Today’s young Muslims are interested in fashion, grooming and beauty, and are poised to become an economic force to be reckoned with. As the Muslim population continues to grow, so does the development of the Halal beauty industry, but it’s not only these consumers that Halal products can appeal to.
Beauty and personal care consumers worldwide are increasingly taking a more holistic approach to their beauty regime, turning towards ‘all natural’ products that are free from unwanted chemicals. As consumers gain greater awareness of Halal beauty’s benefits, products carrying this certification will become particularly attractive to the global beauty market.
Asia Pacific accounted for 73% of new Halal beauty products launched between 2014 to 2016
Currently, Asia Pacific dominates the Halal product landscape because of its large Muslim population. According to Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD), the region accounted for 73% of new Halal beauty products launched between 2014 to 2016.
Hurdles for Halal beauty
There is much excitement about the growing potential of the Halal beauty market in Asia. Beauty and personal care brands are becoming more liberal with imagery of women wearing hijabs on product packaging to directly appeal to Muslim consumers.
Global beauty and personal care brands are now also looking to achieve Halal certification to give them wider appeal to the growing pool of young Muslim shoppers. However, in Asia, a company can typically take five months or more to obtain Halal certification and it can be very expensive to do so. While many companies are aware of the huge potential of the Halal beauty market, not as many are willing to invest the time and money in securing the certification.
There is also the concern that as the term ‘Halal’ becomes increasingly common within the marketplace, it may become over-commercialised by industry players, and potentially dilute the concept of Halal and its religious significance. The focal point of brands gaining Halal certification should continue to be based on religious practices, and being the bridge between faith and beauty and personal care.
India and Indonesia hold the most potential for Halal beauty
With positive growth projections for the Muslim population, brands are increasing their efforts to gain Halal certification to secure a stronger foothold in both regional and global markets.
India is projected to see the fastest growth in its Muslim population and Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in today’s world, which makes these markets particularly attractive for Halal brands. Home-grown brands in India are embracing Halal beauty as a way to target wider Asian markets and to attract a broader consumer base locally, namely non-Muslims and consumers who are in pursuit of ethical living.
The rising trend for consumers to make more ethical lifestyle and wellness related choices will further increase the pace of innovation and highlight the benefits of Halal-certified products that appeal beyond the Muslim population. Moving forward, the awareness of Halal beauty will only continue to grow and garner global attention.
Sharon is Senior Innovation and Insights Analyst (Beauty and Personal Care) at Mintel. Sharon is based in Singapore making her well placed to provide insights and analysis of the beauty & personal care categories to Mintel’s key beauty clients around the region. She has 9 years’ experience in the FMCG industry helping clients to develop their beauty businesses in Japan, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Brunei. She has accumulated an in-depth understanding of the beauty industry in key Asian markets.
