The Enduring Power of Modest Beauty in the Clean Girl Era

If my Instagram feed is anything to go by, the 'clean girl' aesthetic isn't going anywhere. Every post is accompanied by glowy skin, neutral tones and minimal makeup. But it's worth noting that many Muslim women have been living a version of it for generations—long before it had a name, a mood board, or a trending TikTok sound.

And while beauty trends come and go, modest beauty is rooted in faith, function and restraint. It has always been less about aesthetics and more about intention. In other words, it isn’t a fleeting look—it’s a lifelong commitment.

What does “modest beauty” actually mean?

Modest beauty isn’t about disappearing, covering up, or rejecting beauty altogether. It’s about conscious presentation: choosing how and when beauty is expressed, and prioritising self-respect over spectacle.

In Islam, modesty (haya) extends beyond clothing. It also touches behaviour, grooming, and self-expression. For many hijabi women, beauty routines tend to centre around a few key components. They value skin health over heavy makeup and prioritise clean, breathable formulas. They wear fragrance privately rather than publicly and choose products that align with halal, ethical, or faith-conscious standards. The result is a reframing of beauty to be something more personal, purposeful and self-directed, rather than performative.

The rise of halal and faith-conscious beauty

As consumers increasingly demand transparency, halal and faith-conscious beauty has grown rapidly, and not only among Muslim shoppers. The appeal is widening to anyone looking for cleaner formulations, ethical sourcing, and products that feel aligned with personal values.

Importantly, halal beauty goes beyond a checklist. It often encompasses formulas that do not contain alcohol or animal-derived ingredients, and promise cruelty-free practices and ethical supply chains. Clean manufacturing processes and broader emphasis on integrity and accountability are also important.

Many of the brands driving this shift are founded by Muslim women—and they’re often built around education, inclusivity and purpose, rather than trend-led aesthetics.

The founders who helped shift the industry

Muslim beauty founders have not simply “joined” the mainstream - in many cases, they’ve helped redefine it. Mona Kattan, co-founder of Kayali, has reframed Middle Eastern fragrance culture for a global audience. Drawing on the long-standing tradition of scent layering and oil-based perfumery common across Muslim cultures, she introduced these rituals as luxurious, intentional practices—not as something “exotic”, but as a sophisticated way of experiencing fragrance.

Meanwhile, dermatologist Dr Aamna Adel has brought clinical authority to faith-conscious haircare through Rhute—a category often overlooked in beauty. By addressing scalp occlusion, friction and long-term hair health under coverage, she’s helped legitimise concerns specific to hijabi consumers and pushed modest beauty beyond makeup into evidence-based care.

Together, their impact is in the balance: making faith-conscious beauty visible, aspirational and commercially powerful, without stripping it of cultural meaning.

Hijabi creators are redefining beauty visibility

Despite outdated assumptions that modesty limits creativity, Hijabi creators have become some of the most influential voices in beauty, redefining visibility on their own terms.

From full-glam Eid looks to skin-first, no-makeup content, they challenge the idea that beauty needs to be loud to be powerful. “Modesty doesn’t mean hiding,” says Iman, a UK-based hijabi influencer. “It means choosing what parts of yourself you share - and that includes beauty.”

Their content often resonates because it rejects overconsumption. Instead of constant trend-chasing, many focus on repeat purchases, signature looks, and routines built around consistency.

The modest beauty staples leading the way