U.S., Feb. 16 -- It was not until I was meandering down the Javits aisle at the recent In-Cosmetics event that I even thought about Halal cosmetics . Halal food markets are widely available in New York, so the halal concept was not new; however, the idea of halal applied to cosmetics was totally different.

Halal

For Muslims, the term "halal" means permissible. In relation

to food, it specifically refers to anything that does not contain alcohol, pork

(or pork products) or derived from any animal that is not slaughtered according

to Islamic law and traditions (similar to the concept of Kosher).

In the world of cosmetics , the term includes a review of ingredients as well as the source of the ingredients and the manner in which the pr...