In the weeks leading up to Eid-ul-Fitr, shopping streets and malls across Bangladesh fill with people preparing for the celebrations, and increasingly the list of festive purchases includes more than just clothing and footwear.
Cosmetics and personal care products have become an important part of Eid preparation as consumers buy skincare, grooming and beauty items ahead of family gatherings and social events.
Retailers say the seasonal demand creates one of the busiest sales periods of the year for the personal care industry.
Remark officials estimate that sales of cosmetics and personal care products rise by around 25 per cent during the Eid-ul-Fitr shopping season.
The surge reflects broader changes in Bangladesh’s consumer culture and the steady expansion of the country’s personal care industry.
Over the past two decades, several domestic manufacturing companies have emerged in the sector, using modern production technologies to produce products aimed at meeting international standards.
Remark HB Limited is among the companies that have played a role in this expansion. The Bangladesh-based multinational manufacturer produces a wide range of cosmetics and personal care products and has been working to make locally produced beauty products more widely available and affordable.
The company operates a modern manufacturing facility in Munshiganj and produces more than 500 products across over 40 brands.
Remark’s product portfolio covers skincare, colour cosmetics, home care and personal care segments. Among its major brands are Herlan and Nior in colour cosmetics, Siodil in medicated and dermatologist-recommended skincare, and Lily in skincare and personal care products including halal-certified soaps.
The company also markets personal and household products under brands such as Orix for fabric care solutions, Blaze O Skin for fragrances and skincare products, Acnol for antibacterial soaps and handwashes, Sunbit for dish care products and D-32 for oral care items.
Remark officials say the expansion of local manufacturing has gradually increased consumer confidence in domestically produced cosmetics and personal care products.
The company has achieved current Good Manufacturing Practices certification and operates production facilities that comply with international quality standards.
Remark has also expanded its retail footprint through the Herlan Store chain. Herlan Store sells colour cosmetics, skincare, home care and personal care products through more than 150 outlets across Bangladesh, along with flagship stores and the online platform herlan.com.
Remark officials say consumer attitudes toward beauty and personal care products have also changed significantly in recent years.
Products that were once considered largely luxury items are increasingly becoming part of everyday grooming routines.
Awareness about skincare and hair care has also increased, particularly among younger consumers influenced by social media platforms, beauty blogs and digital content creators.
Bangladesh’s expanding middle class is also contributing to a gradual premiumisation trend in the sector as more consumers shift toward branded and higher-quality products.
Online platforms are playing a growing role in the market as well. Experts say sales of personal care products through e-commerce channels are increasing rapidly and are likely to expand further in the coming years as digital shopping becomes more common.
Remark officials say Bangladesh’s personal care and cosmetics sector has gradually developed into an important economic segment as demand continues to grow.
They say supportive government policies and investment in research and development could help Bangladesh build a stronger regional position in the cosmetics industry.
According to them, lowering customs duties on soap noodles, a key raw material used in soap production, and eliminating regulatory duties could help maintain affordable production costs for essential hygiene products.
They also suggest that import duties on basic raw materials used in producing colour cosmetics, dermaskin care products and packaging containers should remain minimal, ideally not exceeding one per cent on a value basis, while regulatory and supplementary duties should be waived to encourage local manufacturing.
Remark officials say such measures could help strengthen domestic production capacity and support Bangladesh in developing a competitive position in the regional cosmetics and personal care market.
With festive demand continuing to rise and local companies expanding production and retail networks, the personal care sector is expected to play an increasingly visible role in the country’s Eid retail economy.
