How to Protect yourself from Coronavirus as a Makeup Artist
The Coronavirus global pandemic is growing, affecting the lives of all those in the beauty industry some way or another. Some makeup artists have decided to self-isolate and are not taking further jobs while other makeup brands in store such as MAC Cosmetics have introduced “no touch” policies to combat the spread of the virus. Makeup artists who work on the brand’s counters have been told to leave their brushes in their lockers for now and they will not be able to show any customers what makeup will look like on their face. Disposable applicators will be provided for customers to try things themselves but these must be thrown away immediately after use. All appointments for customers to have makeup applied have also been cancelled.
We know not every makeup artist has the luxury to stay at home, so how can you protect yourself (and your clients) in your day to day job?
Keep your kit clean
As a makeup artist, you have a duty to your clients to keep your kit clean at all times but especially now. Makeup is a beautiful thing but germs have no place in your kit.
This may be the only time we support disposable appliances
If your client has covid-19 but no symptoms, they can still transmit the disease to you, or it can remain on applicators. It’s essential that you use separate mascaras for each client, no double-dipping your disposable wands, apply lipsticks with a spatula rather than directly from the tube. This all lowers the risk of transmission onto your new client.
Wipe your surfaces
Regardless of whether this is in your own beauty studio or you’re visiting a client, keep wiping down the stations and key points of contact, such as door handles or light switches in the toilets. According to research at the National Institutes of Health, Princeton, and the University of California, Los Angeles, the virus can last on surfaces we touch everyday between several hours to several days. from up to 24 hours on cardboard to up to two or three days on plastic and stainless steel. It also remained viable in aerosols—attached to particles that stay aloft in the air—for up to three hours.
Wash your hands
It seems simple and yes it is one of the most effective forms of personal hygiene. Alcohol-based disinfectants are also effective, but soap is a highly efficient way of killing the virus when it’s on your skin. If you’re travelling to a customer, always wash your hands first, and instruct your client to wash their hands if they visit you as well. So why is soap so effective against covid-19? The virus is a self-assembled nanoparticle in which the weakest link is the lipid (fatty) bilayer. Soap dissolves the fat membrane and the virus falls apart.
Be assertive
If you find your client has been travelling and should be self-isolating, or they’re sick - cancel your appointment and protect yourself first. This isn’t completely effective as a preventative method, as some clients may transmit the disease regardless of whether they’re showing symptoms - so the only way to truly stay safe, if you can afford it, is by staying at home.