Amena Khan is one of the faces of L'Oréal Paris' new hair campaign.

This makes her the first hijab-wearing model to star in a hair campaign for a mainstream brand.

Khan is hoping to challenge the assumption that people who wear hijabs do not look after their hair.



Some brands have recently faced backlash for their advertising choices, but L'Oréal Paris is making waves for a much more positive reason.

British beauty blogger Amena Khan is one of the faces of L'Oréal's new Elvive World of Care Campaign, making her the first hijab-wearing model to star in a hair campaign for a mainstream international brand.

Khan recently spoke to British Vogue about her experience, and said that she never imagined having this opportunity as a Muslim woman.

"I always wanted to be somehow in television or in media but it felt like a pipe dream and that’s why I didn’t pursue it, because I didn’t think there would be anything for me," Khan said. "Which is a shame. I think seeing a campaign like this would have given me more of a sense of belonging."

Khan has been wearing a headscarf in public since her 20s, but she says that doesn't mean she doesn't look after the hair underneath it — and it's a stereotype she is hoping to break.

"You have to wonder — why is it presumed that women that don’t show their hair don’t look after it?" Khan told Vogue. "The opposite of that would be that everyone that does show their hair only looks after it for the sake of showing it to others. And that mindset strips us of our autonomy and our sense of independence. Hair is a big part of self-care."

While her hair may be covered in public, she still values it as a form of self-expression.

"For me, my hair is an extension of my femininity," she said. "I love styling my hair, I love putting products in it, and I love it to smell nice. It’s an expression of who I am."

A post shared by Amena (@amenaofficial) Dec 24, 2017 at 1:36pm PST

Khan also pointed out that the campaign's inclusiveness points to an important shift in beauty marketing.

"How many brands are doing things like this? Not many," she told Vogue. "They’re literally putting a girl in a headscarf — whose hair you can’t see — in a hair campaign. Because what they’re really valuing through the campaign is the voices that we have."

So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive with many people commenting on how inspiring it is to see this kind of representation in the media.

"A hijabi in a shampoo advert is definately [sic] a landmark moment," one Instagram user commented, while another said: "You're writing history." Someone else wrote: "Thank you for representing us oh so beautifully."

INSIDER has reached out to Amena Khan for comment.

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