What is the ruling on using cosmetics and creams that contain chemical substances such as Cetearyl Alcohol and Cetyl Alcohol (methyl alcohol)? Are these compounds considered forbidden alcohol, or is it merely a similarity in name? And what is the ruling on using peppermint oil that is extracted using an alcoholic beverage?

What requires the ruling of specialists should be referred to them. Not everything chemists call alcohol is intoxicating. If intoxicating alcohol transforms during manufacturing into a non-intoxicating substance, it is permissible to use it. If the alcohol content is minimal and its effect does not appear in the color, taste, or smell of the medicine, then there is no harm in using it. The Islamic Fiqh Academy permits the use of medicines containing alcohol in consumed proportions required by pharmaceutical manufacturing, provided they are prescribed by a trustworthy physician. It also permits the use of alcohol as an external disinfectant. As for wine, if it transforms into vinegar by itself, its use is permissible; but if it is transformed by human action, it is not.