Halal skincare refers to products that are free from prohibited (haram) ingredients, such as porcine derivatives and improperly sourced animal-based materials. As part of the broader halal cosmetics sector, halal skincare is benefiting from the steady growth of Muslim consumer spending on beauty and personal care worldwide.
For beauty brands, this presents a significant opportunity to expand into a fast-growing market. Demand is being driven not only by Muslim consumers seeking products that align with their values, but also by non-Muslim consumers who increasingly associate halal-certified products with high standards of hygiene, ingredient transparency, safety, and ethical production.
Combined with evolving skincare trends, these factors are helping halal beauty move beyond a niche category and into the mainstream.
The Rise of Muslim Consumer Spending in Beauty
The halal beauty market is experiencing strong structural growth driven by demographics, ethical consumption shifts, and rising global spending power among Muslim consumers.
According to the State of the Global Islamic Economy (SGIE) Report 2025/26, global Muslim spending on halal cosmetics reached approximately US$92 billion in 2024, with projections reaching US$124 billion by 2029
Halal cosmetics are expanding faster due to increasing crossover demand from non-Muslim consumers who value clean, safe, and ethically sourced products.
On the supply side, imports into OIC countries, such as UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, reached US$20.62 billion in 2023, with skincare and makeup representing nearly one-third of demand.
Read More: Untapped Opportunities of Halal Cosmetics for Beauty Brands
Who Buys Halal Skincare
The primary halal skincare consumer is typically a young, digitally connected Muslim shopper, particularly among Gen Z and Millennials.
These consumers look for products that align with their religious values while also meeting modern beauty expectations around efficacy, ingredient transparency, sustainability, and brand credibility.
Halal certification may influence their initial consideration, but purchase decisions are still driven by factors such as product performance, formulation quality, pricing, and accessibility. They are highly active on social media and often discover new skincare brands through influencers, online communities, and e-commerce platforms.
This consumer base is especially prominent in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, with countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia serving as major halal beauty markets.
At the same time, halal skincare is attracting a growing number of non-Muslim consumers who associate halal-certified products with safety, hygiene, ethical sourcing, and ingredient transparency. This crossover audience is one of the key reasons the category is expanding beyond its traditional niche.
Read More: 8 Strategies To Dominate The Halal Market
Skincare Trends Driving Halal Beauty Growth
The growth of halal beauty is strongly influenced by global skincare trends that overlap naturally with halal principles. These trends are not isolated shifts but interconnected forces reshaping consumer expectations across markets.
Clean beauty and ingredient transparency
Clean beauty has become a baseline expectation rather than a niche preference. Consumers increasingly demand full ingredient transparency, traceable sourcing, and third-party validation. This aligns directly with halal certification frameworks, which already require strict ingredient verification and controlled production processes.
Social media data further reinforces this shift, with clean beauty-related content generating billions of views across platforms like TikTok and Instagram, indicating strong mainstream awareness and demand. For halal brands, this convergence reduces marketing friction because compliance already supports transparency expectations.
Vegan, cruelty-free, and halal overlap
The rise of vegan and cruelty-free skincare closely aligns with halal principles, particularly through the avoidance of haram animal-derived ingredients and unethical sourcing practices. Younger consumers have shown strong adoption of cruelty-free and vegan cosmetics, along with a high willingness to increase their purchases in this category.
This overlap provides a strategic advantage: brands that design formulations with vegan principles often find it easier and faster to obtain halal certification due to reduced ingredient complexity.
Skinimalism and skin-barrier health
Skinimalism, the trend toward simplified skincare routines focused on skin health rather than product layering, is reshaping consumer behaviour globally. Minimal routines prioritising barrier repair, hydration, and SPF protection are becoming standard.
For halal brands, this trend reduces formulation complexity and supports clearer ingredient compliance. Fewer ingredients also enhance transparency, making certification processes more efficient and consumer trust easier to build.
Halal K-beauty and biotech-driven actives
K-beauty, with brands such as House of HUR offering halal-certified products, continues to influence global skincare innovation, now evolving into halal-adapted formulations that rely more on biotech and plant-based actives such as fermented ingredients and bakuchiol. These innovations reduce reliance on alcohol-based or animal-derived components.
At the same time, East Asian manufacturers are increasingly exploring halal certification pathways, strengthening cross-regional trade flows between Asia and GCC markets, according to the SGIE report. This convergence is expanding the halal skincare innovation ecosystem significantly.
AI personalisation and social commerce
Digital-first skincare discovery is now a dominant purchasing pathway, with AI-powered skin analysis tools and livestream commerce shaping buying behaviour in Southeast Asia. In several regional markets, livestream commerce accounts for a significant share of beauty purchases.
A notable example is Indonesia’s Wardah integrating AI-based colour analysis into its digital ecosystem, demonstrating how halal brands can leverage advanced personalisation technologies. For Singapore businesses, this trend reinforces the importance of digital readiness when entering halal markets.
Read More: The Rising Demand for Halal and Sustainable Products
Lessons from a Singapore Beauty Brand
Believe is one of the most notable examples of a Singapore-founded company successfully scaling within the global halal beauty market. Established in 2019, the company built a portfolio of halal-certified and ethical beauty brands, including Lafz, ZM, Iba, and The Remedist, serving consumers across Asia and Middle East markets.
By combining halal credentials with clean beauty and vegan positioning, Believe expanded beyond a purely faith-based audience and attracted consumers seeking transparency, safety, and ethical products.
The company’s growth has been supported by multiple funding rounds from investors such as Accel, Jungle Ventures, and Venturi Partners, as well as strategic expansion initiatives across key Muslim-majority markets.
A major milestone came when Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund-backed Halal Products Development Company invested in Believe, supporting its expansion into the GCC region and reinforcing international confidence in the company’s halal beauty strategy.
For businesses exploring the halal market, Believe’s journey offers several practical lessons. First, successful halal brands lead with product quality, efficacy, and values rather than relying solely on religious positioning.
Second, Singapore’s reputation for quality and the internationally recognised halal certification framework provided by Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) can help strengthen credibility when entering overseas markets.
Finally, Believe’s growth highlights the importance of combining digital-first distribution, omnichannel retail partnerships, and strategic collaborations in target regions to accelerate market entry and long-term expansion.
Read More: What Beauty Brands Must Know About Halal Cosmetics Certification
Opportunities and Challenges in Halal Skincare
The halal skincare sector presents significant growth opportunities but also requires careful strategic planning for new entrants.
One major opportunity lies in market expansion beyond religious segmentation. Halal certification increasingly functions as a global trust marker, enabling brands to appeal to both Muslim and non-Muslim consumers.
Premium positioning is also viable, as consumers are willing to pay more for certified, transparent, and ethically produced skincare. Singapore further strengthens this opportunity as a launchpad due to its credibility and regional connectivity.
However, challenges remain. Different halal certification bodies across markets—such as JAKIM in Malaysia, MUIS in Singapore, and BPJPH in Indonesia—require brands to adopt multi-market compliance strategies. Counterfeit risks and regulatory enforcement are also increasing, making traceability systems essential.
Additionally, brands must overcome misconceptions that halal skincare is limited in performance compared to mainstream products. In reality, success in this category depends on combining certification integrity with clinically effective formulations and strong digital storytelling.
Navigating these opportunities and challenges effectively starts with one prerequisite: a clear, accurate understanding of what halal principles actually require in a skincare context.
Brands that lack this foundational knowledge are more likely to misjudge compliance requirements, struggle with certification processes, or inadvertently reinforce the very misconceptions that limit consumer trust in halal skincare.
To help businesses and their teams build this foundation, Halal Practitioner offers a solution designed to develop a practical understanding of halal principles, ingredient risk awareness, and the application of halal standards across industries, including cosmetics and skincare.
Ready to strengthen your team’s halal knowledge? Explore the course here: Halal Fundamentals for Businesses.
References:
- DinarStandard. Accessed in 2026. State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2025/26
- Salaam Gateway. Accessed in 2026. SGIE Report 2024/25: Halal cosmetics thrives, with Asian brands standing tall
- Gulf News. Accessed in 2026. Believe Pte raises $55million in Series C funding to deliver breakthrough personal care and beauty products
- Statista. Accessed in 2026. Beauty shopping on social media – statistics & facts
