Does Silicone in Skin Products Create a Barrier Preventing the Validity of Wudu?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: Assalam alaykum

Some says that silicone creates a barrier and therefore should not be used in products of external application because wudu or ghusl won’t be valid. Should silicone be avoided?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

No, it isn’t necessary to avoid such cosmetics as the contents of such would not be considered clear and discernible barriers preventing water from reaching the skin or hair.

The jurists (fuqaha) discussed many similar rulings in the works of law which attest to this. Moreover, there is a degree of hardship in necessitating a complete cleansing procedure before performing the ritual washings and this is unneeded and excessive. It is reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “I was sent with the upright, easy religion.” [Daylami]

Having said that, it is praiseworthy to avoid products and matters which cause you to doubt, particularly if there are reasonable alternatives easily available and you can clear your dues with certainty (yaqin) by doing otherwise. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not.” [Tirmidhi]

Avoid misgivings.

[Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar ‘ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar (1.104); Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah, with Tahtawi’s Gloss (1.100)]

Please also see: A Reader on Waswasa (Baseless Misgivings) and: Does Orly Breathable Nail Polish Prevent the Validity of Wudu?

And Allah Most High knows best.

wassalam,
[Ustadh] Tabraze Azam

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Tabraze Azam holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Leicester, where he also served as the President of the Islamic Society. He memorised the entire Qur’an in his hometown of Ipswich at the tender age of sixteen, and has since studied the Islamic Sciences in traditional settings in the UK, Jordan and Turkey. He is currently pursuing advanced studies in Jordan, where he is presently based with his family.