Accidentally washing your hair with conditioner – it’s something we’ve all done once or twice. With so many shampoo and conditioner bottles being completely identical, distinguishing them from each other is not easy for everyone, whether you’re in the shower or at the store. This problem gave rise to a simple solution, which Herbal Essences announced in 2018: tactile markings on shampoo and conditioner bottles.
The idea was sparked by Inclusive Designer and Accessibility Leader at Procter & Gamble, Sumaira Latif, who is visually impaired herself. She helped pioneer this simple solution for distinguishing between two products, with four raised lines on shampoos, and two lines of circles on conditioners. But the company hasn’t stopped there. Now, all printed information on Herbal Essences products will be easier for users to access: with free live video support from Procter and Gamble’s in-house hair care experts.
Barriers to good hair care can come up at any time: Picking out the right product at the store, selecting the right shampoo and conditioner for your hair type, differentiating between products for different types of hair, reading ingredients lists and instructions - whether out shopping or at home, the Herbal Essences Team is just a tap of a button away. Through a new partnership with Be My Eyes, Herbal Essences will take the guesswork out of non-visual hair care, offering their blind and low-vision customers quick and direct support through Be My Eyes’ video calling service, Specialized Help.
“I know from personal experience that little things that sighted people enjoy – like a shower or getting ready – can be stressful when blind,” shares Latif. “I personally use Be My Eyes about five times a day - it helps me with many things I used to stress about, including my hair and make-up. I am so pleased Herbal Essences is offering this level of customer service and support to our community.” Lynn Hicks, Herbal Essences’ North America Brand Manager adds: “The Herbal Essences team are already Be My Eyes volunteers and we are excited to take this next step as a brand partner.”
Through Be My Eyes Specialized Help, blind and low-vision users can connect to the Herbal Essences team with questions regarding their more than 80 products as well as general hair care needs. Calling the Herbal Essences team through Specialized Help works just like a regular Be My Eyes call, except that the caller will be connected to an Herbal Essences representative. The representative will have access to the video feed from the callers phone, to help advise on products or answer any questions. The Herbal Essences team are available through Specialized Help Monday-Friday 9:00am-6:00pm EST. Please note that Herbal Essences will only be available through Specialized Help in the United States, and their services are offered in English.
If you have other requests for companies or institutions to become a part of Specialized Help, please fill out our Specialized Help submission form, and we’ll do our best to include them on the platform.
