10th August 2021
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: Are skincare products with snail secretion filtrate allowed to be used on skin?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer: In reference to the above question, snail secretion filtrate is the external secretion of snails (snail mucin). It contains beneficial ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, antimicrobial and copper peptides which are vital for rejuvenating the skin and giving it a plumper and fresher look. Snail secretion further aids in reducing the appearance of wrinkles and combats anti-ageing.
Using skincare products containing snail secretion filtrate is permissible due to it being applied externally on to the skin, despite being derived from insects. This is because, insects that don’t have flowing blood like other animals, although consuming them is unlawful, they do not contaminate – make anything impure nor do their residue body parts or secretions if they fall into anything.[1] So in our understanding, snail secretion filtrate is not impure. If it was deemed impure for argument’s sake then it would still be permissible because cosmetic products that contain impure ingredients are permissible to use due to the physical changes that occurs within the ingredient when synthetically derived materials are added. [2] However, using any products externally that contain carmine is impermissible as it is a natural colourant derived from the cochineal insect itself.[3]
[Allāh Knows Best]
Written by: Apa Gul-e-Maryam Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed
Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Ibn Nujaym, Bahr Rāiq, Kitab Taharat vol 1 p. 95
وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ كُلَّ مَا لَا يُفْسِدُ الْمَاءَ لَا يُفْسِدُ غَيْرَ الْمَاءِ، وَهُوَ الْأَصَحُّ كَذَا فِي الْمُحِيطِ وَالتُّحْفَةِ وَالْأَشْبَهُ بِالْفِقْهِ كَذَا فِي الْبَدَائِعِ لَكِنْ يَحْرُمُ أَكْلُ هَذِهِ الْحَيَوَانَاتِ الْمَذْكُورَةِ مَا عَدَا السَّمَكِ الْغَيْرِ الطَّافِي لِفَسَادِ الْغِذَاءِ وَخُبْثِهِ مُتَفَسِّخًا أَوْ غَيْرَهُ وَقَدْ قَدَّمْنَاهُ عَنْ التَّجْنِيسِ
[2] Durrul Mukhtār wa Hāshiyah Ibn Abideen, Vol 1, p. 519
هَذِهِ الْمَسْأَلَةُ قَدْ فَرَّعُوهَا عَلَى قَوْلِ مُحَمَّدٍ بِالطَّهَارَةِ بِانْقِلَابِ الْعَيْنِ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ الْفَتْوَى وَاخْتَارَهُ أَكْثَرُ الْمَشَايِخِ خِلَافًا لِأَبِي يُوسُفَ كَمَا فِي شَرْحِ الْمُنْيَةِ وَالْفَتْحِ وَغَيْرِهِمَا. وَعِبَارَةُ الْمُجْتَبَى: جَعْلُ الدُّهْنِ النَّجِسِ فِي صَابُونٍ يُفْتَى بِطَهَارَتِهِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ تَغَيَّرَ وَالتَّغَيُّرُ يُطَهِّرُ عِنْدَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَيُفْتَى بِهِ لِلْبَلْوَى. اهـ. وَظَاهِرُهُ أَنَّ دُهْنَ الْمَيْتَةِ كَذَلِكَ لِتَعْبِيرِهِ بِالنَّجِسِ دُونَ الْمُتَنَجِّسِ إلَّا أَنْ يُقَالَ هُوَ خَاصٌّ بِالنَّجِسِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْعَادَةَ فِي الصَّابُونِ وَضْعُ الزَّيْتِ دُونَ بَقِيَّةِ الْأَدْهَانِ تَأَمَّلْ، ثُمَّ رَأَيْت فِي شَرْحِ الْمُنْيَةِ مَا يُؤَيِّدُ الْأَوَّلَ حَيْثُ قَالَ: وَعَلَيْهِ يَتَفَرَّعُ مَا لَوْ وَقَعَ إنْسَانٌ أَوْ كَلْبٌ فِي قِدْرِ الصَّابُونِ فَصَارَ صَابُونًا يَكُونُ طَاهِرًا لِتَبَدُّلِ الْحَقِيقَةِ. اهـ. ثُمَّ اعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْعِلَّةَ عِنْدَ مُحَمَّدٍ هِيَ التَّغَيُّرُ وَانْقِلَابُ الْحَقِيقَةِ وَأَنَّهُ يُفْتَى بِهِ لِلْبَلْوَى كَمَا عُلِمَ مِمَّا مَرَّ، وَمُقْتَضَاهُ عَدَمُ اخْتِصَاصِ ذَلِكَ الْحُكْمِ بِالصَّابُونِ، فَيَدْخُلُ فِيهِ كُلُّ مَا كَانَ فِيهِ تَغَيُّرٌ وَانْقِلَابُ حَقِيقَةٍ وَكَانَ فِيهِ بَلْوَى عَامَّةٌ،
[3] See the fatwa on Carmine by clicking onto the below link.
Cochineal Extracts – JKN Fatawa