Hygiene in the beauty industry: a practical guide

A make-up artist, hairdresser, nail technician or massage therapist works very close to many people every day, touching their face, hair, nails and skin directly. That is why hygiene in these professions is not an optional “nice habit” but part of the job itself. In this guide we cover the basics of practical hygiene for beauty and care professionals: why it matters, when and how to wash your hands, the difference between single-use and reusable tools, what cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation mean, how to use brushes and cosmetics safely, how to organise your workstation, how to observe a client’s skin and how to look after your own health. At the end you will find a sample hygiene log, common mistakes, a practical exercise and a checklist.

This article provides general educational information and does not replace medical advice or official sanitary rules. Requirements can change over time, so check the current sanitary requirements with the relevant authority.

Why hygiene matters so much in the beauty industry

In beauty services, tools and hands pass from one client to the next. If they are not cleaned properly, germs can travel the same way. There are three main risks:

• Spreading infections. Fungal and bacterial infections can be passed on through skin, nails and hair. If the skin is nicked during a manicure or a shave, there is also a risk of blood-borne infections. That is why tools that can break the skin are subject to special requirements.
• Skin reactions. Contaminated cosmetics, an expired product or a poorly washed sponge can cause a rash, redness or eye irritation. A client sometimes notices it a day or two later but still links it to the treatment.
• Client trust. Clients watch your tools, your hands and your workstation. A clean towel, a new nail file taken out of its packaging, cream scooped with a spatula: all of this signals professionalism without a word.

There is no need to frighten anyone when talking about hygiene. The goal is a simple, repeatable routine that gives every client an equally safe service. It takes a few minutes a day, and the benefits last for your whole career.

Hand hygiene: when and how

A professional’s hands are their most-used “tool”.

When to wash your hands

• before and after working with each client;
• before putting on gloves and after taking them off;
• after eating or touching a phone or door handle;
• after using the toilet, coughing or sneezing;
• after handling rubbish, dirty towels or used tools.

How to wash your hands

1. Wet your hands and take liquid soap from a dispenser.
2. Rub thoroughly: palms, backs of the hands, between the fingers, thumbs, around the nails and the wrists. Do not rush: the areas around the nails and between the fingers are the ones most often missed.
3. Rinse well with water.
4. Dry with a disposable paper towel. A shared cloth towel undoes much of the good of washing.
5. If the tap is hand-operated, turn it off using the paper towel.

Hand sanitiser

If your hands are not visibly dirty, you can use a hand sanitiser. Apply it over the entire surface of your hands and rub until completely dry; the amount and time are given on the label. If your hands are dirty or greasy, sanitiser does not replace soap and water.

Keep your nails short and clean, and take off rings and bracelets while working: moisture and dirt collect underneath them. If you have a cut or scratch on your hand, cover it and work with gloves on.

Tools: types and how to process them

Single-use and reusable tools

Single-use tools are used for one client only and then thrown away. Examples include many types of nail file, pumice stones, buffers, mascara and lip applicators, cotton pads and buds, and disposable sheets, towels and gloves. Do not use them on the next client because they “still look fine”.

Reusable tools are used again after cleaning, disinfection and, where required, sterilisation: metal scissors, cuticle nippers, pushers, tweezers, combs, brushes and clips. After use they go straight into the “dirty” container and are not picked up again until they have been fully processed.

The manufacturer determines which group a tool belongs to. If a product is labelled “single use” or is made of a porous material that cannot be disinfected, it is single-use. If in doubt, read the instructions.

Cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation

These three words are often used interchangeably, but they are different stages:

• Cleaning means removing visible dirt, hair, grease and cosmetic residue with water and detergent. This is always the first step: disinfectant does not work well on a dirty tool.
• Disinfection means significantly reducing the number of germs on a surface with a special product. It is used for tables, chairs, containers and tools that do not break the skin.
• Sterilisation means destroying all micro-organisms on a tool, including resistant forms. It is required for tools that may break the skin or come into contact with blood (for example, metal manicure and pedicure tools) and requires special equipment and packaging.

The general sequence for processing tools:

1. Put the used tool straight into a lidded “dirty” container.
2. Wearing gloves, clean the tool with water and detergent, using a brush if needed.
3. Rinse and dry.
4. Apply disinfectant according to the instructions.
5. Send the tools that require it for sterilisation.
6. Store clean tools in a closed, dry place or in sterilisation pouches.

The concentration of the product, contact time, how often to change the solution and the operating mode of the steriliser differ for each product and piece of equipment, so we do not give figures here: follow the product instructions and the current sanitary requirements. Do not mix a solution “by eye” and do not combine products at your own discretion. Stick a label with the date and time on any solution you prepare.

Brush, sponge and cosmetics hygiene

How to clean brushes and sponges

For a make-up artist, brushes and sponges are the tools that get dirty fastest: they collect make-up, skin oil and moisture.

After every client, clean the brush with a special quick-drying brush cleaner or a product suitable according to its instructions. It helps to have a separate set of brushes for each client. The safest approach is to treat sponges as single-use or to use a new one for every client; never use a damp sponge on the next client.

Deep cleaning at the end of the day:

1. Wet the bristles with lukewarm water. Do not let water run into the point where the bristles meet the handle, as the glue will loosen.
2. Wash with mild soap or a special shampoo, swirling the brush in your palm, and rinse until the water runs clear.
3. Squeeze the bristles with a towel and reshape them.
4. Dry the brush lying flat or with the bristles pointing down, otherwise water will run into the handle.
5. Store fully dried brushes in a closed, clean case.

For example, Dilnoza, a make-up artist in Tashkent, works with several clients a day during wedding season. She prepares a set of brushes for each client in advance, puts used ones in a “dirty” bag and washes everything in the evening. As a result, even in a rush she never gives a brush “a quick wipe” and uses it on the next client.

Using cosmetics safely between clients

The main rule: anything that has touched a client’s skin does not go back into the shared container.

• Spatula and palette. Scoop cream, foundation and concealer with a clean spatula and place it on a palette. Do not dip a brush or finger into the jar, and do not put a used spatula back in.
• Mascara. Do not apply mascara to a client with the wand from the tube. Use a disposable applicator and do not put it back into the tube.
• Lipstick. Do not apply lipstick straight onto the lips: take a little with a spatula and apply it with a disposable applicator or a clean brush.
• Pencils. Sharpen eye and lip pencils after every client and clean the sharpener regularly too.
• Powder products. Where possible, put powder and eyeshadow on a palette as well.
• Shelf life and opening date. The open-jar symbol on the packaging (for example, “12M”) shows how many months a product can be used after opening. Write the date on the packaging on the day you open it. Do not use a product whose smell, colour or texture has changed.

The same logic applies to hairdressers and nail technicians: a comb that has touched a client’s hair does not go back into the clean box, and a nail polish brush should not touch broken skin.

Workstation routine and your own health

Clean and dirty zones

Divide your workstation into two zones and do not let them mix:

• Clean zone: processed tools, new single-use materials and clean towels, in a closed box or cabinet.
• Dirty zone: a lidded container for used tools, a basket for dirty towels and a rubbish bin.

Label the zones so that new staff understand them too. For professionals who visit clients at home the rule is the same: separate bags for clean and dirty tools and a sealable rubbish bag are part of the work kit.

Towels, sheets and waste

• Every client gets a clean towel and sheet, or a disposable sheet.
• Disinfect the massage couch and chair after every client.
• Dirty linen should not be kept next to clean linen; wash it and dry it completely.
• General waste goes in a pedal bin with a lid.
• Sharp waste (razor blades and other cutting items) goes in a special puncture-proof container, not an ordinary bag.
• Materials that have come into contact with blood may be subject to a separate procedure; check the current requirements with the relevant authority.

Your own health

• Gloves. Wear disposable gloves for work that may involve contact with blood, for cleaning tools and for handling chemical products, with a new pair for each client. If you are sensitive to latex, choose gloves made of another material.
• Ventilation. Fumes from nail polish, acrylic, glue, dye and disinfectants build up in a closed room. Air the room regularly and wear a mask for dusty work.
• Skin on your hands. Frequent washing dries the skin; use hand cream after work, because cracked skin is left unprotected.
• Eyes. Wear safety glasses for tasks where products might splash.
• Medical matters. Discuss vaccinations and health checks with your doctor, and check the current requirements for your profession with the relevant authority.

Working with clients: skin condition and calm explanations

Observing the skin and postponing a service

A beauty professional is not a doctor and does not diagnose. But looking carefully at the skin, hair and nails before starting is part of the job. Pay attention to:

• open wounds, scratches or inflamed areas;
• an unexplained rash, strong redness or swelling;
• red or watering eyes;
• unusual changes in nail colour or shape;
• damage or severe itching on the scalp;
• allergies or past reactions the client mentions.

If something looks doubtful, do not work on that area or postpone the service to another day, and suggest the client sees a doctor. For example, Gulnora, a nail technician in Samarkand, notices redness and swelling around a client’s nail and says: “There seems to be a little inflammation here. So that it does not cause you any discomfort, we will leave this finger alone today. It would be best to have a doctor look at it first, and then we can carry on.” The client appreciates her attentiveness.

If the manufacturer recommends it, do a sensitivity test before using a new product (dye, glue). For massage therapists it is especially important to ask about the client’s health in advance; read more in our article on the massage therapist profession.

Explaining hygiene calmly

Some clients ask, “Are your tools clean?”, while others watch silently. Either way, an open answer builds trust:

• Show it. Open the sterilisation pouch in front of the client and take a new file out of its packaging.
• Use simple words. “After every client we clean and disinfect our tools, and metal tools are sterilised.”
• Do not frighten people or criticise others. Running down competing salons reduces trust in you as well.
• Do not take the question as criticism. Thank the client for asking.

For example, Bekzod, a barber in Fergana, answers like this: “Good question. Used combs go into this container and are cleaned afterwards. I will take one for you from the processed set.” Read more about building trust in our article on communicating with clients.

Sample hygiene log

A routine that is written down is harder to forget. The table below is an illustrative sample: adapt it to your work, print it and put it up at your workstation. Tick the last column once a task is done.

If you add a column for the date and a signature, it becomes easy to see who in the team did what.

Common mistakes

• Just wiping. Wiping a tool with a tissue and using it on the next client is neither cleaning nor disinfection.
• Disinfecting without cleaning. Putting a tool with hair or make-up residue straight into the solution.
• Mixing a solution “by eye” and not changing old solution on time.
• Reusing single-use items. Using a file, buffer or applicator again because it “still looks fine”.
• Dipping a brush or finger into the jar instead of using a spatula and palette.
• Mixing zones. Putting a used tool next to clean ones.
• Putting a damp brush in a closed case.
• Not writing down the opening date.
• Carrying on when in doubt, working on inflamed skin so as not to upset the client.
• Forgetting about yourself. Handling chemicals without gloves in an unventilated room.

Practical exercise and checklist

Exercise

Review one of your working days from a hygiene point of view:

1. Take a photo of your workstation and mark the clean and dirty zones. Are they clearly separated?
2. List all your tools and write “single-use” or “reusable” next to each, adding the processing routine for the reusable ones.
3. Reread the instructions for your disinfectant and steriliser and write the key requirements down at your workstation.
4. Go through your cosmetics: mark those without an opening date and throw away expired ones.
5. Adapt the hygiene log, fill it in for a week and simplify the difficult items.

Checklist

• Hands washed or sanitised before and after every client.
• Single-use tools used for one client only.
• Reusable tools cleaned, disinfected and sterilised where required.
• Products prepared according to the instructions, with a label on the solution.
• Cosmetics taken with a spatula and palette, opening date written down.
• Clean and dirty zones separated, a sharps container in place.
• A clean towel and sheet for every client.
• Client’s skin checked before the treatment.
• Gloves, ventilation and hand care not forgotten.

Hygiene is also the foundation for professionals who want to start their own business. If you are planning to open a small studio or salon, our article on starting a small business and our guide to the make-up artist profession will be useful.

If you would like to learn a beauty and care profession systematically with a teacher, take a look at our association’s free make-up artistry and massage programmes and our other training programmes. When you are ready, submit an application and our specialists will get in touch.