[Q 164] Ruling Regarding Skincare products containing snail mucin

Question 

There are skincare products nowadays that contain snail mucin. Is snail mucin pure and is one allowed to use products containing it?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الجواب بعون الملك الوهاب اللهم هداية الحق والصواب

Answer

Snail mucin, which is added to external products, is permissible to use provided there is no other reason for prohibition, because snails do not have flowing blood and In the light of the principles of Shariah-e-Mutahrah, those insects which do not have flowing blood are pure themselves and everything that comes out of their bodies. Therefore, if it is included in a product, that product will also remain pure and its external use ie. applying on the body is permissible.

It is stated in Al-nutaf fil fatawa

الهوام على وجهين:ما له دم سائل مثل الفأرة والحية والوزغة والقنفذ فان ما يخرج منها وسؤرها مكروه وان وقع في الماء يجعله مكروها وبولها نجس وما ليس له نفس سائلة فان ما يخرج منها طاهر

Translation:

There are two types of insects:

One type is that who have flowing blood present in their bodies such as mice, snakes, lizards and porcupines, so whatever comes out of them and their leftover is Makrooh, and their urine is impure, and the second type are those who do not have flowing blood, so whatever comes out of them is pure

(Al-Nataf-fil-Fatawa, volume 04, page 218, published by Dara al-Kitab Al-Ilamiya, Beirut)

Answered by: Mufti Sajid Attari

Translated by: Saqib Madani