How can beauty consultants prevent makeup infections?

In 2019, a young mother visited a cosmetic counter at a Pennsylvania mall. She was preparing for a formal event and wanted a beauty consultant to apply her makeup professionally. The consultant didn’t choose the single-use items often seen in cosmetology. This raised the mother’s eyebrows, since she was concerned about possible infections from the makeup.

“I asked her then again, ‘Aren’t you supposed to be using disposable makeup brushes?’” She told 6abc Philadelphia in an interview.

The beauty consultant shrugged her off, explaining she couldn’t apply a face of makeup properly with disposable brushes. As such, the client dropped her protests. The makeup turned out beautifully, she said in her previously linked interview.

Several days after wearing and removing the makeup, however, the client woke up in “excruciating pain.” She was rushed to the emergency room, where doctors diagnosed her with a makeup infection no one could imagine contracting: ocular herpes.

She believes she contracted the herpes from her visit to the beauty consultant. To make matters worse, the woman also has lupus, an autoimmune disease that exacerbated the herpes breakouts. As time passed, the increased blurring of her eyesight caused her to miss work, and ultimately, lose her job.

The mother sued the makeup company for her medical expenses. Although her lawsuit was dismissed, it follows a line of similar cases across the beauty industry. More stories go viral with each case—and with them, more beauty consultants see their businesses and reputations irreparably damaged.

Can makeup cause infections? What kinds?

From Makeup Products and Brushes

People are much more susceptible to infections from makeup than they realize, Allyson Chiu writes for the Washington Post. They assume the contamination is just from touching the makeup or applicators. But the risk also comes from preservatives breaking down as the makeup ages, Chiu writes. 

If you aren’t careful about replacing or cleaning your products and applicators, you could expose your clients to a germy breeding ground. A 2019 study found that 90 percent of tested makeup products contained harmful germs. Most of the makeup housed 100-1,000 bacterial cells, while beauty blenders housed one million on average, the study reported. It only takes about 100 bacterial cells to infect someone.

What kinds of bacteria grow in makeup? According to Music City Scale, a symposium for cosmetic advances, unclean products can propagate:

• Pink eye or conjunctivitis which leads to itchy, watery eyes in mild cases and sight loss or secondary infections in extreme cases
• Irritation, leading to rashes and exacerbation of conditions like rosacea
• Clogged pores and acne, including recalcitrant acne, which doesn’t respond to typical antibiotic treatments
• Premature aging due to oxidative stress
• Blood poisoning
• Mites
• Viral, fungal, and bacterial infections, like Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, fungi, and herpes—many bacteria from the 2019 study were associated with fecal matter. The bacteria can be life threatening and antibiotic resistant.

The risk of makeup infection or irritation increases in people with compromised immunity or skin barriers, said Women’s Skin Health Director Bethanee Schlosser in a SELF article. This means clients with eczema, cold sores, or nicks from recently exfoliated, waxed, or shaved skin are all more susceptible, Schlosser said. 

From Airborne Transmission

It isn’t just infections from makeup or bacteria from makeup brushes you need to prepare for.

Makeup artists like you work in close proximity to faces. This makes you and your makeup clients prone to airborne viruses and bacteria. Colds, flus, chickenpox, and the coronavirus are all easily transmitted through infected surfaces or close contact, Rezani R. writes in her LinkedIn article.

How can the spread of infection be prevented in the beauty industry?

Infection control in cosmetology is not a new concept. If you’re a beauty consultant or artist, you know the importance of preventing eye and skin infections from makeup and brushes.

At the same time, the beauty consultant in our earlier story disregarded her client’s concerns about reusable brushes and possible infections. There could be more to this story than the infected client lets on. But if the customer had no other ocular contact, and her eye infection actually came from her makeup treatment, then we might assume not all beauty consultants are on the same page.

Whether you’re new to the beauty industry or looking to review the basics, we’ve got you covered. Here are 7 basics of cosmetology sanitation, disinfection, and safety worthy of a makeup artist’s review.

1. Know when (and what) to clean.

Sanitation and disinfection in cosmetology are crucial. As a beauty consultant, you’re aware that reusable brushes must be cleaned in between customers. In addition to cleaning with soapy water, you may want to blow dry your brushes immediately after, dermatologists Lily Talakoub and Naissan O. Wesley suggest in their MDedge article. Eliminating the buildup also promotes better application, says dermatologist Joel Schlessinger in the SELF article mentioned earlier. And don’t store clean brushes in dirty makeup bags—clean those often, too, suggests dermatologist Melissa Babcock.

To save time in between clients and prevent cross contamination, freelance artist Julie Ruby assigns a set of brushes to each client, then stores them in labeled bags for her to clean at the end of the day. Read Ruby and Babcock’s articles for more in-depth sanitizing tips.

2. And know when to discontinue.

To prevent makeup infections, Talakoub and Wesley stress that some things are not worth keeping. For example, they urge the public to throw away blenders after each use. You might avoid them on clients entirely. After all, 70 percent ethanol is proven to be highly effective in eliminating bacteria, but with much less success on sponge-like applicators.

Or, if you must use a blender, and you’re worried about waste, you can give it to your client after their makeup is finished, Ruby says. For avoiding waste with applicators and other single-use items in cosmetology, Ruby recommends bamboo instead of plastic applicators.

Additionally, specialists like Talakoub and Wesley recommend a routine purging of old products from your makeup supply. How often? Babcock breaks down her suggestions by product type in her interview linked above.

3. Keep your hands clean.

Washing your hands remains vital in every field. Specifically for the beauty industry, artists should also avoid using their hands as a mixing palette, Ruby writes in her aforementioned article. 

Instead, to prevent infections from makeup, opt for a separate palette you can easily clean, she says. Putting loose powder or liquid makeup in a different bowl or palette reminds artists to avoid double dipping.

4. Don’t double dip or pump.

This one is worth repeating: Don’t double-dip your product. Similarly, don’t pump mascara, Babcock says. It lets in too much air, which promotes bacterial growth. 

5. Store them carefully.

As a beauty consultant, you probably travel for work. You might visit clients in their own homes or apply products in malls or stores. 

Whatever the case may be, you do lots of driving. Let this be a healthy reminder: Avoid storing products in hot or moist spaces, specialists like Babcock advise. 

In other words, don’t leave your makeup in a car on a blistering summer day or in a bathroom. Bathrooms, for example, are prone to damp conditions and bacteria around the toilet, Music City Scale writes in their article. Additionally, keep those product lids tightly closed, says skincare company Averr Aglow. 

6. Feeling sick? Reschedule or cover your face.

If you get sick, you may want to stay home. If you can’t stay home, consider covering your face in front of your client. Additionally, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. If you need to cough, turn your head so you aren’t coughing in your client’s face.

7. Practice good communication.

Lastly, if you suspect a client is nervous about cleanliness, it never hurts to be transparent about all the practices you’re doing right.

Don’t shut down their concerns. Instead, exercise compassion and come prepared to answer their questions. If all bodes well, your confidence should be the only contagious part of a client’s makeup experience.

Take precautions against makeup infection cases with WellnessPro

Ultimately, a beauty consultant can practice cosmetology sanitation, disinfection, and safety to a T. However, you aren’t perfect. Even with every precaution, makeup infections still happen. If a particularly disgruntled client comes down with a serious infection and blames it on you, an experienced defense team will make all the difference.

When it comes to insurance coverage, many beauty consultants are on their own. Instead of waiting for a makeup infection suit to strike, take precautions with an insurance provider who serves beauty professionals like yourself. Fill out our online app to start your coverage journey now.