How to Choose a Halal-Compliant Cosmetic Manufacturing Partner (Before the 2026 Deadline)

Lumei Team
6 days ago
6 min read

Over the past few months, a familiar message keeps showing up in procurement conversations across Indonesia's cosmetic industry: "how do you find a halal-compliant cosmetic manufacturing partner?"

From 17 October 2026, every cosmetic product sold in Indonesia, whether made locally or imported, must carry halal certification. The complication is that "manufacturing partner" can mean two very different parties: the OEM/formulation factory (maklon) that makes the product formula, and the packaging factory that produces the bottles, jars, or tubes.

Before getting into how to choose a partner, it's worth understanding exactly what's changing for the cosmetics category specifically. So you know exactly what each of your production partners needs to be able to answer for.

What's Actually Changing for Cosmetics

From Voluntary to Mandatory, in Phases

Mandatory halal certification isn't a policy that appeared overnight. It traces back to Law No. 33 of 2014 on Halal Product Assurance (UU JPH), which was designed from the outset to roll out in phases rather than apply to every product category at once. Government Regulation No. 42 of 2024 later became the technical rule confirming the sequence: food, beverages, and slaughtering-related products became mandatory first, from 17 October 2024. Cosmetics follow in the second phase, with a final deadline of 17 October 2026, alongside pharmaceuticals, chemical products, and genetically engineered product.

For cosmetic brands, this means the era of halal certification being "optional" ends in a matter of weeks, not something that can be pushed to next quarter.

Two Regulators, Two Requirements That Must Be Met Together

What often causes confusion: halal compliance for cosmetics doesn't stand alone, it runs in parallel with product safety oversight. BPJPH acts as the regulator that issues halal certification, while BPOM continues to hold authority over production safety and quality standards through regulations like BPOM Regulation No. 12 of 2023 on the Supervision of Cosmetic Manufacturing and Distribution, and more recently, BPOM Regulation No. 8 of 2026 on Good Cosmetic Manufacturing Practices (CPKB) Certification.

In practice, any cosmetic product circulating in Indonesia after October 2026 has to clear two requirements at once: safe according to BPOM's standards, and halal according to BPJPH's provisions. Meeting one without the other isn't enough. This also means the manufacturing partners you choose should ideally already be accustomed to satisfying both oversight tracks simultaneously, not just one of them.

Sanctions Are No Longer Just a Talking Point

What makes this deadline feel more concrete than previous advisories: BPJPH recently issued BPJPH Regulation No. 2 of 2026 on Administrative Sanctions for Violations in the Administration of Halal Product Assurance, enacted on 5 June 2026. This regulation specifically opens the door to administrative enforcement against businesses (cosmetics included) that fail to meet certification obligations once the deadline takes effect.

In other words, the risk for unprepared brands is no longer just reputational or about consumer trust, it's now backed by a clear legal basis for administrative consequences.

Worth noting too: demand for halal cosmetics didn't start with this regulation, it's been building from the market itself. Muslim women consumers in particular have increasingly prioritized halal labeling when choosing cosmetics, even before certification became mandatory. Brands that get ahead of this aren't just avoiding penalties; they're meeting where consumer expectations already are.

Two Parties, Two Different Responsibilities.

This is the part that trips people up most, so it's worth clarifying upfront. In the cosmetic production chain, brands typically deal with at least two distinct types of partner, and neither should be evaluated with the same set of questions.

The OEM / Formulation Factory (Maklon). This is the party that formulates the product itself: creams, serums, lipsticks, and the like. Because they determine the raw-material composition, they're the ones responsible for product-level testing, including porcine DNA testing, ethanol content testing, and water-permeability testing (relevant for products like nail polish, which needs to remain permeable to water for ablution purposes). A product's halal certificate is ultimately issued based on data from this party.
The Packaging Factory. This is the party that manufactures the bottles, jars, tubes, or other packaging the product ships in. Their responsibilities are different: backing packaging materials with documentation (a halal statement) confirming they're sourced from certified, traceable suppliers, and making sure materials used on shared production equipment don't introduce non-halal substances. P

If you're evaluating a partner, the first step is making sure you know which one you're actually talking to, so the questions you ask are relevant to what they're actually responsible for.

Red Flags: Not halal-compliant cosmetic manufacturing partner

For an OEM / Formulation Factory

A halal certificate that's "in progress" with no clear timeline
Unfamiliarity with porcine DNA, ethanol, or water-permeability testing for relevant products
Unclear traceability of formula raw materials
No Certificate of Analysis (CoA) available for formula raw materials

For a Packaging Factory

No documentation (halal statement, CoA) confirming packaging materials come from certified, traceable suppliers
Heavy reliance on subcontractors with little transparency about who's actually manufacturing

The Vetting Checklist: Questions Worth Asking Directly

If You're Evaluating an OEM / Formulation Factory

Does the factory hold halal certification under its own name?
How is formula raw-material traceability handled, from sourcing through to production? Do their raw-material supplier holds halal certificate?
Has the factory already gone through the Halal audit process?
How long has the factory handled halal-certified SKUs, and which brands can they reference?

If You're Evaluating a Packaging Factory

Does the factory hold halal and ISO certification under its own name?
Can the factory back its packaging with a halal statement from certified, traceable suppliers?
Does the factory routinely provide a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) for packaging materials?
Can your team communicate directly with the factory, or does everything route through an intermediary?

The answers tend to reveal more than a company profile deck ever will, they require specifics, not general reassurances.

Why a Development Partner Beats a Middleman Supplier

There's a meaningful difference between working with a supplier or trading company and working directly with a manufacturing partner, whether that's an OEM or a packaging factory. When there's an intermediary in the middle, a brand's control over halal compliance loosens, you don't always know exactly which materials are used, who's actually producing your goods, or what happens if an issue surfaces during audit.

Working directly with a factory that acts as a development partner means full involvement from the initial brief through formula or packaging development, all the way to production and delivery. Brands can verify halal compliance at the source, not through a third-party summary. For brands racing against the October 2026 deadline, that level of control and direct communication isn't a nice-to-have, it's often what determines whether certification goes smoothly or stalls.

There's one thing that's easy to overlook: switching manufacturing partners close to a regulatory deadline isn't instant either. Onboarding a new factory, re-auditing raw materials, and adjusting the supply chain all take time, which is exactly why starting the evaluation now beats waiting until weeks before the deadline.

Lumei: A Packaging Factory That Already Meets This Checklist

PT. Anugrah Lumei Raya is a cosmetic packaging factory, with over 24 years of experience in the industry, holding ISO and Halal certification under its own factories, not a status still in progress. Consistent with a packaging factory's responsibilities, Lumei routinely provides a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) for every packaging. Brands working with Lumei speak directly with the factory. An operational presence across Jakarta, Bandung, and Surabaya keeps coordination close and responsive for brands that need certainty and speed ahead of the 2026 deadline.

Pabrik kemasan kosmetik halal — Pabrik Kemasan Kosmetik Halal

What to Do Next

There isn't much runway left before 17 October 2026, but choosing a manufacturing partner still isn't a decision to rush through at the expense of due diligence. Use the checklist above, matched to the type of partner you're evaluating to assess where you currently stand, whether that's an existing partner or one you're considering.

If you'd like to talk through your cosmetic packaging readiness for Indonesia's 2026 halal requirement, Lumei's team is open for a direct consultation.