Beauty Folio

The beauty industry is a safe space of confidence and self-expression, from the skincare that makes us feel comfortable in our own skin to the cosmetics we chose to enhance our natural beauty. In an industry worth an estimated $500 billion, it is surprising that so little has been done to make it accessible for all. For years, some consumers could only dream of a beauty brand that was inclusive, and despite extensive shade ranges for all skin tones and products for all skin and hair types, there are millions of people worldwide where that dream still comes with barriers.

Being inclusive is not simply ensuring that a product is perfect in appearance only. A product has to be user friendly for all consumers. Despite the world becoming more accessible when it comes to areas such as technology, the beauty industry is very much a space that needs to do more. A lipstick that won’t open with limited grip, a website that can’t be navigated with a screen reader and a makeup counter that assumes everyone can see, hear, stand, or speak the same way are all common issues encountered on a daily basis. In an industry built on the idea that beauty is for everyone, accessibility has too often been an afterthought.

As marketing campaigns flood social media with claims that they are in fact an inclusive brand, the beauty industry is being asked a deeper question: who is actually being included? Accessibility isn’t just about disability. It’s about designing products and experiences for all and not just the able. Because accessibility isn’t a limitation on creativity or functionality; it is merely an invitation for brands to challenge the status quo and make products available for all.

We’ve been talking to two incredible women who are keen to highlight the issues within the industry to help brands navigate the way to a more accessible beauty experience.

Holly: Life of a Blind Girl

Holly is a social media manager, blogger, freelance writer and accessibility advocate – and she’s also I’m registered blind.

She’s the author of the blog, Life of a Blind Girl, a space where she raises awareness, educates others and helps fellow disabled people navigate daily life.

When she’s not creating social media content in her day job, or working on a new blog post, she enjoys listening to the latest pop music, getting lost in an audiobook or watching women’s football. She’s also a huge lover everything accessible, fashion and beauty and making the world more accessible, one blog post at a time.

Things Holly would love to see brands consider which would make beauty more accessible for blind and visually impaired people

• Accessible packaging.
• Image descriptions.
• Tactile packaging (especially for products that feel exactly the same).
• Accessible websites for purchasing products online.
• Staff having disability awareness training at counters.
• Helpful product names and descriptions (especially
• for shades of lipstick etc that tell you what colour it actually is).
• Better disability representation in their marketing.

Julie: Glowing Older

Julie is a 60 year old woman navigating post-menopause life. She has a bi-monthly column in Beauty Folio Magazine called Glowing Older, a space to share how natural products have revolutionised her beauty routine. As well as celebrating natural beauty products and independent businesses, she is also a sufferer of Osteoarthritis which affects her hands. This hinders and impacts her life on a daily basis, making her adapt how she uses day-to-day items. This has greatly effected how her beauty routine and how she selects the brands I shop with. She opts for products that allow her to dispense product easily without having to have additional help.

Things that Julie Feels Would make beauty more accessible for those with hand issues

• Easy to open packaging is a must. As much as I like to be as eco-friendly as possible, products in tins are incredibly difficult for me to open and close without help. Sliding tins for lip balms are hard for me to hold, and while tins are lightweight for creams, I find it hard not to cross-thread the lids or have enough grip to open them with daily use.
• Pumps are a must for easy application. If I can purchase a product with a pump closure, I know that I can easily dispense a product without wastage. Pumps for facial oils over dropper bottles make life easier, and body lotions and moisturisers in a pump bottle enable me to use products independently.
• Tubes are a no-go for me as I find it difficult to squeeze products out which results in too much waste.
• Shiny packaging makes it difficult to grip while using products.

To read the full article – and join the discussion – check out the latest issue of Beauty Folio Magazine here.

Take Care,

Emma @ Beauty Folio x