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Is there a problem according to any opinions of using creams and the like because of their treif animal content in the Glycerin of Sicha Kshtiyah:"annointing is like drinking"?

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I heard a shiur by the OU's Rabbi Genack on this.

A custom arose among some Ashkenazic Jews not to apply anything specifically pig-derived on their skin, but otherwise, you can apply non-kosher items to your skin. Other than Yom Kippur, the rule of "annointing is like drinking" has nothing to do with kashrut today. It simply means that a Cohen who is given tithed olive oil (shemen terumah) for his consumption may also apply it to his skin.

One caveat: there is a category of prohibited items that is prohibited from all "tangible benefit" (issurei hana'ah), which would include smearing it on your skin. This category includes an item that was used in a pagan ritual, as well as meat that was cooked directly with milk. (This would only apply if the meat came from a ruminant.) I don't see any of this posing an issue with something like glycerin or most creams.

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Anything non-kosher, other than swine-derived, can be applied to the skin? Isn't there a prohibition of deriving benefit from any basar b'chalav that's forbidden mid'oraysa? (Anyway, CYLOR.) – msh210♦ Jan 25 '11 at 22:54
@msh- someone who used to work in cosmetics once asked me about that since many products including shampoos use both fat and milk derivatives. I assume in that case the fats are not fit for eating prior to being processed together with the milk. – YDK Jan 26 '11 at 0:59
@R'YDK, I was not commenting on R'Shalom's answer as it applies to cosmetics specifically but rather on the general statement "otherwise, you can apply non-kosher items to your skin". – msh210♦ Jan 26 '11 at 17:25

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