Spotlight on Maya Cosmetics

With the exception of 2020, which experienced a decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Muslim market for cosmetics has grown steadily in recent years. According to the 2020/21 State of the Global Islamic Economy report by DinarStandard, Muslim spending on cosmetics will reach about $76 billion by the year 2024, experiencing a compound annual growth rate of 2.9% between 2019 and 2024. This figure doesn’t specifically apply to halal cosmetics, but it makes one thing clear: there is undoubtedly a market for these products. The question is, who is supplying them?

Enter Maya Cosmetics. Maya Cosmetics offers nail polishes that are halal certified by IFANCA. Javed Younis, president of Maya Cosmetics, launched the company in 2016 with six nail polish colors. Now, they have thirty-three colors and three topcoat choices: glitter, gloss, or matte. Their nail polish formula is 9-Free, meaning that it doesn’t contain the harmful chemicals that may be found in other nail polishes. And the best part? They’re halal certified!

Being halal certified is an important aspect of the business. “Prior to launching the brand in 2016, it was very important for us to make sure this product didn’t fall into Shubuhat (doubtful),” says Younis. “We wanted customers to feel confident in wearing our halal nail polish and at the same time we wanted to make sure our sales [and] marketing efforts were clear and concise on the products attributes and limitations. Having IFANCA halal certification gives us that clarity.” Though IFANCA does not currently certify every product sold by Maya Cosmetics as halal, this is something that Younis says the company is working on, noting that the next products he hopes to get halal certification for are the beard grooming products. Check below to see the full list of their products that are currently certified halal.

Maya Cosmetics operates in thirty countries and sells through over 100 retailers, and Younis finds these relationships to be a crucial reason for the business’s overall success. Because of this, the team at Maya Cosmetics makes sure to assist their partners in any way they can. Younis says, “We do everything we can to support retailers by referring local business, providing outstanding marketing materials, social media support and most importantly allowing them to make a comfortable margin selling Maya Cosmetics.” North America represents the biggest portion of their market, with about 70% of sales coming from the United States and Canada specifically, according to Younis. However, they’re a growing company that’s always adding new countries to their distribution lists. Most recently, they set up distributors in both Jordan and Kazakhstan so that halal consumers there can also enjoy this innovative cosmetics company.

There is still room for the halal cosmetics market to grow, and this may coincide with the growing focus on “good-for-you,” healthy, and cleanly formulated products. Younis says, “Consumers are becoming [increasingly] more knowledgeable about harmful ingredients so I would say the trend towards clean and healthy beauty products will continue for years to come.”

At the same time, starting a halal cosmetics business isn’t easy. Younis offers the following advice for those looking to get started in the industry: don’t take the halal label lightly, use multiple retail avenues, don’t try to do everything yourself, and be original.

Among Maya Cosmetics customers, the most popular products are Barely There, a nude color with pink undertones; Shirley Temple, a bright red color; and Ruman, a darker red with a more pomegranate tone. Want to try their products for yourself? You can shop on their website: www.maya-cosmetics.com.