Halal Cosmetic Literacy among Malaysian Muslim Undergraduates Based on OECD’s Financial Literacy Framewor

Abstract

This research involves an element of OECD’s Financial Literacy Framework, insofar as the framework has not previously been adapted in halal cosmetic context. This thus requires a philosophy of Positivism that enables the framework to be empirically operationa lised by using an online survey. The aim was to examine the level of literacy for halal cosmetic among Malaysian Muslim students through psychographic variables and to conduct comparisons between gender, age, faculty, Islamic backgrounds, as well as educational sponsorship to elicit differences in halal cosmetic literacy level between Islamic and non-Islamic undergraduates. The findings show the active usage of cosmetics, and their ability to access the relevant cosmetic information increases the level of halal cosmetic literacy among non-Islamic undergraduates. In contrast, the lack of cosmetic usage due to a shortage of money and, waiting for cosmetic providers to assure about halal status in cosmetic products are seemed to influencing Islamic students’ slow progress in acquiring halal cosmetic literacy. As a consequence, Islamic students obtain a lower level of halal cosmetic literacy than nonIslamic students. It is expected that this study may assist cosmetic providers to understand their cosmetic consumers based on Islamic backgrounds because it influences the way they acquire halal cosmetic literacy. The findings of the study indicate that OECD’s financial literacy framework could also be adapted in the study of cosmetic literacy.