Inside Malaysia’s fast-growing halal beautymarket

Images posted on Instagram shows some ofthe "halal" beauty products of SimplySiti, founded by Malaysia’s"queen of entertainment", Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin.(Courtesy: Instagram)

Malaysia wants to be global halal hub

Two-thirds of world’s Muslim population inAsia-Pacific

KUALA LUMPUR: The word halal is mostcommonly associated with food and drink. But in Malaysia demand forhalal-certified products across all sectors ? including personal care ? isgrowing.

The southeast Asian country wants to be aglobal halal hub and, in 2017, the local halal industry contributedapproximately 7.5 percent to Malaysia’s gross domestic product.

“Malaysia once again leads the GlobalIslamic Economy Indicator for the fifth year in a row,” Deputy Prime MinisterDatuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said in his opening address at World HalalWeek last April. “This impressive lead reflects a robust Islamic economyecosystem, with Malaysia enjoying a substantial lead in Islamic finance andhalal food.”

The ecosystem includes banks to provideIslamic finance, the Health Ministry and the Islamic Development Department(Jakim) to set the halal certification standard, and trade agencies such asMatrade to handle the business and marketing side.

Halal cosmetics must be free from alcohol,blood and parts or substances from animals that have not been slaughteredaccording to Islamic practices.

SimplySiti, founded by singer SitiNurhaliza, offers cosmetic, fragrance and skincare products that arehalal-certified.

Mainstream firms have also jumped on the halalbandwagon, such as Clara International, Johnson & Johnson, Silky Girl andWipro Unza. Sunsilk claims it is the first haircare line in Malaysia forhijab-wearing women.

Accessibility has also improved, withproducts available in supermarkets and drugstore chains, as well as throughonline marketplaces such as PrettySuci and Aladdin Street.

Some products even claim to beablution-friendly, meaning water can penetrate the product to reach the skinand cleanse it.

But some firms have yet to break into themarket and not all Muslim consumers are aware of the availability and diversityof halal beauty and personal care products.

“I do not really check for the halal labelbecause in Malaysia I assumed everything is halal,” 30-year-old Abir AbdulRahman told Arab News, adding that most of her friends did not actively checkfor the halal label when purchasing makeup or skincare items.

Siti Nurul Hidayah Ishak, a 33-year-oldlawyer, said she supported the idea of halal beauty products but did not knowwhich ones were certified.

“I do not particularly pay attentionwhether a product is certified halal or not. Nonetheless, I check the labels toensure there are no non-halal ingredients in the products I purchase,” she toldArab News.

Two-thirds of the global Muslim populationis in the Asia-Pacific region. The Muslim population is young and has goodsocio-economic prospects according to Pew Research.

Thomson Reuters estimates that Muslimconsumers will account for $73 billion worth of spending on cosmetics by 2019,or 8.2 percent of the global expenditure.

In Malaysia, the total trade volume forpersonal care and cosmetics products was about $2.24 billion in 2015. Half ofthe demand was met by imports.

Some Muslim consumers in Malaysia wereskeptical about the boom in halal-certified beauty products.

Mohani Niza, 31, said she was moreconcerned about her products being vegetarian or cruelty free.

“I have no grievance against halal beautyproducts,” she told Arab News. “But my suspicion is that the halal beautyindustry is a marketing gimmick. It plays on the ignorance and insecurities ofsome Muslims who may be led to be believe that whatever product that doesn'thave the halal label is automatically haram.”

Link->http://www.arabnews.com/node/1446446/lifestyle