Imagine an ad for hair products that features a model who won't show her head. Hard to envision, isn't it? L'Oreal Paris has quite possibly made beauty history by casting a hijab-wearing woman to model for a new campaign for the Elvive range of hair products.

Amid a bunch of British women from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities and ages stands Amena Khan, wearing the hijab, in the brand's new video, saying, ‘Whether or not your hair is on display doesn't affect how much you care about it.’

Amena is a beauty blogger, YouTube vlogger, has founded a cosmetics company called Ardere Cosmetics, a false eyelashes brand Lashionery and a fashion company called Pearl Daisy, where she designs hooded hijabs or Hoojabs as she calls them.

Oh, and she's a mother. She has been covering her head in public since her 20s, but doesn't wear a hijab at home, around family, reports NDTV.

Talking about L'Oreal's pathbreaking move that takes inclusiveness and diversity in beauty advertising to new levels, Amena told Vogue UK, ‘You have to wonder, why is it presumed that women (who) don't show their hair don't look after it?

The opposite of that would be that everyone who 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.’

The ad has clearly touched a nerve with women, many of whom left messages of support and encouragement to Amena and L'Oreal for the unexpected move on social media.

The campaign is largely being seen as an important step towards giving diverse voices representation in media and fostering a feeling of belongingness among people who don't always get to see characters that look like them in pop culture.

Like Amena said, ‘(Growing up) I didn't see anyone I could relate to in the media. It was always a cause of celebration when you saw a brown face on television.’

In recent years, with social media quick to police brands and hold them to the messages they are propagating, brands around the world are waking up to the need to widen their definitions of beauty. Inclusiveness and representation of women of all ages, shapes, sizes and ethnic backgrounds has been a hot-button topic in fashion and beauty advertising.

While brands are still struggling to find the balance between encouraging women to buy more and more products even as they tell them they're beautiful just as they are, ads like these are like a breath of fresh air and a definite move in the right direction.

In a world seemingly hurtling towards severe Islamophobia, egged on by political leaders fanning the flames of racial and communal hatred, watching Muslim men and women gain visibility and, hopefully, acceptance in mainstream media is an important step. That brands are taking up the cudgels is a heartening sign.

L'Oreal, though, is not the only one, though. In the past, there have been several brands that have grabbed headlines for their efforts towards inclusivity.

Last year, Nike's commercial featuring five female professional and everyday athletes from different parts of the Arab world went viral.