As we start day two of quarantine due to Covid-19, we’re seeing more PSAs in hand washing than I think anyone outside of grade school or food service, is used to. While people lose their collective cool, we freelancers have to stay calm and make sure we protect ourselves and others. The best way a makeup artist can do this is via proper sanitation and hygiene. A clean kit protects your client and yourself, so I want to go over some basic rules and tips to keep you both safe.
1. WASHING YOUR HANDS IS A MUST
Hand washing is the only proven way to prevent the spread of viruses, clean your hands of unwanted bacteria, and ease your clients mind over sanitation. As makeup artists we enter people’s personal space and we need to give our client confidence that we take their health as seriously as we do the makeup.
Should you not have the option to wash your hands, always make sure to carry hand sanitizer in your kit.
2. SANITIZE YOUR MAKEUP
As a freelancer, the maintenance and appearance of my tools and my kit matter just as much as my work. Brushes need to be cleaned in between jobs, and at the minimum sanitized in between clients if you have back to back bookings.
70% Isopropyl Alcohol is the only way to make sure you kill surface bacteria on your powders and creams. You can find makeup sanitizers by beauty so clean and cinema secrets; I use a small aluminum spray bottle with decanted alcohol to sanitize as I go. I know a lot of makeup artists love 90% alcohol but this is not effective enough to kill bacteria as it dries much too quickly to properly sanitize.
When it comes to creams, use a spatula to take the product you need for your makeup application. This promotes using only what product we need but also has the added benefit of preventing “double dipping”. This is the practice of taking a clean tool to go into product, touching the clients skin, and dipping back into the product. This is a quick way to spread contact dermatitis, promote product spoilage, and to lose a germaphobe (or even immuno-suppressed) client. You as a makeup artist should use a tool to decant a small amount of product and apply to your palette or the back of your clean hand. If you touch your skin with the spatula, make sure to clean and sanitize before next use. Additionally, for creams you need to wipe down the top layer to really ensure that you are removing any harmful bacteria.
Clean your palettes, your kit, and any other tools you use. When clients pay for your services, they want to know that they are being given a quality service with someone who will work professionally and cleanly. Wipe your palettes, clean in between the pans with a cotton bud, and enjoy the peace of mind a clean kit will bring to your client.
3. ALWAYS USE DISPOSABLE APPLICATORS FOR TUBED PRODUCTS
This is most specifically for your mascara, concealers, and personal use makeup items. The original applicators for any of these tools should never touch a client.
When it comes to mascara, there are two ways to apply without sacrificing hygiene. The first, is to use a disposable mascara wand, and should you need a second coat, you get another disposable mascara wand as we most definitely do not want to double dip. All types of eye infections can be spread by a casual “re-dipping” of a disposable wand. If you’re not a fan of the waste this method can produce, you can decant the mascara on your palette and use a small fan brush to coat on to the lashes. You can get a more even application and more control of where your product goes with this method.
The same rules apply for concealer and gloss. The applicator should never touch your clients skin. Always go for best practice and decant using a brush or disposables to apply.
Never use felt tip liner, or any (as I call them) personal use makeup items. Any makeup product that you cannot easily sanitize for use on another client afterwards, is not one I want in my kit.
Concealers with a built in sponge, makeup “pens”beauty blenders, or any sponge that is not one-time use should not be used on clients. There is no proper way to sanitize these product, so there is no place for them in my kit or yours
At the time that I’m writing this piece we are in the middle of the Covid-19 outbreak.
There’s a lot of information out there regarding this virus, some true, and some not so true. What we do know is that young people can spread it without any symptoms, and social distancing is more important than ever as our country tries it’s best to flatten the curve.
We have to make the right call for ourselves and our clients. We may not all be able to just stop working, so take proper precaution and heed what the CDC recommends.
I hope I have given you some basic guidelines and tips to make sure you can provide a clean, professional service to your clients. More than that, I hope you stay safe and healthy.
Good luck!
You’Re going to want to wash thaT
Because Cleanliness Keeps You Employed