Can I use a product which contains sheepskin oil?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

In principle, it is permissible to use the body parts of all living creatures, with the exclusion of humans and pigs, for any form of external use. However, there are some details about this.

Body parts that do not have flowing blood in them are rendered automatically pure, such as the following;

1) Hair/wool,

2) Cut feathers (as opposed to plucked ones, the ends of which are impure),

3) The horn,

4) The claw,

5) Bone, as long as there is no fat on it.

The animal doesn't need to be slaughtered according to Sharʿi guidelines to utilize these parts for external use. Irrespective of whether or not the animal is permissible to consume or not.

As for the body parts which have flowing blood in them, such as the hide of animals, these parts will be rendered impure until they are purified through tanning. The hide of all animals, irrespective of whether they are permissible to consume or not, will be permissible to use for external use.

Accordingly, it will be permissible to use cosmetics that have lanolin (sheep wool oil). It is not uncommon to find lanolin in cosmetics such as lotions, creams, lip balms, etc. However, it is unlikely that sheep’s skin is being used to produce the oil in your product. Nevertheless, if the skin of the sheep is being used, it will be permissible to use the product, irrespective of whether it was slaughtered Islamically or not, provided that the skin underwent a tanning process.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Abrar Habib

Student - Darul Iftaa

New York City, New York, USA

Checked and Approved by,

Mufti Ebrahim Desai.