UNITED ARAB EMIRATES/MALAYSIA: Women from Dubai to Kuala Lumpur fuel growing trend for halal cosemtics
Record ID:
837871
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES/MALAYSIA: Women from Dubai to Kuala Lumpur fuel growing trend for halal cosemtics
- Title: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES/MALAYSIA: Women from Dubai to Kuala Lumpur fuel growing trend for halal cosemtics
- Date: 13th October 2010
- Summary: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (RECENT) (REUTERS) SPA CUSTOMER ON BED WAITING FOR HALAL SKINCARE TREATMENT CLOSE OF SERUM BEING APPLIED BY THERAPIST CLOSE OF THERAPIST MASSAGING PRODUCT INTO SKIN CLOSE OF CLIENT'S FEET MEDIUM OF SERUM BEING APPLIED BY THERAPIST CLEOPATRA STATUE (SOUNDBITE) (English) TAHANI AL-BEIDH, CLEOPATRA SPA CUSTOMER, SAYING: "Because I'm Muslim, of course I will go for a halal product. I will feel better using a halal product, rather than using a product without knowing what is inside." CLOSE OF CUSTOMER LAYING ON BED CLOSE OF CLIENT'S FEET CLOSE OF PRODUCT RANGE (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHARLOTTE PROUDMAN, MANAGING PARTNER AT COSMETOLOGY MIDDLE EAST, SAYING: "At the moment our products are not registered as halal products. I think in the future I'd really like to put this onto our packaging so that our clients can be reassured that our products are halal, and that they can feel consistent in their religious beliefs." CANDLE IN SPA MORE OF THERAPIST MASSAGING PRODUCT INTO SKIN (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHARLOTTE PROUDMAN, MANAGING PARTNER AT COSMETOLOGY MIDDLE EAST, SAYING: "Not using pork and alcohol makes your product slightly more expensive. But the end consumer can be reassured that they're using a product that is pure and that is actually kinder to the skin." KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) "WELCOME TO MALAYSIA" DISPLAYED ON SCREEN IN DOWNTOWN KUALA LUMPUR CLOSE OF HALAL MAKE-UP PRODUCT CLIENT IN BEAUTY SALON DURING MAKE-UP SESSION VARIOUS OF HALAL BEAUTY PRODUCTS AND CUSTOMER IN BEAUTY SALON HALAL MAKE-UP PUBLICITY BANNER VARIOUS MARKET SELLING HALAL PRODUCTS (SOUNDBITE) (Malay) RIZAL ZANUSI, STALL OWNER IN KUALA LUMPUR, SAYING: "The halal cosmetics business is doing great, especially during the festival period. Women, as usual, from young age to adult until the old age - it's all about the make-up." VARIOUS MARKET SELLING HALAL PRODUCTS (4 SHOTS)
- Embargoed: 28th October 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location:
- City:
- Country:
- Topics: Fashion,Religion
- Reuters ID: LVAC10MM2N3GOB4BTIXH1NWZEU93
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: Thursday evening at a luxury, Pharaonic-themed spa in Dubai. Emirati women, colourful eye makeup contrasting with their black robes, wait by a bronze statue of a smiling Cleopatra for their weekend beauty treat.
Halal make-up finds growing appeal from Malaysia to the United Arab Emirates, with Western multinationals tapping more and more into the estimated $500 million sharia-compliant beauty products market. The lack of a unified global certification body may however hinder the industry's growth.
Tahani al-Beidh, a local customer at Dubai's Cleopatra spa, is indulged by the spa's mineral-based skincare range free of pork and alcohol derivatives.
"Because I'm Muslim, of course I will go for a halal product. I will feel better using a halal product, rather than using a product without knowing what is inside," she said.
Supplier Charlotte Proudman hopes to register her products as compliant with sharia, or Islamic law, tapping into a growing trend for "halal cosmetics" in the mostly-Muslim Middle East and among the world's estimated 1.6 billion Muslims.
"At the moment our products are not registered as halal products. I think in the future I'd really like to put this onto our packaging so that our clients can be reassured that our products are halal, and that they can feel consistent in their religious beliefs," Proudman said.
The word halal, Arabic for permissible, is often used to describe meat slaughtered and prepared in line with Islamic law.
Halal beauty products, which comprise $500 million of the $2 trillion global halal market, are made using plant extracts and minerals rather than the alcohol and pork ingredients that are banned in Islam but often found in cosmetics.
Beauty World Middle East, a beauty trade exhibition, found in a survey that cosmetics, perfumes and personal care products account for a growing share of the $150 million annual market for sharia-compliant products in the United Arab Emirates alone.
One of the many problems that could restrict the growth of halal cosmetics is the lack of a unified global halal certification body to regulate the nascent industry.
There are 138 different certification bodies around the world, according to the International Halal Integrity Alliance, a group based in the Islamic finance hub of Kuala Lumpur, which is also a magnet for firms seeking the halal stamp of approval.
There, the halal certification body is a government department, rather than a private body as it is in most of the world.
Despite the problems, multinational firms, many of which already produce big-brand foods and beverages by Islamic rules, are also tuning in to the potential for halal cosmetics.
"The halal cosmetics business is doing great, especially during the festival period. Women, as usual, from young age to adult until the old age - it's all about the make-up," said Rizal Zanusi, owner of a market stall which sells halal make-up.
Colgate-Palmolive Co already makes oral care products, such as toothpaste and mouthwash, with a halal stamp.
Halal food and drinks account for $5.2 billion or 5 percent of Nestle's annual sales world-wide, suggesting that there is potential for growth in sharia-compliant products.
Whereas countries such as Indonesia, India or Pakistan are home to some of the world's largest Muslim populations, sales growth of halal cosmetics could come from Gulf states with tiny populations but major spending power or from high-earning Muslims living in the West.
Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, is also the world's largest oil exporter with per capita income above $20,000.
According to Cayman Island-domiciled Al Masah Capital, Saudi businesswomen have cash savings of more than $11.9 billion in Saudi banks, and $2.1 billion of funds. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None