Halal beauty in the US: A marketplace of limited options

(Photo: SandraViolla / Shutterstock.com)

Beauty brands have been searching for new markets to sell their wares, ramping up multiculutral products and marketing. (See, for example, L’Oreal developing a dedicated multicultural division and Estee Lauder touting inclusivity.)

But there’s an entire beauty market these bigger brands are still largely ignoring: the halal beauty industry. In 2013, American Muslims spent $800 million on cosmetics and personal care, and the global market figure is $46 billion, a number that is poised to nearly double in the next five years, according to the State of the Global Islamic Economy 2014/15 report from Thomson Reuters.

But if you search for “halal” on beauty sites like Sephora.com or Ulta.com, the results are disappointing, as there are none (except for some odd autocorrects). But all is not lost for Muslim women in search of good makeup in the U.S.

As of right now, there is one main halal brand based in the United States: Amara Cosmetics. There’s also the company Halal Beauty Box, though they’ve sold out of subscriptions and new customers are being waitlisted. So what do Muslim women with a love for beauty do with such few options?

SHIFFA, “MADE WITH REAL DIAMONDS”

They turn to international companies like Shiffa, a Dubai skin-care line sold at high end spas like the Peninsula in Beverly Hills and the Trump Spas in Chicago and Honolulu. (The brand is sold the world over in high-end department stores and on their online store.) Shiffa’s focus is natural skin care.

“Shiffa means “healing” in Arabic,” explains Dr. Lamees Hamdan, founder of the brand. “And that is what I believe in, healing your skin, and getting that healthy glow using natural luxurious ingredients that delivers results.” Shiffa offers balms, oils, anti-cellulite kits, candles and diamond oil, made with real diamonds.

Photo: Signature Gemstone Diamond Face Oil / Courtesy Shiffa

LUSH

Lush Cosmetics, the cruelty-free (never tested on animals) and organic UK skin-care line, which has long been a favorite of vegetarians and natural-product enthusiasts, has become a go-to for Muslims in America.

“What you’ll find with Lush Cosmetics is there are just a handful of our products that use grain alcohols,” says Amanda Sipenock, spokesperson for Lush.   “Our website has every single ingredient and how we use it, why we use it.”

Lush also offers vegan products and openly opposes animal testing. “The larger companies don’t stop animal testing’, says Sipenock. “‘Lush is a great example that you can do it. When it comes to taking it a step further, when it comes to the Lush Prize—an annual prize awarded to people trying to end animal testing, with a panel of judges, and helps fund their cause—it is about trying to end that. Those who keep halal have natural appreciation for what we do.”

Sipenock points out that Lush works with their suppliers every step in the chain to ensure that company standards are met. The 2015 Lush Prize winners were just announced, and the recipients ranged from a New Zealand MP lobbying against animal testing to an Iowa State University grad student developing a drug-test chip.

SHIPPED OVER - PHB, INIKA, SAMINA PURE

Other halal cosmetic options involve heading online and splurging on international shipping fees. UK-based PHB Ethical Beauty offers an alcohol-free, vegan organic line that ships worldwide.

Inika Cosmetics, an Australian brand, ships to the U.S. for a $10 fee and offers everything from foundation to lipsticks to eyeshadows. The brand is organic, vegan and certified halal.

Samina Pure in the UK also offers shipping to the U.S., though they are currently updating their shipping methods. The brand is halal certified and offers makeup kits, lipsticks, mineral foundation, bronzer, eyeliner, shadow and more.

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