Hair frizz treatment ‘not halaal’
Organisation advises Muslims not to use product
MUSLIMS have been banned from using one of the most popular hair smoothing treatments in South Africa, after an SA National Halaal Authority (Sanha) probe declared it interfered with obligatory ablution and ritual bathing necessary before prayers or other acts of worship.
The treatment, Brasil Cacau, offers frizz-free, shiny and easy-to-manage hair, but Sanha said it wasn’t halaal because it created an “impermeable coating” which prevented water from reaching the actual strands of hair.
The issue had been referred to Islamic jurists across South Africa and, once their rulings were made, Sanha’s theological committee would make a formal pronouncement, its public relations department said this week.
In the interim, it has advised Muslim users not to use the product.
The shock warning is likely to have a huge negative impact on South Africa’s hair industry where, according to Stats SA, the Muslim faith is the largest minority religion.
Brasil Cacau is one of the more popular brands used locally, and a simple online search revealed the treatment was offered in almost all parts of the country.
Aron Collins, spokeswoman for Hair Health and Beauty in Johannesburg, which imports the brand, confirmed it was the most widely used in South Africa.
While BR Beauty Cosmeticos in Brazil and the Brasil Cacau official international store disputed that the product coated the hair, Collins said: “Keratin smoothing does, when first applied, form a coating on the hair which limits the amount of water that is allowed to penetrate the hair.”
However, the coating was only partially impervious, she claimed.
“If it were an impervious coating, water would run off the hair and it would remain dry. That is not the case as hair does get wet,” Collins added.
She pointed out that the coating started to wear off one to two weeks after application.
On Cacau’s ECOkeratin treatment, which is marketed as formaldehyde-free, Collins said keratin systems worked in a similar manner.
Sanha’s decision was based on information obtained from the manufacturers, public relations officer Ebi Lockhat said this week.
Agent
“The information was supplied by the manufacturer’s agent in South Africa following our enquiry directly to the manufacturer in Brazil. With the language barrier and the need for technical information, they believed that their agent was best placed to discuss and supply the information.
“After discussions and meetings, we accepted their non-permeability,” he said.
Other brands of keratin treatments and methods of hair straightening were still being investigated.
“In Islam, the golden rule is to exercise caution where there is doubt. We have accordingly been asking people to abstain while we await a response in this particular instance,” he added.
Cornel Botha, who has trained stylists on the Brasil Cacau application process, has used the brand for six years. As an alternative, she advised people to rather use relaxers, a device called a Steampod which straightens hair using a continuous flow of high pressure steam, flat irons with keratin-infused plates, nano hairdryers, ionic hairdryers or thermal styling brushes.
Botha pointed out that some of the newer relaxers on the market did not contain the harsh chemicals of the older ones.
For women wanting to strip Brasil Cacau from the hair, she suggested:
Use a shampoo containing sodium chloride (salt).
Swim in sea water or a salt water pool.
Dissolve Epsom salts in water and use it to rinse the hair.
The more often salt was used, the more the product would be removed, she said.
Jonathan Lieman, of Marica Solutions, said most Brazilian treatments on the market worked similarly, but there were differences in the formula between brands.
“The idea of a keratin-based treatment is for the hair to absorb the extra keratin in order to strengthen the hair and therefore achieve less frizz and healthier, shinier hair. There are chemicals in the treatment that are said to ‘coat’ the hair during application, but this is more in a sense of sealing the cuticles to avoid the keratin from coming out of the hair.
“When the hair stylist uses the iron at the end of the treatment to seal the hair, they are locking in the treatment and not ironing the treatment to the surface of the hair.”
He conceded, however, that Sanha was the authority on how this seal affected Muslims.
The Inoar brand also worked on the same principle as the Cacau brand, according to the company’s national sales and marketing manager Karen Botha, but the coating created could be penetrated by water.
While she conceded Inoar was not certified halaal, she said she would look into the possibility of having the brand scrutinised by halaal authorities.
fatima.schroeder@inl.co.za