Accessible Packaging: Why the Beauty Industry Must Address the 'Benefits for All' Issue

For Paralympic swimmer Anastasia Pagonis, makeup has always been a passion. However, when she lost usable vision at age 14, Pagonis had to find new ways to use and shop for her favorite products.

"Most people take independence for granted, and when you have a disability, that independence can be lost quickly," Pagonis said in an email. "Discovering the convenience of new products becomes challenging."

Many beauty products on shelves today are not friendly to people with disabilities—whether they are blind or have low vision, or have hand dexterity issues like those with arthritis.

Pagonis credits her mother for helping her identify products and shades. Over the past five years, her mother has helped her create QR codes for products. After scanning these codes, Pagonis can hear her mother describe the products via audio, including texture and application tips.

This creative idea caught the attention of E.l.f. Beauty. The brand has worked with Pagonis over the past two years and launched the "Beauty For Every Eye" set this August. The products use the same assistive tools Pagonis's mother prepared for her over the years, but the audio introductions behind the QR codes are now recorded by Pagonis herself, personally describing the products and how to use them.

"Our research and collaboration show that blind and low-vision people often have to rely on sighted individuals or use creative methods to distinguish between mascara and lip gloss on their vanity," Laurie Lam, chief brand officer at E.l.f. Beauty, said in an email. "We've found that the path to inclusivity is an ongoing process. Taking the time to understand how your user base—abled or not—interacts with products and packaging is a key step toward creating universal packaging that works for everyone."

Although more brands are actively working to develop more universal packaging, it is not yet widespread in the beauty industry. Deb Gokie, vice president of consumer health and ease-of-use at the Arthritis Foundation, noted that companies that do not prioritize this may be missing a real business opportunity.

"They're leaving a lot of money on the table," Gokie said.

Industry status quo: the dual barriers of awareness and cost

For many brands, creating universally accessible packaging is not currently a priority. Kailey Waskall, a licensed occupational therapist who runs the Occupation Beauty Instagram account, believes the reason may come down to a lack of awareness. The account reviews products for accessibility.

"I think some brands are really trying, but most brands don't know what inclusive packaging or universal packaging is, and they've never specifically thought about it from a disability perspective," Waskall said. "I think a lot of brands right now aren't thinking about it at all."

Rare Beauty and Guide Beauty are two brands that have thoughtfully considered how consumers interact with their products, with packaging designed to accommodate multiple needs. Both founders approach product design from a personal perspective: Rare Beauty was founded by Selena Gomez, who has spoken publicly about her hand dexterity issues; Guide Beauty was founded by celebrity makeup artist Terri Bryant, who began designing easier-to-use and apply products after experiencing dexterity issues in her hands and being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

However, building widespread awareness among industry executives without personal experience remains a major challenge.

"In terms of cost, it requires a significant investment."

—Joyce Kim, Chief Product Officer at Rare Beauty

Additionally, operational and financial constraints can also make progress on accessible packaging difficult.

"For those small indie brands that really want to go deep into this space, the reality is that any packaging customized in this way requires a significant investment in cost," said Joyce Kim, chief product officer at Rare Beauty. "It's really difficult."

For larger companies and brand groups that may have the financial resources, their massive product portfolios themselves pose a challenge. So analyzes Bryan Rahning, director at PERLab, Kearney's product redesign arm.

"They have time-tested classic designs that they iterate on, but those designs are rooted in traditional thinking and don't consider different levels of accessibility needs—whether vision, mobility, or other cognitive abilities," he said. "I think when your product portfolio is that large, driving change requires tremendous momentum. They haven't started moving that elephant yet."

Rahning noted that some companies in the personal care space have made more notable attempts to improve product accessibility. For example, Procter & Gamble has taken steps to add tactile dents and symbols to products such as shampoo, conditioner, and laundry detergent pods to help people with low vision and blindness identify products. But he said the prestige beauty space has been relatively slower to adopt accessible packaging tools.

"In prestige beauty, getting new designs approved is very difficult," he said. "You have to constantly work with a large number of packaging suppliers, and for some big companies, the new product launch cycle itself is quite long."

He added that smaller startups may actually have an advantage over larger companies because they are more agile and can test new designs faster.

Another factor brands consider is how sustainability aligns with product accessibility.

"From a design perspective, most of these design elements require additional packaging, and the industry is undoubtedly in the process of pursuing greater sustainability," said Kim of Rare Beauty. "It's a bit contradictory—achieving accessible packaging while reducing plastic use for sustainability, and also having the funds to do these custom tools. There are still barriers in the industry to achieving all of these goals simultaneously... I think it's hard to scale right now."

The path forward: how companies are addressing the barriers

For Rare Beauty, designing packaging that is easy to open and close came naturally from Gomez's personal experience.

The brand began receiving consumer feedback about product accessibility. Wanting to better understand which design elements made products easier to use, Rare Beauty partnered with the Casa Colina Research Institute to launch the "Made Accessible" program.

Casa Colina Research Institute conducted a study to determine which features make products easier to open, apply, or hold for people with upper limb disabilities. Over a two-week period, participants tested seven Rare Beauty products and provided feedback on usability.

"This study gave our patients the opportunity to reintroduce makeup into their lives in a more accessible way," said Hannah Cone, a staff member at Casa Colina Hospitals and Centers, in a statement on Rare Beauty's website. "It shows that even with limited hand and arm mobility, you can still participate in the beauty community."

Products included in the study were the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil, Positive Light Liquid Highlighter, Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer, Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer, Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation, and Kind Words Matte Lipstick. After the study, the brand identified three key features to improve product accessibility: easy-to-use packaging, packaging finishes that provide a secure grip, and applicators that are comfortable to hold and allow for precise use.

Taking the Positive Light Liquid Highlighter as an example, Rare Beauty found that its cap design allows for a secure grip, the applicator is easy to remove, and the bottle size balances comfortable holding with stability.

"We plan to apply all the information and knowledge we've learned to future packaging decisions," Kim said. "The biggest goal is that the beauty industry can do the same."

Target has also taken steps to provide resources for creating accessible packaging. In May, the Arthritis Foundation announced it had developed "Ease-of-Use Design Guidelines" in partnership with the big-box retailer, calling them "the first U.S. guidelines for engineers and designers to use during the requirements definition and design development phases for easy-to-use products and packaging."

"In the past, companies would bring us products to test, and they would fail," said Gokie of the Arthritis Foundation. "The design itself was great, but they might have forgotten to add a pull tab to the inner seal, and no one could open it."

"What we're trying to do through the design guidelines—and what we're doing with Target—is provide resources and design guidelines for engineers and industrial designers so they have a reference guide at the design stage, rather than discovering problems after the product is already on the market. Because if changes are needed after launch, going back to redesign is often costly."

These guidelines draw on the experience of the Arthritis Foundation's "Ease-of-Use Certification" program, which independently tests products to determine whether they are easy to use for people with mobility limitations.

This work, funded by Target, has led to the release of multiple guides, including one on "bottles and bases" and one on "components," designed to help designers and engineers across the industry develop easier-to-use packaging.

The "bottles and bases" guide lists potential factors that can increase difficulty of use, such as products being too heavy, requiring excessive linear force, or requiring too large a grip span. It also offers several recommendations to make products easier to use, such as: products intended for one-handed carrying should weigh less than 5 pounds, and no more than 10 pounds for two-handed carrying; seals should be easy to remove; and comfortable grip areas should not exceed 2.5 to 3 inches in diameter.

"For any product submitted for testing, our goal is to get them to pass—because we want to bring more products suitable for the arthritis community to market," Gokie said.

Universal design: who benefits

According to the Arthritis Foundation, arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States, affecting approximately 60 million adults and about 300,000 children. And according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one in four U.S. adults has some type of disability.

It is crucial for brands to consider the diverse needs of people with disabilities when designing product packaging. However, the benefits extend far beyond these specific groups.

"Everyone benefits from it," Gokie said. "When packaging is accessible—if it's easy for someone with arthritis, chronic pain, or visual impairment—then it becomes easier for all consumers."

"The disability community is a group anyone can join at any time."

—Kailey Waskall, occupational therapist and operator of the Occupation Beauty Instagram account

Outside the beauty industry, many things originally designed for accessibility have become common features in everyday life.

"Curb cuts were originally designed for the disability community—those little ramps at the curb," Waskall said. "But now, moms with strollers or families benefit from them too. If you're unloading something heavy or pushing a cart, you don't want to step over a curb."

"So these changes that seem to 'only serve one group' actually benefit everyone. Universal design exists to make the world more accessible, and that helps everyone."

Prioritizing universal design can also boost customer loyalty: according to a 2016 Nielsen ease-of-use survey cited by the Arthritis Foundation, more than 70% of consumers said they would consider switching brands if a product or brand received "Ease-of-Use Certification." Additionally, if a consumer develops a disability later in life, packaging accessibility may determine whether they continue using the product.

"The disability community is a group anyone can join at any time," Waskall said. "As you age, you might... develop a disability. Imagine if you have a 'holy grail' product you plan to use for life, but at a certain age you develop a disability and suddenly you can no longer use that product—that would leave a bad impression of the brand."

Beyond harming customer loyalty, neglecting accessible design can also pose a business threat.

"From a business operations perspective, they're missing a huge population, especially as the population ages," Waskall said. She noted that for people who develop a disability, it can change how they interact with products. "If you can say right now, 'Hey, our products are designed to be accessible,' you can continue to cultivate a highly engaged and loyal customer base," Waskall added.

Beyond revenue opportunities, Rahning of PERLab believes advancing packaging accessibility can also help companies achieve their inclusivity goals.

"Many brands are built on stories and claims of inclusivity," he said. "Many elements of universal design align closely with the brand stories they're trying to tell. I think it adds credibility to the claims they already have on their products—it really brings those stories to life."

Is a more accessible industry within reach?

Rare Beauty and Target have funded research into what makes product design accessible. Lam said E.l.f. Beauty's collaboration with Pagonis marks the brand's "first step in its journey to make beauty more accessible."

But according to Kim, brands still have some "low-hanging fruit" they can pick to make products more accessible.

"Creating an entire line is the more challenging part," she said. "But I think brands can start small to make packaging more accessible."

Waskall has posted videos on her Occupation Beauty account showing how users can modify beauty products themselves to improve accessibility, such as adding rhinestones to a compact for texture or wrapping self-adhesive tape around a lip liner for easier gripping.

However, brands can make relatively small changes at the design stage to make products more accessible.

For example, adding texture or using a matte finish can help users grip products better, while smooth cases tend to slip. Incorporating angular edges into product design—like Fenty Beauty's Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint—can also make products easier to grip and prevent them from rolling away when placed down.

Waskall believes that allowing users to use the same product in multiple ways also helps improve accessibility. She highlighted Makeup by Mario's Softsculpt Transforming Skin Enhancer, which can be dispensed with a pump or opened by twisting the cap to use the brush for more precise application.

"Universal design doesn't need to be just one design; it needs to offer multiple options," Waskall said. "It can be a product that can be applied in multiple ways and interacted with in multiple ways, thus covering a broader range of consumers."

Brands should also consider where a product fits into a person's daily routine. "Even if you don't have a disability, if you've just applied hand cream and then try to open a container..."