Are there products that are wudu-friendly?
Professor Dr. Siti Hamidah shared about this matter for everyone’s knowledge. among his arguments are:
SUNCREEN PRAYER/UMRAH
Is it permissible to wear sunscreen, BB cream/foundation during prayer/umrah?
1. Many are still confused about this matter. With the arrival of Ramadan in a few days, I would like to share scientifically about this matter.
2. Can we wash sunscreen, BB cream, or any type of foundation/powder using only water without a cleanser (surfactant/soap)? The answer is NO.In sunscreen, BB cream, or any type of foundation, it uses an oil-based ingredient known as a “film former” to create a smooth product formulation and to make it long-lasting on the skin. This film former can only be removed using surfactants (cleansing agents/soaps).
3. Even after a few hours of use, is it still necessary to wash with surfactant/soap? YES. There are mild sunscreens (without tinted color) that will wear off from the skin after 3-4 hours. But BB cream, foundation, compact powder, loose powder, and BB cushion will stay on the skin longer (some even claim to last 24 hours!) because they contain synthetic chemicals, oils, and silicones. So, you really need to wash with a cleanser if you’re using all these products, right? Cannot just use water.
4. If that’s the case, can we use ‘Wudu-Friendly’ products? Firstly, I myself still do not understand the meaning of ‘mesra wuduk’. Does it mean easy to wash with just water? Because if a product does not use silicone, it still contains oil-based ingredients, which make the product “water in oil” and require surfactants/soaps to wash it off. Let’s say we use sunscreen/BB cream/foundation/etc that contains halal ingredients. We are in a state of ablution. Our intention is to continue praying when the time comes. But suddenly we break our ablution.
We still need to wash our face thoroughly using a cleanser. We cannot use just water even though the product claims to be wudhu-friendly and halal. Because the product adheres to our skin and cannot be removed by water. Especially if we need to perform ablution again after a few minutes of using the product due to the ablution being invalidated. Please be careful.
5. Especially products that claim to have SPF (UV protection). The ingredients for SPF are oil-soluble, which can only be washed off using cleansers that contain surfactants/soaps.
This SPF ingredient will last for 3-4 hours at normal temperatures on land before coming off the skin, and 45 minutes if we are in the water (like swimming pools and rivers/seas). That’s why Westerners, after 45 minutes of swimming, come back to shore to reapply sunscreen.
6. These products such as sunscreen/BB cream/foundation/etc not only affect ablution, but they can also clog pores if not washed off properly. Over time, the skin becomes dull and prone to acne.
7. Do moisturizing cream products also need to be washed with a cleanser? NO NEED because moisturizers are “oil in water” which only have a small oil phase that can be washed off with water, whereas all sunscreen/BB cream/foundation products are “water in oil” which use a lot of oil phases. Moreover, if they contain SPF, they will be more complex and need to be thoroughly washed off with a surfactant/soap cleanser.
8. Therefore, it is not advisable to use those products when performing Hajj and Umrah. Unless we are able to truly use a cleanser for ablution perfectly. If you only use a spray bottle for ablution, it’s better to avoid using sunscreen/BB cream/etc.
9. So how to take care of your skin during Hajj/Umrah? First of all, we need to understand that our skincare routine will change during that time. No need to apply anything on the skin to make it easier to perform ablution again. When there is an opportunity (during rest or sleep), that is when we take care of our face. Use a good serum and moisturizer. When the pilgrimage/umrah is over, take care of your face again. God willing. If the skin is damaged due to not wearing sunscreen for just a few weeks, it’s not difficult to heal it back. The important thing is that our worship is perfect.
10. A study on the effectiveness of washing the face using ONLY WATER on sunscreen application.
The remaining sunscreen is as follows:
Non-waterproof sunscreen = 54% residue left.
Waterproof sunscreen = 59% residue left.
So even though the product claims to be non-waterproof, wudhu-friendly, and halal… still be careful because everything needs to be cleaned perfectly. Cannot just use water alone.
Now, all products want to be SPF-ed. Even lip balm, mist spray, etc. claim to have UV protection. The truth is, it makes the product harder to clean when we perform ablution.
I hope it is useful. Happy fasting to all Muslims. May our worship be perfect and accepted by Allah swt.
A good reference:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jocd.12995
Title of the journal article: The optimal cleansing method for the removal of sunscreen: Water, cleanser or cleansing oil?
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