The Rise of Wardah Halal Beauty

ParagonCorp started as a family business in Jakarta and has grown into Indonesia’s largest beauty company, with more than 15,000 employees and a leading force in the beauty industry. Today, ParagonCorp manages a portfolio of 15 beauty bran­­ds and one of them is Wardah. Along the way, its commitment to innovation and long-term growth has earned broader recognition.

Dr Sari Chairunnisa, Co-Founder & Deputy CEO, Paragon Corp. speaks at the Business of Beauty Global Forum 2025 at Stanly Ranch in Napa, California. © ParagonCorp

The company has been named one of Indonesia’s Best Managed Companies by Deloitte for three consecutive years, a testament to its strong governance, excellence in strategy, purpose-driven leadership, innovation capability, and long-term sustainable growth (2023–2025). It is also recognized among Asia’s Most Innovative Companies by Fortune in 2022.

Yet for Dr Sari, these milestones are not the story itself. They are the result of a belief that has guided the company from the beginning: that values and innovation can grow together.

Building Trust Through Innovation

Wardah’s journey unfolded within one of the world’s most competitive industries. Global beauty companies entered the market with decades of experience, strong brand recognition, and strong resources. Competing on scale alone was never the answer. Instead, Wardah focused on understanding consu-mers deeply and investing consistently in science, research, and innovation.

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Over the years, ParagonCorp built one of Southeast Asia’s largest beauty research ecosystems, empowered by more than 250 in-house researchers and collaborations with more than 300 scientists, dermatologists, and experts around the world.

The ambition was always clear: consumers should choose Wardah because the products are exceptional. Halal was never intended to replace performance. It is Wardah’s DNA, it’s a Trust—the highest standard.

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As consumer expectations evolved, so did perceptions of halal beauty. Increasingly, consumers began to associate halal not only with religious compliance, but also with trans-parency, safety, ethical responsibility, and product integrity. These values resonated far beyond Muslim consumers. They spoke to a broader generation seeking brands that are authentic, credible, and purposeful.

“Halal means ethical beauty, science-based, it’s a universal value,” says Dr Sari. She added: “Consumers inspired us to create better products. Purpose gave us the reason to create a better future.”

Wardah Halal Beauty Goes Global

The rise of halal beauty reflects a broader shift taking place across industries. Consumers increasingly want to understand what is inside the products they use, how they are made, and whether the brands behind them operate responsibly.

As consumer expectations evolved, so did perceptions of halal beauty. Increasingly, consumers began to associate halal not only with religious compliance, but also with transparency, safety, ethical responsibility, and product integrity. These values resonated far beyond Muslim consumers. They spoke to a broader generation seeking brands that are authentic, credible, and purposeful.

As halal beauty gained international attention, Wardah found itself participating in a much larger conversation about the future of beauty. Rather than viewing halal as a limitation, the company sees it as a framework for innovation, the operating system that encourages transparency, quality, and accountability.

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Over time, halal beauty evolved from a niche market segment into a growing global category. Wardah’s role in that journey was not simply to create products, but growing up the community together to help demonstrate that values and innovation can move forward together, inclusive, and drive the business growth sustainably. In doing so, the brand contributed to a broader redefinition of beauty itself.

Growing Beyond Beauty

As the company expanded, so did its understanding of impact. Wardah increasingly saw itself as contributing to a larger narrative, one where faith and modernity coexist, where innovation can be rooted in values, and where business growth creates opportunities for positive change.

Today, the brand is trusted by millions of consumers and continues to participate in conversations shaping the future of halal beauty globally.

Beyond its products, Wardah’s impact can also be seen through the thousands of women who represent the brand every day. More than 7,000 beauty advisors and promoters across Indonesia and Malaysia help consumers better unders-tand their skin and make informed beauty choices. In many ways, they reflect Wardah’s belief that confidence begins with knowledge.

More than 7,000 beauty advisors and promoters across Indonesia and Malaysia help consumers better understand their skin and make informed beauty choices. In many ways, they reflect Wardah’s belief that confidence begins with knowledge

Beyond Just Commerce

Through educational initiatives, sustainability programs, and global community platforms that empower women’s leadership, Wardah seeks to contribute to purpose-driven, larger society alongside its business growth.

Dr Sari Chairunnisa speaking at the Jadal Women’s Research Dialogue 2026, organised by Al Mujadilah Center and Mosque for Women in Doha, Qatar © ParagonCorp

Among these initiatives are: The Wardah Inspiring Teacher Movement (2018–present), which has become one of Indonesia’s largest education initiatives, empowering more than 25,000 teachers through capacity building, leadership development, and collaborative learning. Strategic partnership with educational institutions including Al-Mujadilah, under the Qatar Foundation (2025–present) empowered the global Muslim women community through leadership dialogues, research and capacity building. Sustainability initiatives collaboration with Komodo Water to provide clean water access to underserved villages (2025).

Dr Sari Chairunnisa at the Business of Beauty Global Forum 2025 at Stanly Ranch in Napa, California © ParagonCorp

The company continued with participation in global forums through Wardah Global Brave Beauty Summit that focuses on thought leadership with GMW—Global Muslim Workation Qatar in 2023, Harvard Asia Business Conference 2025 and participated in the Business of Beauty Global Forum, Business of Fashion (BoF) at Stanly Ranch, Napa Valley, California, as a voice from inside halal beauty booms, which brings together global business leaders, visionaries, entrepreneurs, and changemakers.

These experiences have reinforced a belief that continues to guide the company, that meaningful innovation happens when knowledge, collaboration, and purpose come together, because the true value of innovation is not measured solely by what it creates—it is measured by the lives it touches.

Recognition and Responsibility

Wardah’s journey has attracted attention far beyond Indonesia. In 2019, Harvard Business Review highlighted how Wardah has become “an example of a local brand that successfully created and led a new category by combining innovation, strong brand purpose, and halal values”.

As the brand continued to grow, so did its recognition. Years later, Wardah was ranked the Strongest Beauty Brand in Southeast Asia by Milieu Insight in 2024, outperforming a number of established global brands. The study evaluated multiple key dimensions, including brand awareness, familiarity, preference, trust, recommendation, affinity, and over-all brand perception.

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In 2025, Wardah was recognized as the World’s Top Muslim-Friendly Cosmetic Brand by Salaam Gateway, reflecting the brand’s growing influence within one of the world’s fastest-growing consumer segments.

For the company, however, such milestones represent more than achievement. They represent responsibility. As Wardah’s influence grows, so does its obligation to continue creating value for consumers, communities, and the broader industry.

“Our greatest achievement is not an award,” says Dr Sari, “it is the trust people place in us every day. And trust comes with responsibility.”

The Future of Purposeful Beauty

The beauty industry is entering a new era. Consumers increasingly expect brands to offer more than products. They seek credibility, transparency, and meaningful impact.

As halal beauty continues its global rise, it is increasingly recognized not simply as a category, but as an approach to innovation rooted in values and relevant to a wider audience.

Through the “Wardah Beauty Moves You” movement, we  seek to demonstrate how beauty can contribute beyond appearance, uplifting communities, supporting education, caring for the environment, and creating opportunities for future generations.

© ParagonCorp

At the centre of that vision is a simple belief that values are not barriers to progress. They are what make progress meaningful. The future of beauty will not belong solely to the brands that launch the most products. It will belong to the brands that earn the deepest trust. Trust grows when innovation is guided by purpose, and when success is measured not only by what a company achieves, but by the positive impact it creates for others. This reflects the spirit of creating benefit that extends beyond ourselves and reaches a wider community.

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As the conversation concludes, Dr Sari reflects on the journey still ahead: “We want to be a brand that moves people, creates value, and leaves a positively lasting impact on the lives we touch.”

From a local dream in Indonesia to a growing global presence, Wardah’s journey continues, guided by the belief that beauty can be a force for meaningful good.

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Dr Sari Chairunnisa is Deputy CEO and chief R&D officer, ParagonCorp, Indonesia. Sari practised as a clinical dermatologist before moving fully into research and business leadership. As deputy CEO and chief R&D officer of ParagonCorp, the company behind Wardah, Kahf, and Laboré, she oversees one of Southeast Asia’s largest cosmetic R&D teams: more than 200 researchers collaborating with 388 experts across 35 countries. In 2025, the team won 11 awards at the C&T Alle Awards in New Jersey.