Ultimate Guide to Hygiene and Sanitation Practices
Of the many responsibilities you have as a makeup professional, nothing is more important than protecting your client’s health and safety. Never take shortcuts for cleaning and disinfecting; you cannot afford to skip steps or save money when it comes to safety!
Elevate Your Makeup Skills with Proven Techniques
As a professional Makeup Artist, you will be working with many different clients. It is of utmost importance for you to practice sanitary techniques with each individual client. Whether it is before makeup application (preparing your makeup kit), during makeup application (not mixing certain products, using disposable tools, and being mindful of the skin preparation and application), or after (cleaning your brushes and kit for the next client), it is crucial that you follow these steps each and every time you are working. There are no shortcuts to remain sanitary and apply proper hygienic care to each client and the products you use on them to create your artistry. Hygienic care and sanitation will serve as one of the biggest building blocks in your business to create growing clientele and lifelong loyal clients!
Sanitation is the most crucial element of a professional Makeup Artist.
You are working with client's skin, mucous membranes, and body - you must always keep this in mind and follow these sanitation protocols for yourself and client.
Always keep your client in mind, first and foremost.
Products you must have in your kit to remain sanitary:
Paper towels + tissues
Disposable tools (sponges, eyeshadow applicators, lip brushes, mascara wands, cotton rounds, q-tips).
Metal plate + spatula (you will always use this to apply cream product, you will never double dip).
Powder products, use a clean paper towel + alcohol spray to remove top surface layer.
Always close your product after use.
Professional brush cleaner (this is used for quick on set cleaning, you must always do a deep clean on your brushes after use).
Alcohol (70%) - saturate and let sit for 30 seconds and wipe off.
Trash bag (to keep your station clean and sanitary).
Ziploc bags to put dirty brushes in (if there is not enough time to clean on set) - this is a good way to keep your dirty brushes separate from your other items in the kit.
Additional steps to remain sanitary:
In addition to keeping your inside products sanitary, always keep the outside of your products clean.
Be mindful of expiration dates on your products - look on the back of product and look for the shelf life. Make notations on your product of when you opened so you know when the product will expire.
Never keep expired products in your professional makeup kit.
Always be mindful and aware of your client's allergies - most importantly pay attention to ingredients of products if your client does have sensitivity or allergies.
Never use products straight from the tube (a wand, squeeze, or tube) - put on palette and work from there, for mascara and lip use disposables (but never double dip). One and done.
For lotions, primers, etc. - always put on metal palette and not directly on to your hands.
It is preferred to use tools rather than fingers (this will keep your client as well as yourself sanitary).
If you will use your fingers, you must always sanitize your hands.
Professional tip: you can cut off the actual applicators in your product (for lip, cream, eyes, etc) - this way there is no temptation to accidentally dip. If you have double dipped your product in your kit, you will need to throw it away, no exceptions, as there is no way to sanitize it after.
Setting up your makeup station:
As a freelance artist you will need to have a traveling and sanitary workspace. Always clean your surface with paper towels (and alcohol if the finish on the table is OK) to prepare your makeup station space. It should always look clean and organized.
If a client has an open wound or condition (pink eye, etc) that you don't feel comfortable applying makeup on, you can kindly refuse the application.
Between clients: a 12-step checklist
Do this after every client. The steps come from the health and safety rules of the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, plus CDC, EPA and FDA guidance, checked in October 2026. Rules differ by state, so follow your own board's rules where they ask for more.
Check the skin first. Don't work over inflamed, broken or infected skin, an open sore, or a possible contagious condition such as pink eye.
Throw away every single-use item that touched the client: sponges, cotton pads, disposable applicators and mascara wands.
Put used brushes and tools in a labeled container for dirty items, away from clean ones.
Throw away the product you took out for that client, and never put a used applicator or spatula back into a container.
Clean your brushes: remove the product, clean them with a brush cleaner or alcohol, let them dry and store them clean and covered. Or switch to a clean set.
Clean, then disinfect metal tools such as tweezers in an EPA-registered disinfectant used as its label directs (California requires immersing non-electrical tools), then rinse and dry them.
Clean the work surface and chair, then disinfect hard surfaces with an EPA-registered product, keeping them wet for the full contact time on the label. Put a clean towel or paper on the headrest.
Change towels, capes and headbands, and keep used ones in a closed container until they're washed.
Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol works only when hands aren't visibly dirty or greasy.
Sharpen eye and lip pencils before they touch the next client.
Check your products: containers clean and closed, no water or saliva in mascara, dried-out mascara thrown away, nothing shared.
Set up from clean storage: new supplies and clean, disinfected tools from covered containers labeled for clean items.
Product by product: how to keep each item sanitary
Where the rules don't name a product, the general rule applies: take out only what you need without touching the rest, and never put a used applicator back in.
Lipstick and lip gloss
Never apply straight from the tube. Take the portion you need onto a clean palette with a clean spatula, apply it with a disposable lip brush or applicator, and throw that away after the client.
Keep containers clean and closed, and don't use lip liner on the eyes.
Lip and eye pencils
Sharpen before each use, so every client gets a fresh tip.
Mascara
Use a new disposable wand for each client and never put a used wand back in the tube.
Never add water or saliva, and throw mascara away when it dries out. FDA reports that manufacturers usually recommend replacing mascara two to four months after purchase.
Creams, liquids and foundation
Take what you need onto a clean palette with a clean spatula, or use pumps and applicator bottles, then apply with clean or disposable tools. Never re-dip.
Powders and pressed palettes
Keep loose powder in a clean shaker. Texas rules don't allow a used applicator back into a product, so take what you need onto a palette first.
Brushes
Before each client, remove the product, clean the brushes with a brush cleaner or alcohol, let them dry, and store them clean and covered. Texas requires a clean set for each client.
Sponges and cotton pads
Single use: throw them away after each client.
Lashes and lash glue
For lash extensions, Texas rules require clean and disinfected tools and tweezers after each client, single-use eye pads and applicators, and properly labeled adhesive used as the manufacturer directs. Maryland adds that the adhesive palette is thrown away after each use.
Tweezers and other metal tools
Clean them, then disinfect them after each client in an EPA-registered disinfectant used as its label directs. California requires immersing non-electrical tools.
Hands
Wash with soap and water for at least 20 seconds right before each client. Use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol only when your hands aren't visibly dirty or greasy, for example after you've handled creams.
Work surfaces
Clean first, then disinfect hard surfaces with an EPA-registered product, wet for the full contact time on its label. CDC guidance lists at least 1 minute for 70 to 90% alcohol on everyday items; most registered disinfectants list longer.
Before you charge for makeup, check your state's license rules: in the 32 states plus DC that license paid makeup work, the state board's health and safety rules apply to you.
Professional hygiene and sanitation practices are covered in depth in every OMA program. Our Master Makeup Program includes a dedicated module on sanitation protocols, and our Elite Career Path covers advanced professional standards for working on set and with clients.
By Nina Mua, Founder & Lead Educator at Online Makeup Academy | Last updated: November 2026
Download our free guides (PDF) for a quick reference you can keep in your kit:
HYGIENE & PREP TECHNIQUES.pdf
TOP SANITATION DO’s and DONT’s.pdf
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Sanitation and Hygiene
What hygiene practices should a makeup artist follow? Professional makeup artists should sanitize all tools before and after each client, use disposable applicators for lip and eye products, spray brush cleaner or 70% isopropyl alcohol on brushes between clients, never double-dip into products, wash hands thoroughly before starting, and keep a clean organized workspace. Having a dedicated sanitation kit with antibacterial spray, disposable mascara wands, spatulas, and tissue is essential for every working MUA.
Can a client get an infection from makeup? Yes, if proper hygiene is not followed. Eye infections like conjunctivitis, skin infections, and cold sores can be transferred through contaminated makeup tools or products. This is why professional training in sanitation is critical. Every OMA program includes comprehensive hygiene training so you can protect your clients and your reputation.
What should be in a makeup artist's hygiene kit? A professional hygiene kit should include 70% isopropyl alcohol spray, brush cleaner spray, disposable mascara wands, disposable lip applicators, metal spatulas for depotting products, antibacterial hand sanitizer, tissues, paper towels, a sharps container for used disposable razors, and a lined waste bin. Keep everything in a separate clean pouch within your main kit bag.
True or false: hygiene and sanitation practices aren't important for a makeup artist? False. Sanitation protects your clients from infections and protects your business. In states that license makeup work, the state board's health and safety rules apply, and boards such as California's and Texas's spell out how tools, products and hands are handled before every client.
How long should disinfectant stay on makeup tools? As long as its label says. Clean the tool first, then keep it wet with an EPA-registered disinfectant for the full contact time printed on the label; California requires immersing non-electrical tools. CDC guidance lists at least 1 minute for 70 to 90% alcohol on everyday items.
How do makeup artists sanitize lipstick between clients? They don't apply it from the tube. Take the portion you need onto a clean palette with a clean spatula, apply it with a disposable lip brush, and throw the brush away. Never put a used applicator back into the lipstick.
How often should you replace mascara? FDA reports that manufacturers usually recommend throwing mascara away two to four months after purchase, and sooner if it dries out. Never add water or saliva, and use a new disposable wand for every client.
Do makeup artists have to follow state sanitation rules? If your state licenses makeup work, yes: its board's health and safety rules apply. 32 states plus DC license paid makeup work, so check your state's rules before you take paid bookings.