Sanitation and Infection Control for Skin Care Professionals

Sanitation and infection-control are some of the first things we all learn in beauty school, and for a good reason! It is crucial to have an understanding of the different kinds of infections you may come across, in order to protect yourself and the client. Clients rely on our knowledge and professionalism, and trust us with their health, so we must abide the law, and give them the best treatment without taking any shortcuts.

With that said, spa and salon workers must be aware of contagious bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses that can be contracted through broken skin, and pose serious health risks. Not only should we treat all clients with care to avoid getting them sick, but we must also protect ourselves in the workplace. Since the body’s first line of defense is unbroken skin, take care of your hands - they are your tools, so don’t bite your fingers, or pull on your cuticles. Keep your nails short, to avoid scratching the clients face, or breaking and snagging a nail by accident.

Keeping your room ventilated and clean is extremely important, especially having clean sheets and towels, wiping down all surfaces, as well as keeping all equipment, and implements that come into direct contact with the client immaculate. Have a habit of doing laundry daily, because mold and fungus may grown on unwashed laundry that had been left in a laundry hamper.

I’d like to reinforce the difference between sanitizing, disinfecting and sterilizing. Understanding the basics of disinfecting, and following state laws will ensure that you're protected.

•     Sanitation (cleaning) is removing all visible dirt with soap and warm water, and using a brush to scrub grooved or hinged portions of implements.
•     Disinfection destroys most harmful organisms, but isn't effective against bacterial spores.
•     Sterilization completely destroys all microbial life, including spores. When disinfecting and sterilizing, make sure to take proper precautions, such as wearing gloves when touching the disinfectant solution, and to follow the instructions on the label. Disinfectant solution should be changed daily, or changed right away if it becomes contaminated.

As estheticians, we see many different clients daily, some with serious cystic acne. Over the years, I have noticed that treating acne is a passion of mine, and I can proudly say that I specialize in working with acne-prone skin. Personally, I don’t use any tools other than my fingers wrapped in tissues to perform [manual] extractions, and I always wear gloves when working on acneic skin.

Gloves are important every time you may come in contact with a client's blood, bodily fluids, secretions, excretions, non-intact skin, and mucous membrane. This is a standard precaution, where you must assume that all blood and bodily fluids are potential sources of infection, such as staph infection, MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus infection caused by a strain of staph bacteria resistant to the antibiotics commonly used to treat ordinary staph infections), Hepatitis, and even HIV. I also use a magnifying lamp when performing extractions, so any excretions or puss which may accidentally spew out during the extraction process will not get on my face, or in my eye. If accidental exposure to blood or excretions occurs, you must stop the service, and perform the correct measures to clean and disinfect the broken skin area, clean and disinfect the workspace, and dispose all implements used. All tools that come into contact with blood or body fluids must be disinfected in a EPA

Sanitizing and disinfecting non-electrical tools and implements:

1. Wear protective glasses and gloves.
2. Rinse implements and thoroughly clean them with soap, a brush, and warm water.
3. Dry thoroughly with a clean towel or air dry on a clean towel.
4. Immerse implements in the disinfection container with an EPA registered hospital grade disinfectant that is  bactericidal, fungicidal and virucidal, for 10 minutes.
5. Remove implements with tongs or gloves, rinse well in warm water and pat dry.
6. Store in a clean, labeled, and covered container until needed.
7. Remove gloves and wash hands.

Clean electrical components that come in contact with clients (i.e. high-frequency electrodes) in the same manner as nonelectrical tools, but be sure not to immerse metal tips in water/disinfectant solution. Also, having an autoclave (equipment that sterilizes tools by using steam under pressure) in the spa/salon is very useful. 

registered tuberculocidal disinfectant (a disinfectant that kills HIV 1 and Hepatitis B virus).