Disability-Inclusive Beauty Brands that are Changing the Game
Disability-Inclusive Beauty Brands that are Changing the Game
By Madeleine New
Walking through Sephora or Ulta should feel like stepping into a world of endless beauty and self-expression, but that excitement fades fast when a product is impossible to open or hold.
This is the truth for millions of people. Small, intricate, slick, and overengineered packaging presents a challenge for many people for a variety of reasons. Disabled, blind, the elderly, and more struggle to grasp, open, and apply common everyday beauty products.
The beauty industry sells empowerment. But how do you feel empowered when inaccessible packaging prevents you from even using the product? Here are a few innovative new brands working to create disability-inclusive products and making sure beauty can belong to everyone.
Guide Beauty
Guide Beauty is a female-founded brand that has everything from their own formulas and tools to products and packaging. The goal was for Guide Beauty to be inclusive for everyone, from beginners to professionals, and for people who struggle with hand movement. The brand emphasizes listening to consumers’ biggest problems and concerns with traditional beauty products to enhance their own.
Rare Beauty
Rare Beauty, Selena Gomez’s popular brand, emphasizes innovative formulas, feeling comfortable in your own skin, and having products with accessible packaging. Their new perfume, Rare Eau de Parfum, was designed purposefully for those with dexterity issues. They even partnered with hand therapists and packaging engineers to improve the traditional perfume bottle.
Tilt Beauty
Tilt Beauty is a new brand founded by 21-year-old Aerin Glazer. Glazer grew up with psoriatic arthritis, and every aspect of Tilt is intently crafted with inclusivity in mind. Ergonomic packaging for dexterity issues, braille for low vision, clean formulas for sensitive skin, and even refillable aspects for sustainability; Tilt covers it all. They are the first beauty brand to receive The Arthritis Foundation's Ease of Use Certification.
Beauty should not be a privilege, limited to those who can maneuver the products. These brands show that change is possible—that the beauty industry has a place for the millions of people currently blocked by inaccessibility. Small but thoughtful changes can help include and inspire creativity and confidence in everyone.
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