Changing Perceptions on Sight Loss in Style
Greetings Readers!
Today I have a very exciting blog post to share with you all. This blog is going to be shining the spotlight on a very innovative and inclusive skincare brand, Victoria Land Beauty.
As you know, the beauty industry is hugely inaccessible for disabled people, especially when it comes to matters of sight. So any opportunity to discover a brand doing positive things to make an impact are worth the credit.
I recently came across this brand after being interviewed alongside the founder, Victoria on a podcast called Formula Botanica. In the episode we discussed the topic of disability inclusivity in the beauty industry. It isn’t currently av yet, it is due to be released later this month.
Anyhow, I got chatting to the founder and found out more about her inspiring story and the story behind her skincare brand.
Victoria Land Beauty is a US based skincare brand founded by Victoria Watts. She wanted to create a skincare line that was suited to people with specific skin issues such as hyperpigmentation, oiliness and signs of premature ageing. The range is Vegan friendly and Cruelty Free. Everything is made using plant oils, fruit oils, nut oils and botanical extracts. The range is free from parabens, phthalates, SLS, GMOs, mineral oils, and synthetic fragrances.
As well as that 2% of the sales made will go towards the Boston Children’s Hospital Opthormology department.
But the really unique thing about this brand is that it has some really useful access features to its packaging and product design for people who are low-vision or who have print disabilities.
When Victoria was developing the brand, she gave birth to her fourth child Cyrus. Cryus was born legally blind due to rare eye condition and as he grew Victoria began to notice how he used his sense of touch to navigate the world. As she started to research into what was out there for people with sight loss like her son, she was surprised at the lack of accessibility, particularly in the consumer industry.
This then drove her to totally repackage and redesign her whole skincare line for people with sight loss. She worked closely with the Lighthouse Organisation: a sight loss charity in the US. Which enabled her to understand effective ways that she could make her brand more accessible.
Want to hear from Victoria herself? Check out my latest video on my YouTube channel that features an interview with Victoria.
Tactile Symbols
Victoria developed a tactile symbol system she has named the Cyrus System (after her son) otherwise known as the System of Raised Universal Symbols. She has developed eleven systems for her range so far and launched the first four in December last year.
These symbols are raised symbols placed on the lid or top of the product for ease of access. For instance, the squiggly line symbol indicates the product is a face moisturiser, the triangle sys indicates its a lip and eye cream and the teardrop system
She did this instead of adding braille in order to make her products accessible to everyone with sight loss and print disabilities. As not everyone reads braille.
Statistically only 1 in 10 people with sight loss read braille according to the Federation of the Blind.
However she also hopes that this system, along with the Cyrus Institute (a nonprofit project she has also launched). To continue to grow this system and to work with brands not just in the beauty industry, but in all packaged consumer goods. To develop a universally known raised symbol system that all brands can use to develop their accessibility for low-vision consumers.
Raised QR Codes
The other really useful feature Victoria Land beauty features for low-vision users is the inclusion of a raised QR code. Victoria Land Beauty features an embossed QR code on the outer packaging. Now I have spoken consistently on this blog in the past about how much I love and use QR codes. But also how beauty products could be so much more accessible if they included QR codes on their packaging to enable low-vision people to scan for further information.
Victoria Land Beauty is one of the few beauty brands I have seen do this, but also do one better. Because she has also made the QR codes raised, after being advised to do this by the Lighthouse Organisation. This means that the QR code is embossed, so you can feel where to scan it.
You simply scan the QR code using whatever app you currently use to scan it (I use the camera on my iPhone).
Audio Files
When you scan this QR code it will then take you to a page with a media player which will play you an audio file. The audio file tells you key information on the product such as name, price, product description and key ingredients. You can also choose to download this audio file for future reference too.
The Products
Victoria kidney sent me 3 products from the line to try, now after trying all the access features mentioned above I was incredibly impressed. The raised QR code worked fantastically and the symbols are a good size and well placed. But, I was just as equally impressed with the actual products themselves and the formula.
This brand is relatively new and so the product line is small. But as it continues to grow more products will be added with new symbols.
Skin Loving Lip and Eye Treatment
Price: $55
This treatment is designed to rehydrate the more delicate skin on your face, your eyes and lips. It has a thick formula, however one I began to apply it to the skin I noticed it absorbed well into the skin. The whole range has a really pleasant Roship Oil scent to it.
It contains Meadowfoam Seed Oil, an ingredient rich in fatty acids to help hydrate the skin, add nutrients and firm the skin. It also contains Evening Primrose Oil which helps reduce the appearance of dark circles and improve elasticity. This treatment is also rich in peptides which help to combat signs of ageing.
Price: $89
The Skin-Loving Elixir is an oil based treatment for your skin, which you apply on cleansed skin before using a moisturiser. It’s designed to give your skin a more healthy, glowy appearance and I will say this was probably my favourite thing out of everything I tried.
This contains Revinage, which is a plant-based alternative to retinoids designed to help combat signs of ageing. It also contains Gatuline In-Tense which helps to smooth and firm the skin. It is also rich in Rosehip Seed Oil which is a powerhouse for the skin, rich in nutrients that help to improve the texture of the skin.
Because this is an oil based treatment, I would recommend spending a few minutes really massaging this into the skin and spending some time on allowing it to absorb into the skin. This is a gorgeous product, it makes the skin look very fresh and healthy and makeup sits really well underneath it.
Price: $75
The last product from this line that I tried is the Skin-Loving Moisturiser, which works really well underneath the Elixir. This is a daily moisturiser to give the skin a more radiant appearance. This is made with Rosehip Seed Oil, which gives it a gorgeous scent and lovely smooth feeling on the skin. It also contains Hyaluronic Acid which hydrates the skin, a staple ingredient in the skincare world. Finally, it also contains Meadowfoam Seed Oil again for that smoothing feeling on the skin.
I really enjoyed using this moisturiser, I loved the texture, the scent and how it sat on the skin. It was the right kind of consistency, hydrating and rich, without being too weighty.
For me, I really notice that it gives my skin a more fresh faced look and as someone who gets dull skin due to my illness. I really like moisturisers that give my skin a bit of a boost.
That concludes todays overview of the brand Victoria Land Beauty. I really hope you enjoyed finding out about this brand and the amazing work Victoria is doing to champion low-vision accessibility in the beauty industry.
If you are a low-vision person living in the US, you can also help by filling in a short survey that Victoria has put together to conduct vital research into the shopping habits of low-vision people. Click here to fill in the survey.
Be be sure to follow Victoria Land Beauty on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Also do reach out if you have any suggestions or feedback you can email the brand at info@victorialandbeauty.com.
Kudos to you Victoria!
Disclaimer: This blog post features gifted products.