Unlocked: the best beauty products for people with reduced mobility | Reconcile
Bernice J. Hicks
2 min read
Mmy right arm was out of commission for weeks last year and it got me thinking again about how people with long-term and more serious movement difficulties are underserved by consumer industries, including the beauty. It is extremely difficult to remove shiny screw-on lids, use pipettes and open rigid palettes when you have only one hand or none.
Despite its celebrated inception in 2019, Grace Beauty – a brand specializing in sleek ergonomic handles for everyday makeup – has all but died out, so for now it’s a matter of looking for existing products with accidental benefits. I found the matte finish of Skingredients plastic (refillable) lids and bottles easy to lift and replace with one hand, and the pumps sturdy enough for a good buy. Good fats for the skin, from £44, a creamy, protective moisturizer for all skin types, is my most used.
Almost all Drunk Elephant products (C Firma, £52.80, is an exceptional vitamin C serum) feature twist pump dispensers that can be operated with one hand and dispensed directly onto the face. Milk Makeup has an equally accessible package: its chubby, non-slippery color sticks (Mini Lip + Cheek, £16.50, is an essential) can be twisted easily, then brushed on and blended without needing to grab a brush (although Kohl Creatives offers a huge range of make-up brushes designed for people with motor disabilities, from £8.99).
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Makeup palettes can be tricky to handle, but Viseart’s Pro and Petit Fours shadows come in cardboard-lidded palettes that open without a clasp, then sit flat, so you won’t have to. to chase them around the table with a brush. The eyeshadows are flawless.
To finish the look, lottie LondonWing Edition Stamp Liner, £5.95, requires less dexterity than a traditional eyeliner. You simply press the tip of the rubber stamp on each eyelid for identical feline flicks.
All of this comes at a cost, inevitably, and there is gross injustice in being penalized for the privilege of using everyday objects.
Hope came in December with Olay’s piloting of its Easy-Open Lid, a limited run of chunky caps with winged handles that will fit all Olay moisturizers, as part of the manufacturer’s P&G commitment. to make its packaging more accessible to people with disabilities. The new lids are only available in North America so far, but hopes are high for a UK release. The big change comes from the big brands, and this one is overdue.
