Monday, 8 December 2014

Hair and Makeup Health and Safety

Working hygienically reduces the risk of cross-infection and helps prevent the contamination of your makeup. Dirty brushes, unwashed hands can spread and harbor Infectious conditions like conjunctivitis. Providing an unsafe service puts your clients and your career at risk. Infectious conditions to look out for include conjunctivitis, impetigo, herpes and scabies.

·          Don’t keep makeup beyond its shelf life- Keep track of use by dates. If the makeup begins to smell funny, it’s past it’s shelf life and should not be used

·         Sterilize all brushes and tools after use- Clean brushes using IPA and sterilize brushes and other tools such as tweezers in Barbicide

·         Be extra careful when a client has a skin, eye or mouth infection- If a skin condition is detected, use cotton buds to apply makeup and do not use fingers to apply makeup to infected areas to avoid cross contamination

 ·         Use clean towels- Always make sure towels are clean and dry before use and put them in a        laundry basket as soon as you are finished with them to avoid them mistakenly being used again

·          Clean and sterilize anything dropped on the floor- Make sure anything that is dropped that you will not use again is put aside to avoid using it again. If it is needed, sterilize before using it again.


Etiquette is a very important part of being a successful hair and makeup artist. As well as keeping yourself and your client safe, it is important to make sure they are comfortable in your presence and with what you are doing. Being up close to someone’s face can be quite daunting, especially if an elaborate makeup design is being applied. It is helpful to both the artist and the client to explain what is being done, how it might feel and to tell your client you are going back to an area if the eyes are closed to avoid flinching. Having sufficient knowledge of your trade and the products you are using will make the client feel confident and if any problems occur, knowledge of products will help solve it.

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