How to sell cosmetics to Muslims?

“How to sell a comb to a monk” is a classic case in the history of marketing, and in an interview with Cosmetics Business, Roshida Khanom, Director of Beauty and Personal Care at Mintel, raised another similar topic “How Selling cosmetics to Muslim women?”

“Many people in the industry see this as a similar dead end,” Khanom said. “When it comes to Muslim women, the hijab, the burqa and the veil are always subconsciously associated with the idea that they Wrap yourself so tightly that you don’t need and can’t dress yourself up – but that’s a stereotype. Muslim women aren’t all veiled, they love beauty, and have skincare and makeup needs. And we How many brands have noticed this group of silent groups?”

01：Awkward “beauty desert”

L’Oreal Paris named hijab-wearing Muslim model Amena Khan the first face of Elvive’s hair care line in 2018, a move seen at the time as a turning point in beauty as the cosmetics giant finally publicly embraced Muslim consumers. Four years on, however, little has changed — and that has Khanom questioning: Are beauty brands really connecting with Muslim consumers?

For Madiha Chan, co-founder of Just B cosmetics brand in Pakistan, the answer is unquestionably no. In the interview, she cited the most important holiday in the Islamic calendar, Eid al-Fitr, as an example, blaming beauty brands for hardly any effective marketing campaigns or products for the holiday.

Instead, brands occasionally include a hijab-wearing mannequin in their advertising and promotional materials as a way of showing themselves “inclusive” of all types of consumers, rather than through a deep understanding of Muslim festivals and customs. Explore this market.

“We, and our festival, never got the attention it deserved,” she said. “We’re like a giveaway — the way the giants show they value Muslim consumers is through online AR trials. Putting a hijab model in makeup or advertising — that stereotype makes me and my sisters very angry. Not all Muslims wear hijabs, it’s just an option.”

Another stereotype that upsets Madiha Chan is the belief that Muslims are ascetics, rambunctious and refuse to consume or use modern goods. “We just have different beliefs from them (referring to Westerners who believe in Christianity), not living in a different era.” She said helplessly, “Indeed, decades ago, the only cosmetics that Pakistani women really used were lipstick and foundation. , everything else is foreign to us. But as the internet becomes an important part of our daily life, we are slowly starting to understand more and more ways to wear makeup. Muslim women are happy to spend money on makeup to dress themselves up, But few brands are happy to design products for Muslims that meet the requirements.”

According to data provided by Mintel, Muslim consumers spend huge amounts during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr. In the UK alone, Ramadan GMV is at least £200 million (about 1.62 billion yuan). The world’s 1.8 billion Muslims are the fastest-growing religious group in modern society, and their spending power has grown with it – especially among young people. Middle-class young Muslim consumers, dubbed “Generation M,” are reported to have added more than $2 trillion in GMV in 2021.

02：”Halal” cosmetics certification strict?

In an interview with “cosmetics business”, another major issue that has been criticized by cosmetic brands is the standard issue of “halal” cosmetics. Brand owners say that the “Halal” certification is too strict. If you want to obtain the certification, you must ensure that the raw materials, processing aids and utensils of the product do not violate the halal taboo: for example, gelatin and keratin made from pig skin Or collagen; activated carbon from pig bones, brushes made from pig hair, and microorganisms produced using pig-derived media are prohibited. In addition, alcohol, which is widely used to extend the shelf life of products, is also prohibited. Halal products are also prohibited from using animal testing in the process of manufacturing products, as well as adding animal-derived substances to products, such as propolis, cow’s milk, etc.

In addition to confirming the halal compliance of raw materials, products applying for halal certification must not violate Islamic law in the product name, such as “Christmas limited lip balm”, “Easter blush” and so on. Even if the raw materials of these products are halal, and the product names are contrary to Sharia law, they cannot apply for halal certification. Some brands say that this will make them lose non-Halal Christian consumers, which will undoubtedly hit the European and American markets hard.

However, Madiha Chan countered with the trend of “vegan” and “cruelty-free” cosmetics that have swept the European and American society in recent years, “‘cruelty-free’ products require manufacturers not to use any animal experiments, and ‘vegan’ beauty products are even more demanding The products do not contain any animal ingredients, don’t these two meet the requirements of ‘halal’ cosmetics? Who among the major beauty giants has not kept up with the vegan and cruelty-free trend? Why are they willing to design for vegans What about asking for the same complex product without taking into account the demands of Muslim consumers?”

As Madiha Chan said, ‘vegan’ and ‘cruelty-free’ cosmetics are being used by many Muslims as a lower-level replacement when there are no ‘halal’ cosmetics, but this move is still risky as cosmetics that meet both requirements may still contain Alcohol. As of now, one of the most popular forms of makeup for Muslims is pure natural mineral makeup, such as the American brand Mineral Fusion. Mineral cosmetics are made from naturally crushed minerals, guaranteed to be animal-free, and the vast majority are also alcohol-free. Mineral Fusion is certified halal by organisations such as the Federation of Islamic Councils of Australia and the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America. Madiha Chan hopes that in the future, more cosmetic brands like Mineral Fusion will appear, focusing on Muslim consumers. “To put it bluntly, we are happy to spend money, why don’t you earn it?”