Perfume, Not Just Alcohol

One of the sunna of perfume to the Muslims when they wanted to worship is the use of perfumes. But there is still doubt, whether the fragrances that use of alcohol may be used? Cologne or perfume materials currently seems to have become part of life. Ordinary men and women use it for different purposes. Starting from the purpose of worship, go to the mosque, eliminate body odor or simply cause and effect of certain impression.

Islam encourages Muslims to use the perfume as part of worship, namely for the purpose of adding to the mosque or the purposes of the harmony of husband and wife. Materials are often disputed by Muslims in the use of this perfume is the presence of alcohol in the product. There are some circles that alcohol is linked with alcohol (khamer), so consider it odious to be used. Then developed a non alcohol perfumes sold in the community as halal perfume.

Alcohol serves as a solvent in the perfume ingredients essential to produce a particular aroma. Lots of perfume materials which are insoluble in water, but only soluble in alcohol. Therefore, alcohol became one of the best alternative to dissolved material.

Actually alcohol is not the same with khamer. Khamer or liquor is a term for this kind of intoxicating drink. Inside khamer it does contain alcohol as one component that causes drunkenness. While alcohol or ethanol is one chemical that can come from any material. Able from the fermentation khamer, non khamer fermentation, even there are also naturally in ripe fruit. Therefore the use of technical alcohol for non-food purposes, such as sanitary materials (in the laboratory and the medical world) are still allowed.

While alcohol as a solvent in the food world, while not detectable in the final product, the food is still permitted, the MUI Fatwa Commission. As the use of alcohol as a solvent in extracting essential oils or oleoresins. Similarly, use of alcohol to dissolve the ingredients taste (flavor). The conditions, alcohol is not derived from the fermentation khamer (technical alcohol) and alcohol is evaporated back to undetectable in the final product.

In the world of perfume, alcohol is only as auxiliary material to dissolve the components of fragrances. Maybe he still will come and left in the perfume. However, when used, for example, smeared or sprayed into the body, then he will soon evaporated and discharged, stayed perfume materials are still attached.

Not just alcohol

Materials were perfume itself is actually quite a lot. In general, perfume obtained from the two major groups, namely natural ingredients (which is extracted from natural) and synthetic materials (artificial materials derived from synthetic chemicals). Some circles consider that alcohol is the cause of a perfume to be halal or haram. This means that if in the perfume does not have alcohol (non alcoholic), then automatically becomes permissible.

This assumption is not always true. For perfume material itself, either from natural or synthetic, potentially contain anything impure. In addition to the materials used, the process of making perfume is also inviting insecurity. In the world of perfume we are familiar with some material that is frequently used as an essential ingredient that has flavor and a certain impression. For example civet, a kind of fat that comes from animals. Usually from similar animals ferrets. Civet This gives a certain impression in the perfume, resulting in masculine shades. As an animal fat, of course needs to be studied, whether the animal is kosher or not. So the way to get it, whether or not the slaughter. Because if not in accordance with Islamic rules, the civet of animal origin shall be unlawful for the perfume it produces unclean.

One essential component in the process of making perfume is enfluorase method. This method is done by capturing the character folatil perfume materials (gas that is easy to fly) into a solid fat. This mode is used to produce a particular aroma that is difficult dissolved or taken with ordinary liquid solvents. Well, once again we met with solid fats, which are usually animal fats. It is said that frequently used in this method is very fat pig!

While current methods are becoming obsolete because it is expensive, but for certain perfume perfume-willed and purity of certain securities, then the use of these methods are still possible. In the market it is hard to tell which perfume obtained from the extraction using liquid solvents and which enfluorase method. Sometimes several ingredients are mixed to produce mixed-effect and specific character.

Seeing that we should be able to assess halalness perfume proportionately. Okay opinions which forbids the use of alcohol in the perfume with a variety of reasons. But we must also look at other aspects, such as materials or process of making their own perfume that could only involve illicit substances. Solvents and catcher essential component in the world of perfume is very necessary. Do not get to avoid alcohol which is still debatable skill, we just stuck to another material that is clearly illegitimate and odious