because
the word halal in many verses of the Qur'an mentions halal fol-
lowed by toyyib, which describe and expand the meaning of the
word halal.
NORDIN et al. |
      9

TA B L E 4   List of restricted ingredients found in halal cosmetic products

Restricted ingredients Status Health risk References

Mercury • Critical ingredient – need for • The amount of mercury excreted by the kidneys was 45
evaluation disproportional to the quantity applied on the skin and this
• Not-toyyib may lead to nephrotic.
Hydroquinone • Critical ingredient – need for • Hydroquinone in cosmetic products proved that it uses 46
evaluation depigmentation action by producing cytotoxic effects
• Not-toyyib on melanosomes, which means it can kill living cells in
the human body. It can also cause an increase in DNA
fragmentation in the human body.
Tretinoin • Critical ingredient – need for • Causes redness, swollen skin, discomfort, skin changes, 47
evaluation and even make the skin becomes sensitive
• Not-toyyib
Diphenhydramine • Critical ingredient – need for • Adverse effects associated with topical application of 48
evaluation diphenhydramine include mild stinging, allergic reactions
• Not-toyyib such as rash, hives, itching, swelling of the mouth, face,
lips, tongue, or throat, and skin irritation
Zinc oxide • Critical ingredient – need for • It may be safely used in cosmetic products under current 49
evaluation regulations, although there are some toxicities
• Not-toyyib • Topically administered produced mild irritation in animal
experiments
• There was some evidence of reproductive or
developmental toxic effects
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) • Critical ingredient – need for • Nano-TiO2 is considered as a nonsensitizer and as mild- or 50
evaluation nonirritant to skin.
• Not-toyyib • Dermal exposure shows no evidence of carcinogenicity,
mutagenicity or reproductive toxicity
• The use of nano-TiO2 is not recommend in formulations
that may lead to exposure of the consumer's lungs by
inhalation
Arsenic • Critical ingredient – need for • Causes allergic contact dermatitis or other skin problems 51
evaluation • Minimal exposure level to arsenic can lead to serious
• Not-toyyib illness or death

toxicity, safety and hygiene status. In short, halal implies compliance

Cleanser
with fundamental Syariah parameters, while toyyib is the complement
Collagen
aspect of Halal ensuring the best quality of a product. Thus, a cosmetic
UV protecon cream
COSMETIC PRODUCTS CATEGORIES

Sensive cream
product contains restricted ingredients considered not-toyyib due to
Toner the element of harmful, poisoning, and hazardous to the health and
An-pigmentaon cream environment, indicating no element of comfortable feeling.
Night Cream In regards to not-Toyyib products, they can be categorized as
Whitening critical that need for further evaluation or syubhah. Syubhah are
Serum the intervening and often undetermined matters that fall between
Day Cream the halal and haram or shortly doubted items.31 Thus, a not-Toyyib
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 product such as cosmetic product contained restricted ingredients
NUMBER OF PRODUCTS
is not recommended to be used and can be categorized as syubhah
F I G U R E 3   Categories of cosmetic products that composed of or critical and need for further evaluation due to the impact of safety
restricted substances since year January 2017 to July 202034 and health risk. While from Islamic jurisprudence point of view, it is
advisable perhaps to place the doubtful substances under the cate-
gory of makruh (reprehensible) or avoided until further information
According to Alzheer et al (2018),24 Halal is a subject, whereas becomes available to clarify the position.31
Toyyib is a process that should lead to clean and pure product as a main It is important to consume halal and toyyib products as it offers
objective and generate comfortable feeling as a main goal. If objectives high quality and the most important factor is in accordance with
and goal are accomplished, the product can be declared as Halalan Islamic teaching. It is also important for manufacturers to com-
Toyyiban. Utilizing both concepts, is essential in Halal industries, which ply with halal-toyyib requirement and not producing not-tayyib
require detailed evaluation of product contents with regard to Halal, products because it does not harm the consumer, guarantees
 |
10       NORDIN et al.
the quality of the product, and guarantees a comfortable feel-
ing for all parties. Islam underlines that Muslims should use and
consumed any products which is halal and toyyiban as it ensures
better healthy life which able to portray good attitudes and
behaviors. 32,33
5 |  CO N C LU S I O N
This review elaborates on the increasing usage of skin-whitening
products, mainly in Asia. It intends to capture the interest of local
researchers to explore more on the alternative materials as ingre-
dients and the mechanism of active ingredients. Besides, the use
of prohibited ingredients such as mercury and hydroquinone is
still a problem. Thus, a comprehensive approach to overcome this
issue is needed. According to the Ministry of International Trade
and Industry Malaysia (MITI), Malaysia's export value for halal cos-
metics and personal care products contributed a third quarter of
Malaysia's export in 2015, worth RM 1.7 billion and reflected 5.5%
of total halal exports (RM 31.1 billion). Hence, the significant role
of this review includes providing information on the importance of
producing halal cosmetic products that have attracted the interest
of the consumers globally in halal beauty industry and it has also
proven a strong demand for this product which will surely benefit
the company.
AC K N OW L E D G M E N T
This work is financially supported by the University of Malaya
Research Grant under the Grand Challenge for Humanities Research
Cluster (GC002C-17HNE & GC002B-17HNE) and Ministry of
Education Malaysia research grant awarded to Malaysian Higher
Education Consortium of Halal Institutions) grant vote MOO02-
2018. The authors thank colleagues from the Department of Science
and Technology Studies, University of Malaya and University of
Malaya Halal Research Centre (UMHRC) for assisting with the refer-
ences and motivated comments that are hugely helpful in producing
this study.
C O N FL I C T O F I N T E R E S T
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
AU T H O R C O N T R I B U T I O N S
Fatin Nur Majdina Nordin, Zalina Zakaria and Che Wan Jasimah
Wan Mohamed Radzi devised the project, the main conceptual
ideas and proof outline. Fatin Nur Majdina worked out almost all
of the technical details, and performed the formulation to obtain
literature review for the suggested study using PRISMA. Atiqah
Aziz worked on the original draft preparation, review and editing
with help from Fatin Nur Majdina Nordin. Atiqah Aziz also act as
a corresponding author of this article and responsible in editing
the paper based on editor's and reviewer's comments. Che Wan
Jasimah Wan Mohamed Radzi and Zalina Zakaria contributed to
the design and implementation of the research as well as given
final approval of the version to be published. The study also has
been funded by the research grant under Che Wan Jasimah and
Zalina Zakaria.
ORCID
Atiqah Aziz  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3912-5041
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How to cite this article: Nordin FNM, Aziz A, Zakaria Z, Wan
Mohamed Radzi CWJ. A systematic review on the skin
whitening products and their ingredients for safety, health
risk, and the halal status. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2020;00:1–11.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.13691