Selena Gomez's Own Health Issues Influenced Rare Beauty's Accessible & Inclusive Packaging
While consumers have spoken about how Rare Beauty's accessible packaging makes beauty more inclusive, brand founder Selena Gomez is opening up about how this inclusivity relates to her own medical experience. "I have arthritis in my fingers and that's due to my lupus," the actor and pop singer shared on the "Good Hang with Amy Poehler" podcast. "We somehow inherently made the products easy to open and then we realized, wait, they kind of have to be that way. And then we started to make every product with the intention of [working for] anybody who has dexterity problems."
Gomez, who's undergone quite the stunning transformation, launched Rare Beauty in 2020, with the company emphasizing a focus on self-acceptance and mental health support. Then, in 2023, TikTok creator Christen Roos pushed back against criticism of Rare Beauty's liquid blush, landing the brand at the center of beauty industry discourse. Born with a rare genetic disorder that resulted in limited reach and strength in her arms, the Canadian user explained that the spherical addition to the top of the tube made opening the product much easier than other makeup items.
@lifewithshortarms #stitch with @Amelia Liana @Rare Beauty for the win. #fypシ #fyp #foryoupage #vlog #pov #grwm #grwmroutine #makeup #blush #inclusion #rarebeauty #selenagomez #makeuproutine @Selena Gomez
Chloe Toscano echoed similar sentiments in a 2023 write-up for Reviewed, deeming Rare Beauty "accidentally accessible." Having one arm amputated above the elbow, the disability advocate emphasized the easy-to-grip matte packaging and control-oriented doe-shaped applicators as stand-out elements of the product designs. Since Gomez's brand established itself as a disability-friendly beauty line, the celeb has further opened up about how her own experiences inspired her to work toward inclusivity.
Rare Beauty has stayed committed to accessibility-minded packaging
As mentioned, Rare Beauty's inclusive packaging was something of a happy accident, but Selena Gomez has since asserted her brand's commitment to disability-friendly product designs, combining her own perspective with research-based evidence. In 2024, the brand launched the Rare Beauty Made Accessible Initiative, partnering with Casa Colina Research Institute to identify accessibility needs within the beauty industry. "With the help of everyone here at Casa Colina we figured out what makes a certain lipstick or blush or highlighter the right choice for people like me with dexterity issues," the celeb explained in a Rare Beauty TikTok.
The brand has stayed true to this commitment to inclusivity with the packaging of new products, with Gomez highlighting the August 2025 release of Rare Eau de Parfum in her interview with Amy Poehler. "Even down to our fragrance, the pump is very easy for me to use," she said. As stated in the product description, Rare Beauty actually collaborated with packaging engineers and hand therapists to design an accessible bottle, replacing the typical pump with a large, oval-shaped dispenser.
"It's actually so helpful for anyone at any age to be able to use the products," the actor reiterated to Poehler. "That's why we want to make them easy and accessible because it's important to me and it always has been." So, while Gomez has had some beauty looks we'll never forget, the supportive and inclusive advocacy of the star's beauty brand is even more memorable.