What is muslim fashion? In recent years, the definition has been changing. Muslim women do not have many options when it comes to dressing in a way that is fashionable. Being modest and wearing appropriate attire is a crucial part of muslim culture. However, many of today’s fashion trends do not fit the bill when it comes to being deemed appropriate. Many designers do not see that products can be modest, without compromising their ability to be fashionable.
In the same way, many beauty products do not fit the needs of muslim women. It can be very difficult to find beauty products that are high quality and acceptable. Many products like nail polish and lipstick are often not accessible to women of the muslim religion because they include forbidden ingredients or do not allow for religious ceremonies to be performed properly.
Religion should not be a barrier to fashion and beauty. There is a need in the market for fashion and beauty products that are acceptable within the muslim religion. According to a study by the Pew Research Center “Islam will grow faster than any other major religion. If current trends continue, by 2050” In fact, the muslim religion is projected to grow faster than the world’s population overall. That means that the demand for products that align with muslim principles will grow significantly as well.
How does this relate to the fashion industry? According to Shelina Janmohamed, VP of Ogilvy Noor “Muslims under 25 make up approximately 11 percent of the global population. Thus, not only do you have more Muslims to target, but they are increasing in numbers faster and they are young. And, contrary to a lot of expectations, they are interested in brands and they are interested in asserting some kind of individuality through what they purchase.” Still, many brands are not yet catering to these consumers, creating a large gap in this market and few options for young muslim men and women. This gap becomes more of an issue every day as young muslims search for products that they can purchase without turning away from their religious beliefs.
According to the most recent State of the Global Islamic Economy Report: “The Halal Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics sector continues to expand as awareness about ingredients rises fostering new product developments, such as permeable nail polish, the development of Halal vaccines and new ranges of nutraceuticals. With increasing certification activity in the sector, and as more mainstream players provide Halal products, Muslim spend on pharmaceuticals and cosmetics products is expected to reach $213 billion by 2021 in aggregate.”
That said, many companies have not yet made their products available to these consumers or don’t know how to meet the criteria for muslim fashion and beauty. Since research points to more and more money being spent in this industry by muslim consumers, there is a real need for companies to create products that match the demand.
It wasn’t until recently that brands started to recognize the need and importance of these products. DKNY, Orly, Tommy Hilfiger and Uniqlo are all examples of brands that have started to embrace this part of the market. However, even some of these brands don’t get muslim fashion and beauty needs quite right and some of their products are deemed controversial. There are some brands that are committed to solving this issue in the industry. One of those companies is 786 Cosmetics.
786 Cosmetics is making waves in the fashion industry by creating nail polish that is halal (what is permissible or lawful in traditional Islamic law). Most nail polish formulas cannot be used by muslim women because it prevents from participating in the ritual of ablutions before religious ceremonies. Before engaging in any muslim religious ceremonies, one must participate in a cleansing. Common nail polish formulas do not allow water through to reach the nail. This makes wearing most kinds of nail polish during prayer forbidden, which means that wearing nail polish in general can be an issue on a day to day basis.
However, 786 Cosmetics has a formula that does allow water to penetrate through to the nail. This formula took years to years to research, perfect and test but it has been proven that this formula is breathable enough for prayer. This means that women can wear it any time, including before, during and after prayer. The best part is that even though this formula allows water through, the polish is chip and peel resistant, and will last for 7-10 days.
In addition to the issue of having products that allow for religious ceremonies to be carried out properly, beauty products must meet another standard. In order to be halal, these products must not contain ingredients, such as “blood, alcohol, meat, or any ingredients derived from pigs or animals who were not slaughtered in the correct manner in the name of Allah.” While it might seem like it would be easy to find products that do not have any of those ingredients, it can actually be quite difficult.
It can be challenging to know which brands to trust when it comes to fashion and beauty. Cheap beauty products in general tend to use ingredients that are not halal. Many brands of nail polish, lipstick, eyeshadow and other pigmented products use these forbidden ingredients in the formulation of their products. 786 Cosmetics products do not include any of those ingredients. In fact, they are 100% vegan and cruelty free. These products are also extremely safe for women to wear because they are free of harsh chemicals.
While many brands are not yet on board, the industry is beginning to the importance of making products that everyone can use. Young muslim consumers should have access to products that meet current trends in fashion and beauty. Companies like 786 cosmetics are committed to providing those products.
Interested in purchasing Wudu friendly nail polish from 786 Cosmetics? You can click here to order your favorite color today. If you have more questions about the product, you can access our frequently asked questions page by clicking here.
