Indonesia's mandatory Halal cosmetics regulations 2026: What beauty brands and suppliers need to know

What global ingredient suppliers, OEMs, and beauty brands need to know before October 2026

280 million. This is the population of Indonesia, a market that is naturally attractive to any cosmetic brand or international supplier. 

But there’s another number that’s more important right now: 230 million. This is the rough number of Muslims in Indonesia, the biggest single Muslim population in any one country on earth (Wikipedia, 2026). 

On top of that, global Muslim spending on halal cosmetics is projected to grow from US$ 86.66 billion to US$ 117.81 billion (PERKOSMI Seminar, 2026). 

With this comes a requirement that no longer accepts a statement but requires a certificate. By October 2026, all cosmetic products and raw materials sold in Indonesia must be halal-certified.

BPJPH Head Ahmad Haikal Hasan delivered an uncompromising message to international trade partners in a high-level coordination meeting with the Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) and the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) in late 2025: there will be no further extensions beyond the October 2026 deadline. 

The regulatory change has sparked what seems to be a race against time for international distributors of raw materials, OEM/ODM contract manufacturers and beauty brands to evaluate their operational preparedness. 

As a raw material distributor actively navigating this transition, my company - PT Infinisia Sumber Semesta - was invited to attend two coordination meetings with BPJPH, BPOM, and key industry leaders. The firsthand insights gathered from these sessions reveal a much more complex operational reality than what is publicly perceived.

The clock is ticking and the big question is, are we really ready for this?

2025 Meeting on the Alignment of October 2026 Halal Requirement
Copyright © Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Produk Halal

To those unfamiliar, this may seem rushed. The legal framework for this change, however, has been in development for more than a decade and is overseen by the Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH), which reports directly to the President of Indonesia since its administrative separation from the Ministry of Religious Affairs in July 2025 (USDA FAS, 2025).

Indonesia Halal Certification Regulatory timeline for cosmetics

Indonesia is not just any halal market. It may actually be the first big cosmetics market where halal is not solely based on perspective, but also a complex framework starting from raw materials to manufacturing facilities.

Halal cosmetics regulatory comparison

Five factors set Indonesia apart:

1. Population count: 230 million Muslim consumers. Nowhere else in a single country do you find this level of population and active spending on beauty and personal care. Indonesia's BPC market has reached US$ 9.74 billion in 2025 (Statista, 2026), and it is still growing.
2. Mandatory Halal certification. In other countries such as Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, halal cosmetics are also the market drivers. Starting October 2026, products in Indonesia that are not certified will no longer be allowed for distribution. Fines will also be applied, up to IDR 2 billion (around US$ 130,000) for serious violations.
3. Raw material coverage. Most halal markets only focus on finished products. Indonesia's regulation under the Ministry of Religious Affairs Decree No. 748/2021 will not only cover end products, but also cosmetic raw materials.

If the regulation is too complicated, why do we still see rapid growth in the number of international companies? Why not just move on from these difficulties and focus on larger nations with less bureaucracy? The reason for this will become evident when one considers the potential that exists in Indonesia.

Being one of the strongest consumer economies in Southeast Asia, Indonesia also dominates the beauty care market in terms of its size. It had revenues worth US$ 9.74 billion from Beauty & Personal Care (BPC) products in 2025, registering a growth of 4.33% per year. Cosmetics alone account for about US$ 2.09 billion, with a CAGR of 4.73% by 2030 (Statista, 2025).

Copyright © The Jakarta Post

Yet, “Most Indonesians are unaware that up to 90% of the ingredients used in the cosmetics they apply every day are still imported,” said Taruna Ikrar during the Academia–Business–Government (ABG) Program at the NOSE Innovation Center.  

Behind a multi-billion-dollar market growing at 5 -16% annually, this dependency undermines local innovation and creates a systemic compliance problem: how can Indonesia authentically guarantee 100% halal when the upstream supply chain remains 90% foreign-owned? 

Even KNEKS has flagged a substantial risk: Indonesia’s top five raw material supplier countries are non-Muslim nations, including China, Korea, and France.

BPOM Head Actively Promoting the Use of Locally Sourced Ingredients
Copyright © PERKOSMI

Current traceability standards in Europe or China frequently do not align with Indonesia's LPPOM MUI or BPJPH requirements, creating risks of "halal-washing" or supply chain disqualification.

Complicating this further, BPOM data from 2024–2025 reveals that illegal and non-compliant cosmetic imports - often bypassing halal and safety protocols entirely - reached a valuation of over IDR 164 billion in a single crackdown cycle (BPOM, 2025).

One of the most consequential misconceptions among international suppliers, particularly from South Korea and Japan: "No porcine ingredients = halal." It does not.

Under Indonesia's framework, a product can fail the halal certification for reasons entirely unrelated to pork, and here are some reasons why:

• Animal-derived ingredients - products containing collagen, elastin, placenta extract, hydrolyzed keratin, gelatin, glycerin, and fatty acid does not automatically mean non-halal, however the species origin and slaughter method must be verified first.
• Fragrances and flavour compounds - yes, even fragrance may contain alcohol-derived or animal-sourced components that must be confirmed.
• Fermentation-derived actives - some peptides, enzymes, hyaluronic acid, and other actives that may be produced using growth media of animal origin require additional documentation as well.

Industry representatives have pushed back on the scope of this requirement. At the PERKOSMI seminar last April 2026, PIH's Kris Sasono argued that certification obligations are over-bureaucratic and cost-heavy given that a single cosmetic formulation can contain dozens of chemicals and extracts, many used only in micro-concentrations. The Industry has proposed that certification be proportionally focused on dominant ingredients rather than trace components, however this request has yet to be acted upon.

PERKOSMI and BPJPH Coordination Meeting (21 April 2026)
Copyright © PERKOSMI

Halal verification in Indonesia is an audit rather than ingredient checking. Everything about the whole manufacturing process from equipment, sanitization, storage to logistics is audited based on Regulation No. 8/2026 of BPOM on CPKB or good practice in cosmetics manufacturing. A cosmetic product with 100% halal ingredients may not be considered halal due only because its manufacturing plant does not comply with such guidelines.

It should also be mentioned that BPJPH is not the only regulatory body. BPOM still oversees safety and circulation issues, which are regulated in parallel. It means that for cosmetics to be considered halal, they also have to be considered safe according to BPOM.

BPJPH Launches Nationwide Outreach on Mandatory Halal Certification Across 2,183 Locations (4 June 2026)
Copyright © Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Produk Halal

“Mandatory halal certification is a legal mandate that must be fully understood by both the public and business operators. Therefore, the government is present not only through regulations, but also through education and assistance to ensure that all businesses can adequately prepare for the mandatory halal certification requirement taking effect in October 2026,” said Ahmad Haikal Hasan at Pakuwon Mall Bekasi on Thursday, 4 June 2026.

As of 2026, there are 109 recognized foreign halal bodies across Asia (including giant suppliers such as China, Japan, and South Korea), Europe, America, Australia, and Africa. 

However, not all cover cosmetics and chemical products. For brands, the only alternative to a full halal-certification is a non halal label which must be clearly visible in red capital letters.

This is surely unfavourable in a market always looking for halal logos in their favourite cosmetic products. According to data from BPJPH during a seminar at Perkosmi in May 2025, 81,343 domestic cosmetic products and 7,558 imported ones had already obtained halal certification.

Under PP No. 42/2024, BPJPH has finalized a single national halal label (purple), replacing the previous MUI logo. The old logo remains valid for use until October 2026, and the products with packaging already printed or in-circulation gets an additional two-year grace period to sell through existing stock, or else fines are inevitable.

For the international ingredient suppliers, regardless of whether they come from Europe, the United States, Japan, or South Korea, the deadline of October 2026 means that their certification must be among the ones approved by BPJPH, or their product will have a major roadblock on the way to entering the market.

BPJPH Hearing with ParagonCorp and Cosmetic Suppliers (17 June 2026)
Copyright © ParagonCorp

A recent coordination meeting with BPJPH on 17 June 2026 surfaced complications that several suppliers are now facing. Here are some of the things that must be taken into account (Infinisia Sumber Semesta Co. Ltd., 2026):

1. Cross-country certification is not accepted. Under PP No. 42 Article 143, a halal certificate must come from the country where the product is manufactured – not where the certifying body is from. Say a product made in Country Y cannot use a certificate issued by a halal body in Country X, even with a valid MRA. An exemption scheme is currently being petitioned, however nothing has been confirmed yet.
2. BPJPH-recognized Halal certifying body must be present in your country. For suppliers from countries where the Halal Body was only recently established and not assessed by BPJPH yet, the only pathway is to send BPJPH auditors directly to the production site.
3. Queue. BPJPH confirmed there is no contingency plan for the registration backlog. Any applications submitted in May will be processed in June, and so on. Their internal target is to clear all WHO 2026 processes 15 days before October 2026. However, they mentioned that the registrations are overflowing, so you must act now. 
4. Each distributor registers independently. Halal certificate registration is tied to the first importer’s code number. Other distributors bringing in the same product (INCI Name) cannot share an existing registration, unlike Korea. Each must file their own. BPJPH has promised a 21 to 42 working days for the certification, covering registration to certificate issuance.

As one expert pointed out, “Those who are not serious about halal will be displaced by others who are. The consumers are now seeking halal certified products, and at least certification is underway.” In other words, companies who are halal-ready will have a stark advantage in Indonesia.

Halal registration pipeline

So, what should you do? With less than a year remaining before full implementation,

1. Determine whether your halal certification organization has been formally accredited by BPJPH. Foreign halal certificates will only be accepted iif provided by Halal Certification Bodies (LHLN) recognized by BPJPH under MRA or MoU arrangements (BPJPH, 2024).
2. Inspect all of the animal-based ingredients, processing agents, and auxiliary materials. Animal sources of ingredients, including collagen, gelatin, keratin, elastin, glycerin, fatty acids, placenta extracts, and others will need further validation with regard to their halal status (BPOM, 2022; BPJPH, 2025).
3. Check your documentation related to fragrances, flavourings, extracts, and ingredient complexes. Indonesian halal regulatory system increasingly stresses the significance of full supply chain traceability from raw materials to manufacturing and logistics (Government Regulation No. 42 of 2024; BPJPH, 2025).
4. Consider possible areas of non-compliance in manufacturing and logistics systems. The most recent BPOM Regulation No. 8 of 2026 concerning CPKB highlights that compliance does not rely only on the nature of ingredients, but also on manufacturing and logistical processes (BPOM, 2026).
5. Seek out local regulatory and business partners from an early stage. Local partners will assist in navigating shifting needs on the part of BPJPH and BPOM, communicating with clients, and identifying potential problems in advance of becoming an issue for commercialization.
6. Submit applications for certification if these have not yet been submitted. The BPJPH has continually assured that cosmetic products, chemical products, genetically modified products, medicinal products, and consumer goods must be certified by mandatory halal certification requirements following 17 October 2026, with no indication for additional delays (BPJPH, 2025; ANTARA, 2025).

Troubles aside, October 2026 will not be a setback. If implemented successfully, Indonesia has the potential to emerge as the world's leading halal cosmetics powerhouse, setting new standards for transparency, traceability, and consumer trust.

The question was never whether. It was when - and when is now.

Official information regarding mandatory halal certification for cosmetics can be accessed through bpjph.halal.go.id, while cosmetic regulations can be found through  jdih.pom.go.id.

Explore Indonesia's mandatory halal cosmetics labelling, regional impact and prospects at the show’s Marketing Trends Panel Discussion on Halal at in-cosmetics Asia on 4 November 2026. Programme going live in August 2026.

References

• BPJPH / Ministry of Religious Affairs, Indonesia. (2024). BPJPH Official Registry of Recognized Foreign Halal Bodies. bpjph.halal.go.id
• BPJPH. (2024). Phasing Period Ends, Halal Certification Obligation Takes Effect Starting October 18, 2024. bpjph.halal.go.id
• BPJPH / Afriansyah Noor. (2025). Cosmetic Products Must Have Halal Certification by October 2026. Perkosmi Seminar, Jakarta, May 2025.
• BPOM. (2022). Peraturan Kepala BPOM No. 17 Tahun 2022 tentang Persyaratan Teknis Bahan Kosmetik. Jakarta.
• BPOM. (2024). Peraturan Kepala BPOM No. 16 Tahun 2024 tentang Batasan Cemaran Kosmetik. Jakarta.
• BPOM. (2026). Peraturan Kepala BPOM No. 8 Tahun 2026 tentang Cara Pembuatan Kosmetik yang Baik (CPKB). Jakarta.
• Global Cosmetics News. (2026, January). Indonesia Expands Mandatory Halal Certification to Cosmetics and Consumer Goods. globalcosmeticsnews.com
• Ministry of Industry, Republic of Indonesia. (2025). Statement on Cosmetic Raw Material Import Dependency. Jakarta.
• Ministry of Religious Affairs, Indonesia. (2021). Keputusan Menteri Agama No. 748 Tahun 2021 tentang Jenis Produk yang Wajib Bersertifikat Halal. Jakarta.
• PONGO Digital. (2025). Ultimate Guide to Indonesia's Halal Skincare Laws, BPOM Compliance & Certification. pongoshare.com
• PT Victoria Care Indonesia, Tbk. (2024, November). Sosialisasi Ketentuan Bahan — Supplier Gathering 2024. Internal presentation, Semarang.
• SSEK Law Firm. (2025, November). Indonesia Halal Certification Compliance Strengthened: Mandatory Labelling and Publication for Certified Products. ssek.com
• Statista. (2025). Indonesia Cosmetics Market Forecast. statista.com
• Statista. (2026). Indonesia Beauty & Personal Care Market Forecast. statista.com
• USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. (2025, August). Indonesia's Expanding Halal Standards with Trade Impacts on the Horizon (GAIN Report ID2025-0035). apps.fas.usda.gov
• Wikipedia. (2026). Islam in Indonesia. en.wikipedia.org

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