Close to 90% of the population in Indonesia is Muslim and thus interested in halal certified products. Halal is an Arabic term meaning permissible, with certified products being free from alcohol and certain animal-derived ingredients.
Halal beauty products was a relatively niche area until the end of the review period. Paragon Technology and Innovation PT was the most prominent player in this area, with the company offering its Wardah brand in colour cosmetics and skin care at the end of the review period. This also allowed the company to capitalise on the growing popularity of halal beauty products in 2015, with its value share reaching 2% in 2015.
Indonesia also passed the Halal Product Certification Bill in September 2014 that stipulates all products, including beauty brands, must be halal-certified by 2019. This requirement covers product ingredients, production machinery and equipment, as well as the entire value-chain process, with international manufacturers consequently starting to work towards halal certification. Some early adopters include L’Oréal Indonesia PT, which built a manufacturing plant inIndonesia at the end of the review period and now has around 145 of its ingredients halal-certified so as to meet the needs of Indonesian consumers. Colgate-Palmolive is another early adopter, with the company launching a halal toothpaste featuring miswak.
Unilever Indonesia also joined this trend in 2015 with the launch of Sunsilk Clean & Fresh, which is targeted at women who wear hijabs daily. The company partnered with New York based Francesca Fusco, a leading scalp treatment specialist, to launch this new variant. Incorporating citrus vitamin complex, Sunsilk Clean & Fresh nourishes hair strands while offering a clean and fresh sensation for the scalp which helps hijab-wearers feel more comfortable.
Outlook
Halal beauty products are expected to gain further prominence over the forecast period as a result of the implementation of the Halal Product Certification Bill, which stipulates that all products should be halal-certified by 2019. Manufacturers will have to move quickly to ensure their existing ingredients and products are compliant in the short-term. This is especially crucial for international giants, which dominate sales in multiple beauty and personal care categories. While coping with securing halal-certification for existing ingredients, international manufacturers will place a greater emphasis on steering ongoing product innovation efforts towards halal offerings.
It is also up to local manufacturers such as Paragon Technology and Innovation PT with its Wardah brand to take advantage of the gap before international manufacturers obtain halal certification and start to capture the interest of local consumers. This will have to be done through heavy marketing campaigns, including sampling, in order to create awareness among local consumers, given that sales of local halal beauty brands remained limited over the review period.