In the world of high-end skincare and beauty, “vibes” are everything. Brands often spend thousands of dollars on a minimalist, earth-toned aesthetic to convey luxury and natural purity. However, a recent federal lawsuit against the luxury skincare brand May Lindstrom Skin serves as a vital reminder for Shopify stores: if your “aesthetic” makes your website unreadable, it’s not just a design choice, it’s a legal ADA compliance liability.
ADA Compliance
In our latest video analysis, we broke down the accessibility hurdles found on the May Lindstrom Skin website. Despite its stunning visual appeal, the site was flagged for ADA compliance failures, specifically regarding color contrast.
Case Study: Nicole Da Vis v. May Lindstrom Skin, LLC
Filed in October 2025, the lawsuit (Nicole Da Vis v. MAY LINDSTROM SKIN, LLC) alleges that the brand’s digital platform is not accessible to blind and visually impaired individuals. While the complaint mentions several barriers, our analysis focused on one of the most visible (or rather, invisible) offenders: low color contrast.
Color Contrast
Why Color Contrast Matters for Your Shopify Store
Digital accessibility is built on the principle that information must be perceivable. For users with low vision, color blindness, or even someone trying to shop on their phone in bright sunlight, high contrast is the difference between a successful purchase and a frustrating exit.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, which are the gold standard for ADA compliance, set specific ratios for text:
Level AA (Minimum Requirement): Requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (18pt or 14pt bold).
Level AAA (Enhanced Accessibility): Requires a ratio of 7:1 for normal text.
Beauty Industry targets for ADA Lawsuits
The Beauty Industry is Under Fire
May Lindstrom is not alone. The beauty and skincare sector has become a primary target for “tester” plaintiffs. Recent filings have also targeted brands like Glossier, L’Oreal, and Drunk Elephant. These brands often favor “chic” low-contrast designs, light grey text on white backgrounds or gold text on cream, which are classic examples of “Form over Function” that lead directly to demand letters.
How to Protect Your Shopify Business
If you are a Shopify merchant, you don’t have to wait for a lawsuit to take action. Here is how you can ensure your store meets ADA compliance standards for color and contrast today:
1. Run a Contrast Audit
Don’t trust your eyes. Use a tool like the WebAIM Contrast Checker or Chrome DevTools to get the exact contrast ratio of your headers, body text, and buttons. If your ratio is below 4.5:1, you need to darken your text or lighten your background.
2. Update Your Shopify Theme Settings
Most Shopify themes allow you to change global colors in the “Theme Settings” menu. Look for your “Link color,” “Button text,” and “Body text” fields. Ensure that your call-to-action (CTA) buttons have a sharp contrast—for example, white text on a dark blue button.
3. Don’t Rely on Color Alone
A common mistake is using color as the only way to convey information (e.g., “required fields are in red”). For users who are colorblind, this is useless. Always use text labels or icons in addition to color to indicate errors or links.
4. Check Text Over Images
Many Shopify stores use hero banners with text overlaid on photos. This is a high-risk area. If the photo has light and dark patches, parts of your text will inevitably become unreadable. Use a color overlay or a text box to ensure the background is consistent and the contrast remains high.
Conclusion: Inclusive Design is Good Business
The takeaway from the May Lindstrom Skin lawsuit is clear: aesthetics should never come at the expense of access. By prioritizing ADA compliance and ensuring high color contrast on your Shopify store, you aren’t just avoiding legal trouble. You are opening your doors to the millions of consumers who rely on clear, readable design to navigate the world.
Accessible design isn’t about making your site “ugly”, it’s about making it usable for everyone. After all, a customer can’t buy your products if they can’t read your reviews.
To watch the full analysis of the May Lindstrom Skin website, check out the video from ShopAccessible.com here: May Lindstrom Skin receives ADA Lawsuit due to colour contrast issues? 🚨