Ruling on the Effect of Moisturizing Creams on the Validity of Ablution

13-1-2026 | IslamWeb

Question:

Please can you answer this question and not refer me to similar answers. There are some thicker body creams when applied to the skin it just feels like soft skin but when water is added you can feel all the moisturiser again and oily and thick feeling like the dense moisturiser is back . Is that a barrier for wudu?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The basic principle is that once the limb has been rubbed with such creams and they have been spread over it—so that their substance and thickness disappear—they do not act as a barrier preventing water from reaching the skin. This remains the case even if the person performing ablution feels a smooth texture while washing the limb, so long as he senses that the water is reaching the skin and spreading easily over it. Any remaining trace of these creams during ablution is removed by the water itself. As a precaution, one should pass the hand over the limb while pouring water until any trace disappears.

However, if it is confirmed that the cream remains on the limb during washing in a thick and visible form, such that a noticeable layer stays on the skin, or the water does not flow over the limb when poured, and the person does not feel the water touching the skin because of the moisturizer, then in this case it is considered a barrier that prevents the validity of ablution. Consequently, it must be removed—by wiping it off with a tissue or the like, or by any means that ensures its removal and guarantees that water reaches the limb when it is washed.

Allah Knows best.