HALAL COSMETICS: CURRENT ISSUES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

Abstract

There is now a growing demand for halal cosmetics among the Muslim population and due to their purchasing power, Muslim consumers today spend more on cosmetics and personal goods (Swidi et al., 2010). Cosmetics is used for beautifying purposes without affecting the body to make it looks attractive, and cover a wide range of products including cleaning body parts, enhancing features, and changing skin tones and colours such as makeup, perfume, tooth paste, shampoo and deodorant (Kumar, Massie, & Dumonceaux, 2006). Cosmetics comes in many range of products such as soap, face mask, powder, shampoo, lotions, toothpaste and perfumes (Winter, 2005). Muslim consumers now prefer to choose halal cosmetics and the trend is catching up (Daud, Aziz, Baharudin, & Shamsudin, 2012). The halal cosmetic industry in Malaysia is worth approximately USD800 million, with an annual growth rate of 24 per cent (Halal Industry Development Corporation, 2014). In 2011, there were 114 local manufacturers in the industry certified as halal (Boo, 2013). In the year 2013, the export of Malaysian halal cosmetic products was approximately at RM 464.45 million, with destinations such as the United States, the Middle East, China, ASEAN and Europe being the major markets.