When looking for a makeup artist near you, there are several factors to consider. This includes their education, experience, price, location, and services. Another key factor to consider is their sanitary practices. Like any artist that works with dozens of clients, it's crucial that they follow strict sanitary practices to keep all of their clients safe. The last thing you need is to get sick because an artist failed to use sanitation practices. Let's take a look at what you need to look for when hiring an artist and some red flags to watch out for during a makeup or hair session.

What Sanitary Practices Should You Look For?

Whether you are receiving services in your home or at a business, it's imperative that you ensure your artist follows sanitary practices. This is designed to keep you and others safe and prevent the spread of bacteria, infections, and diseases. 

Education

When looking for the best artist for your needs, it's recommended to ask about their sanitation training. Whether the artist does freelance work or works for a company, find out what type of safety and sanitary practices they follow. If the artist is a licensed professional, they should be more than happy to explain and demonstrate their approach to sanitation.

What Should You Expect During Your Service?

If this is your first time hiring a makeup artist, it's helpful to know what to expect during your appointment. Check out this list below of what you should expect to see before, during, and after your session.

1. Arrival

When the artist arrives, they will ask you where to set up their station. Before setting up anything, they should wash their hands. Every artist should always set up with clean hands.

2. Set Up

The set up process should start with sanitizing the table or area where they will be working with 70 percent alcohol or an EPA registered hospital-grade disinfectant. This will create a clean surface to work from. Then, the artist will place clean paper towels on the work surface. If your artist is doing your hair, they will place a clean heat protector mat on the table. The artist will then set out all of the products needed for your appointment. For makeup artists, this will likely include eyeshadows, foundation, palette, palette knife, tweezers, and other necessary tools. Before using any products and tools, the artist should spray a disinfectant on the products and tools and allow them to dry. If possible, look at their makeup and/or hair kit. If it looks clean and organized, this is a good sign!

3. Use of Disposable Products

Since your artist likely works with dozens of different clients, using disposable products to apply makeup is a must. Look for disposable makeup applicators, including lip wands, mascara wands, q-tips, and sponges. The artist should store these items in a clean and organized container, which helps keep dirt, debris, and dust away.

4. Proper Use of Hair Tools and Accessories

Like makeup items, hair artists should store clean, unused bobby pins, clips, and other accessories in a clean and organized container. If you see an artist put a bobby pin or clip in their mouth, this is not a safe or sanitary practice. The artist should never put a tool in their mouth and then use it on a client's head.                                                                                                                                                     

5. Use of Palette and Palette Knife

Since every artist is different, you will find that some prefer a disposable palette, while others use a reusable stainless steel version. No matter which one they use, the palette should be properly cleaned before and after use.

6. Clean Brushes

As your artist is setting up their work station, look at their brush selection. Do the brushes appear clean, well-maintained, and organized? This applies for both makeup and hair brushes.

7. Clean Capes

You will likely wear a cape to receive makeup or hair services. The cape should look clean and well-maintained, so you have peace of mind that you're wearing something that has been washed after the last client wore it.

8. Application Process

After the artist has set up, they should wash their hands or apply hand sanitizer before applying makeup to your face. Use the following tips for what to look out for during the application process.

  • Your artist should scoop out cream or gel-based products with their palette knife onto the palette.
  • Your artist should never apply cream or gel-based products directly onto your skin from the container. 
  • Mascara should be applied with a disposable mascara wand and should only be dipped into the tube once.
  • Lipstick and lip glosses should be applied with a disposable wand, in which the artist places onto the palette and then applies onto your lips from there.
  • All dirty brushes, combs, and tools should be kept in a different area away from the workstation and away from the clean items. 
  • Any trash (i.e. disposable products, wipes, etc.) should be placed in a clean bag that the artist brought. 
  • The work area should stay clean and free of dirty tools or products at all times.

9. Clean Up Process After Service

After the application step is finished, the artist should carefully spray down all of their tools and products with an EPA disinfectant. They should clean their makeup brushes with a brush cleaner, as well as clean their hair brushes and combs with barbicide.

What Red Flags Should You Watch Out For?

Now that you know what to look for, let's discuss some red flags to watch out for. If you see any of these things happening, we recommend asking your artist to stop the service. You can either decline finishing the appointment or use your products instead.

  • The artist did not wash their hands or use hand sanitizer.
  • The artist does not use or have disposable products for applying makeup.
  • The artist's makeup or hair kit looks dirty and disorganized on the inside.
  • The artist uses a double dip approach with products, which they likely do with other clients. This is unsanitary and can cause you to get an infection. For example, they may apply mascara to your lashes and then dip the dirty wand back into the same tube. Yikes!
  • The artist does not use or have 70 percent alcohol, an EPA disinfectant, or brush cleaner to clean their products and tools. However, it should be fine if the artist only has one of the above types of cleaners or they carry enough clean brushes that they do not need to clean their brushes on-site. The key takeaway is that they never use dirty products or brushes on anyone.
  • The artist's brushes and other tools look dirty and smell. 

As you can see, there are several things to consider when hiring a makeup artist. We hope this article helps you make an informed decision when choosing the best artist near you, especially during a pandemic. It's always important to ask about the artist's safety and sanitation training, which should give you a good idea of what it will be like during an appointment with them. If you need an Ocean Isle Beach makeup artist, look no further than All Dolled Up. We offer expert makeup and hair services for all of your special events from weddings to photography shoots.