June 2017

Much like many other niche industries in the market, the beauty industry has shifted its attention to making their products halal, and rightly so— according to Thomson Reuters, global Muslim spending on halal cosmetics is expected to grow to $73 billion in 2 years. The need for halal cosmetics stems from the common practice of conventional makeup brands that incorporate animal derived ingredients such as pork gelatine, collagen and keratin in their products. It is also easy to find cosmetics—either makeup or skincare—that contain alcohol. Both the former and latter are considered unlawful (haram) for Muslims to use. The presence of these ingredients also prevents water from seeping through the product and making contact with skin—making someone’s wudu’ (ablution) invalid.

To combat this problem, many aspiring Muslim cosmetic practitioners have taken the initiative to build their own beauty empires. The amount of halal cosmetic brands has skyrocketed in recent years and to add to that, the reception to these brands have been extremely positive and has proved to mainstream beauty brands that the halal makeup industry is definitely a worthy investment. These halal products not only attract Muslims but also individuals who are ethically conscious. Halal products aren’t tested on animals and don’t contain animal derived ingredients that aren’t slaughtered and prepared the Islamic way.

In relation to this, the halal cosmetics industry caters to the needs of a more extensive demographic as opposed to halal food. This can be seen in the huge interest shown by ethically conscious individuals who don’t agree with the manufacturing policies of conventional makeup brands even though they are non-Muslims. Consumers in general want pure, safe and high quality products that are in line with halal requirements, which prohibit the usage of ingredients that could possibly harm someone’s skin. Said prohibited substances include a number of chemical additives such as Mercury and Hydroquinone, substances known to deteriorate skin.

An increased number of Muslim beauty vloggers and bloggers have also catalysed the production of halal cosmetics in the global arena. There has been many instances of hijabi representation on global frontiers as of late. This has pushed brands to move forward with their plans to involve themselves with halal products. Like mushrooms after rain especially in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. Just like artists and fashion lines, they also have similar relationships with cosmetics, a few Malaysian artists are founders of their very own makeup brands that are all certified as halal according to Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM).

Generally speaking, things are going strong with the introduction of more halal products to the beauty industry. Halal cosmetics are facing an assuring growth that it has never experienced before. Fans of makeup can definitely look forward to more halal products in the market soon.

Choosing the right hotel for the budget traveler is always a trying task. Factor in ‘Muslim friendly’ into the equation and it can be downright overwhelming. So, as a Muslim budget traveler, how can you tell if a hotel is the right one for you?

Like your average traveler, the Muslim traveler has different needs to fulfil when searching for a hotel. Price, location and connectivity are standard considerations. But for the Muslim traveler, the decision is always skewed towards accommodations that fulfill the Islamic religious principles.

Halal food is the principal requirement of the Muslim traveler. Ideally the hotel itself would have a Halal certified restaurant or kitchen, or even Halal assured food. Where this is not available, a hotel could instead provide a listing to Muslim travelers of halal restaurants in the vicinity.

Prayer facilities are the next most important aspect of a halal friendly hotel. As with restaurants, hotels can provide Muslim guests with a listing of nearby mosques and should be able to answer queries regarding prayer times and direction. Furthermore, even the smallest of provisions such as a prayer timetable, prayer mats and Qibla directions in the rooms play a big role too.

More conservative Muslims might also look for separate swimming pools or beaches for men and women. Finally, they may also tend to be interested in activities and excursions on the theme of Islamic religion and culture.

Services during the Ramadan or fasting month are another key attraction to Muslim travelers during this particular time of year. This would likely include halal meals provided at the relevant times in both the morning and evening/night.

In recent years, travel agencies targeting Muslim clients have increased tremendously and this is because according to DinarStandard, Muslim tourists spent $ 137 billion (excluding expenses for pilgrims in Saudi Arabia) in 2012 and it is expected that in 2020, the figure will exceed $ 180 billion. Some of the travel agencies dedicated in providing services for halal tourism are HalalBooking.com, Muslim Tripper, Halal Trip and Sun Sea & Halal, just to name a few. All of these companies have one thing in common: they sell vacations which gives the best experience while complying with Islamic principles. With all of these services and facilities at their fingertips, Muslim travel has never been easier.

Niche markets are small but profitable segments of the market which usually focus on fulfilling the wants and needs of consumers that mainstream and conventional brands might not be able to do. This definition would mean that the halal cosmetics industry is one. A relatively new industry, the halal cosmetics industry is projected to receive an income of $81 billion by 2021, enticing many newcomers into the industry.

An example of a halal cosmetic brand that has been proven successful is Iba Halal Care, the first halal-certified cosmetics brand from India. Their success has been astounding. In just a year, Iba has grown from its first standalone store in Ahmedabad to a franchise network around India and supplies their products to global online stockists such as Amazon. A household name in India, the company focuses strictly on producing halal ranges.

The Muslim population in Western countries are also lending a hand to niche players in the halal cosmetics industry. Launched in 2011, Amara cosmetics is the first North American country to provide halal certified cosmetics to Muslims in the United States—and around the world. Founder of Amara, Shamalia Mohamed hoped to create a cosmetics brand that Muslims could easily pick up without having to read the labels before purchasing

The number of Muslims make up 23% of the world and is expected to experience a drastic surge—catapulting to 2.8 billion people in 2050. According to renowned market research company Technavio, sales of halal products in the US have increased around 80 percent every year. The more Muslims there are, the more production of halal cosmetics is expected.
In addition to that, halal brands don’t only attract Muslims but also members of society that agree with the ethical route that halal offers. Because cosmetics often contain non-permissible animal derived ingredients, halal brands often take the route of avoiding animal derived ingredients at all costs. Plant based products not only provide assurance to Muslims but also ethically conscious communities such as vegans and vegetarians. This can be found by halal and plant-based cosmetics brands such as PHB and INIKA.

All things considered, niche markets are created by consumers’ wants and needs, yes, the halal cosmetics can outgrow their niche. The number of Muslims is rapidly rising and the growth won’t stop anytime soon. At this rate, the halal cosmetic industry will only grow bigger, soon blanketing over the cruelty-free and organic cosmetics market as well.

For the past decade, the halal market industry has grown significantly. In the Southeast Asian region alone, countries like Malaysia and Singapore experience a growth rate of 18% and 19% respectively over the past five years. Even in countries without a significant Muslim majority, the growth rate is booming at an unprecedented rate, with countries like South Africa boasting a 96% increase. How has a market initially known to be only a niche industry for the Islamic community grown so large and profitable?

One reason is the increasing number of the Muslim population around the world. This
is especially true with regards to the Muslim diaspora – communities who have migrated from Islamic countries to other parts of the world – which enlarges the availability of purchasers and other subscribers to the halal market in other countries such as the United Kingdom. Around 2011, according to the Office of National Statistics in the United Kingdom, the population of Muslims in the UK were approximately 2,706,066 – around 4.5% of the total population. Now the numbers have increased tremendously. Based upon an article in the International Business Times: “The number of people practicing the religion of Islam in the United Kingdom exceeds 3 million for the first time, with more than half of them born abroad. With high birth-rates among the demographic, some London neighbourhoods are nearly 50 percent Muslim and are expected to be majority

Muslim in the next 10 years, according to the Office for National Statistics.”
It’s also worth considering that the halal market is not just limited to food. The halal market also expands towards pharmaceuticals, clothing and personal care items such as toothpastes, cosmetic products and many more. The availability of these options across a variety of sectors further accelerates the growing number of demand, which in turn spur more industries to make more products for the market.

Furthermore, there is also an increasing demand for high quality products with rising standards of animal welfare and healthy choices. Halal products often go through a lot of checks with regards to the ingredients that go into making other products. The rigorous process involved ensures the food comes from a healthy and organic source. A Time article quoted Rasheed Ahmed, founder and president of Muslim Consumer group, who stated that, “criteria for certification are a bit stricter than others; for example, MCG won’t certify fish if it’s farm-raised, since it’s not clear whether they fish was fed animal by-products. Only wild-caught fish are Halal certified by MCG standards.”

As for claims that halal products are more humane in its treatment of animals, Carol O’Neil, professor of nutrition and food sciences at Louisiana State University Agricultural Centre noted that Halal practices may be more humane for the animal, and therefore that may make a difference for some people.

The halal market holds a lot of promise in the future of the global economy. It is wide and diverse, extending its reach towards countries outside of the Muslim world. And with the overall increasing in numbers with regards to growth rates, and the sprouting of many industries looking to extract and profit from the halal market, the future of halal does not seem to be stopping anytime soon.

Misconceptions often arise in absence of proper education of a subject. Halal food has received so much bad press and has accumulated its own posse of haters—a Facebook page titled ‘Boycott Halal in Australia’ has a whopping amount of 41,000 supporters. So, why are people so afraid of all things halal? Perhaps it’s the confusion. Alas, this article will clear up some doubts you might have had regarding the Halal industry.

The first thing about the halal industry that is often misinterpreted is that halal meat encompasses voodoo-like chants, that enchant the meat, or that Muslims slyly pray over the meat to cast a spell on those who eat it. Admittedly, there is a slight exaggeration in this description—hopefully nobody out there actually believes this—but it definitely has nothing creepy about it. What Muslims recite during slaughter is the name of God. Specifically, they say “In the name of God”. This is done to ensure that the animal isn’t sacrificed for other purposes other than sustenance, which would mean that the animal died in vain.

The next misconception also has something to do with halal slaughter. People who don’t know better claim that the halal method of slaughtering select animals is inhumane and cruel. What we need to understand is that for an animal to be considered halal, it is vital that the animal was treated well its whole life. This includes a wholesome living environment. Besides that, an animal that is permissible for Islamic slaughter should be allowed to live up until a certain age. Animal cruelty seen in documentaries where live chicks are bulldozed in factories are way off limits in Islamic slaughter. In fact, it is absolutely sinful to treat animals like that.

Next, the public—non-Muslims and Muslims alike—often assume that only Muslims can consume Halal food. This is not the case, as everyone can eat whatever they want. Who are we to determine what goes in the stomachs of overs? Halal food has received attention from non-Muslim demographics that agree with the ethics practiced in the Halal industry—be it in the food sector, pharmaceutical market or fashion scene. Halal is for all to enjoy.

As you can see, there’s actually no good reason to not like—if not tolerate—halal food. It’s honestly harmless. Hopefully, the world will soon come to accept the Halal industry as a no-threat zone, because it truly isn’t. It has nothing to do with jihad nor a plot to ‘Islamicise’ the world. Here’s to more understanding among world communities!