The Most Accessible Beauty Products for People With Upper-Extremity Disabilities

I scribbled just one note next to this one in my notebook: "This whole product = YES." The Joah Beauty Crystal Glow Tinted Luminizer Stick isn't just a multitasker but also a multi-tool. On one end, the pop-off cap reveals an easily dispensed stick that both highlights and contours. The other end (with yet another easy pop-off cap) conceals a brush. Tip: If you want even quicker access to the brush, just leave it uncapped, so all you'll have to do is flip the product.

Kovac appreciates products with "smaller handles that will fit between my toes" because they are the most comfortable and practical." Milk Makeup's Sunshine Oil comes in a narrow cylinder with an easy rollerball for glide-on application. No need for a pipette makes this one an easy face oil option for anyone with limited use of their upper extremities.

I'm quoting the Allure editors here: "It takes a single Live Tinted Huestick to do the work of an entire makeup bag." This statement is an accessibility dream because, again, any multitasking product will simplify your routine and lessen your need to battle too many products. And there are no packaging battles to be had here because the Huestick comes in stick form with an easily removable cap. 

Trademark Beauty's Babe Waves is great for one-hand use. Just clamp onto a strand wherever you want waves. It's OK if you're not able to do a great job evenly separating strands and go about it a bit haphazardly because beachy waves — and people — don't require perfection to look beautiful.

The Haus Laboratories The Edge Precision Brow Pencil is everything I look for in one-hand accessible products. The cap pops right off, and the twist mechanism gets rid of all your tiny makeup-sharpener nightmares. I leave the spoolie end uncapped at all times for quick access when using the pencil. It's also nice and small for someone who might be holding it with their toes. Contrary to a brow brush, you don't have to worry about angling it in a specific direction. So this makes it OK if you struggle in the precision department.

A beloved classic in a stick form is the accessibility I love to see. Jars are generally tricky for any upper-extremity disability, so being able to enjoy a multipurpose classic, such as Vaseline, in an easy-access design like the All Over Body Balm Jelly Stick, is ideal.

ManiMe nail wraps revolutionized accessibility with its custom component. You upload a photo of your hand through its app to generate a custom-sized set of stick-on gels. The best part? If you have a limb difference, whether that be in size, amount of digits, or a missing limb altogether, you'll be getting gels sized to your uniquely shaped hands. You can even size the same hand twice if you don't have two.

Multiuse products are great for disabilities because they involve fewer steps and fewer products. The Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer Brighten & Correct Duo is easy to uncap whether you're using just one hand or your mouth (just pop it off, no unscrewing) and doesn't require you to fuss with a wand applicator. You can even hold it between your knees, toes, etc., and glide your face right onto it. The formula is smooth, which makes applying it even simpler. 

Kovac says hair products "need to be one appendage-friendly and need to be quick to use, as I can only sit with my foot up to my head for so long." Carol's Daughter Wash Day Delight Water-to-Foam transforms into the perfect foam with almost no need to diligently work it into a lather. 

That's excellent if your strength is limited or you can't keep your arms or feet up above your head for too long. Since it comes out like water, you won't need to squeeze the bottle hard, and you can dispense it straight onto your head — no need to pour it into another hand. The narrow nozzle makes sure it's reaching your scalp versus dripping off your wet hair before you get to lather. So in one-handed cases, you'll have time to actually put the bottle down.

Non-liquid liners that don't require a sharpener are great for upper extremity disabilities. Gucci Beauty's Stylo Contour Des Yeux Khol Eyeliner is a double winner because the formula makes it glide, which is excellent if you need quick, smooth application without needing too much precision. Additionally, the texture makes it ideal for smudging and blending if you're not capable of drawing a crisp line.

Nearly every hair oil I've come across requires you to dispense it into one hand and subsequently rub both hands together. That tends to be difficult (or impossible), depending on your disability. For me, I usually dispense it onto a leg and rub my palm on it to then apply to my hair, which leads to wasted product and hair oil where it doesn't belong. But Adwoa Beauty Protect doubles as a body oil. Problem solved.

Until discovering Glamnetic, I'd never even dreamt of venturing into the seemingly inaccessible world of false lashes. But the brand makes it so that you don't need to worry about applying glue to a tiny lash rim. Its magnetic liner is all the hold you'll need, and it's easy to uncap with no need to sharpen. You don't even need to be extremely neat with the line you're drawing because the lashes will cover up the bulk of it (unless you go for an accentuated cat-eye). These XOXO Vegan Magnetic Lashes get my highest recommendation for one-hand use as well as for anyone with shaky hands or dexterity issues.

The Volo Hero Hair Towel is larger than most hair-specific towels, making it accessible to upper-extremity impairments. So whether you're wrapping it with the help of a shorter residual limb, feet, knees, or — in my case — a wall, you'll be able to reach the towel with more ease. 

The flat (versus cylindrical) design of this packaging makes the Shiseido Clear Sunscreen Stick easy to hold between your knees or feet and glide your face over. The cap pops off easily, and it dispenses with ease, like a deodorant stick, which I find accessible to do with one hand.

Simplifying the small things is essential when it takes more time to complete basic tasks due to disability. Unfortunately, every flatiron I've owned has wound up in a tangle due to my inability to neatly wrap the cord with one arm. So not having to deal with a cord with the GHD Unplugged is a dream come true. 

As Mallon mentioned, a one-step application is important because disabled people sometimes have less energy. This is precisely why I love Isdin's Isdinceutics K-Ox Eyes. It comes in a tube versus a tiny jar you need to unscrew. The tube is thin, making it more practical to open and hold. You can use the built-in applicator tip to apply the product directly to the eye area and evenly distribute it.

As you may have noticed by my frequent inclusion of stick-form products, sticks are often very accessible to various upper extremity impairments. And Kovac agrees. "The product is best if it doesn't require a lot of precision to use," she says. Aside from being easy to dispense, you can easily blend out the product — and that's what this bronzer, Em Cosmetics So Soft Multi Faceplay, is all about.

The Manta Healthy Hairbrush is excellent for limited strength and dexterity because it molds to both the shape of your scalp and palm as you brush. This helps you achieve a comfortable grip and makes it accessible to various hand sizes, shapes, and strengths.

I didn't think I'd ever get so excited about nail polish remover, but Olive & June Nail Polish Remover did it. When living with an arm impairment, pouring nail polish remover onto a cotton round is never an easy feat. This little pot takes it all off with a simple dip — unlike most potted removers, it works like magic. The top has a little sponge attached so you can tend to your toes, too.

Meloway Your Way Mascara is a first of its kind with a bendable brush meant to be positioned at whichever angle is best for you. This is great for someone who relies on extremities other than hands for makeup — getting that right mascara brush angle can be difficult using your knees, for example. The wand is also shorter than most mascaras, which helps prevent poking yourself if close to a mirror.

Hot tools such as curlers and blow dryers are complicated for upper extremity impairments, but not the Dyson Airwrap. "I can just hold it up next to my hair and it gently sucks it right in," Kovac says of how your hair automatically wraps around the barrel when you use the curling attachment. You definitely don't need two hands to use this styler and can even adapt to using it with feet or knees. 

I usually avoid sheet masks at all costs because they are miserable to unfold (and that's without addressing the sometimes impossible-to-open sheets they come in). I Dew Care Straight Chillin' Cooling Aloe Sheet Masks, however, come in a box and dispense just like tissues. Pop open the lid and just pull out a sheet whenever you want a refresh.

A lot of "fun" hair colors don't require mixing, and that's great if you have trouble opening and mixing multiple products. But what makes Good Dye Young I'm Bored Hair Makeup even better is that the shades dispense with a pump. This is also helpful when it comes to portions.

With the Hey Dewy Wireless Facial Humidifier, you won't have to struggle with carrying a heavy water reservoir (which usually requires two hands for holding) and flipping it onto a base. This device is also small enough to hold it using your knees or feet. There aren't too many fancy settings — just full mist, intermittent mist and off — and you can cycle through them using just one button.

Benefit Cosmetics They're Real! Magnet Extreme Lengthening Mascara eliminates the need to fuss with a lash curler and risk pinching your eyelids. Not needing to use a lash curler great for anyone with limited strength, dexterity, or ability to use either of their upper extremities. The packaging is easy to open because the flat face helps you get a better grip (no matter what appendage you're gripping it with), and that package shape will incidentally keep it from rolling if you tend to knock things over.