Expanded Topics for Cosmetology and Esthetics Training: Sanitation

It’s a great time to train for a career as an esthetician or cosmetologist. While there have been a lot of changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most salons are reopening to discover that people value their services even more, and the future of these businesses is bright and positive. Today’s Summit Salon Academy KC’s students are getting the same quality training we’ve always provided in our programs, but there’s one aspect that’s receiving more intense training: sanitation.

Even when there’s not a global health concern, cleanliness is an important part of the salon and spa industry because:

• It creates the kind of atmosphere required in a high-end salon and spa.
• It makes clients more comfortable and trusting about the services offered in the salon.
• It demonstrates that the salon and spa care about its clients.
• It epitomizes health, which is what every salon and spa is trying to accomplish for their clients: healthy skin, hair, and nails.

While cleanliness and sanitation have always been important and has always been a part of our cosmetology and esthetics programs at Summit Salon Academy, KC, there is now a more intense focus on the subject, especially for new requirements in place as a result of COVID-19. It’s more important now than ever that new beauty industry students learn the following topics.

Understanding the difference between cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting, and sterilizing. These are different processes that range from simply removing visible dirt to completing removing pathogens that can make people sick. It’s crucial that you understand these differences because you’ll be relying on guidelines from state departments of health as well as federal agencies like the CDC, whose guidelines will assume that you understand these differences. To follow these policies and adhere to local laws, you’ll need a thorough education about this topic.

Learning strategies for different surfaces. A salon & spa has many different types of surfaces to sanitize, and each requires special consideration. Hard surfaces can be cleaned with BARBICIDE®, a powerful, industry-accepted sanitizing cleaner. Textiles like towels need to be laundered properly. Other reusable fabric items like aprons need special cleaning processes, as do soft surfaces that are attached to hard surfaces, like seat cushions. Tools must be sanitized with the proper equipment and cleaning solutions between clients to ensure that no pathogens are spread. Every esthetician and cosmetologist must know and understand the processes to clean every different surface in a salon and spa.

Learning about personal protection. We see the term PPE – personal protective equipment – everywhere, but to most people, that’s more about face masks. For the salon professional, a more extensive understanding of PPE is required. Face masks are a part of this, and many cities require them for both workers and customers in most businesses. But there’s also a long list of equipment and behaviors that protect both you and your clients that you’ll need to understand before starting your new career in cosmetology or esthetics.

Learning about proper disposal. Salon professionals use a lot of disposable products, from paper towels to leftover hair dyes. Proper disposal procedures are crucial, especially for single-use products that have been in contact with a client. Learning this topic is just as important as learning how to clean and sanitize your salon and spa.

If you’re excited about the prospect of becoming a licensed cosmetologist or esthetician, contact our salon education professionals at Summit Salon Academy KC. Our world-class training programs teach you everything you need to sit for the state licensing exams, and you get to practice your new skills on real clients in our high-end salon.

To get started on a fun, rewarding career, find us at 815 West 23rd St S in Independence, MO, or call us at (816) 252-4247 x303 for admissions information. You can also take our online career assessment to see if a career in the beauty industry is right for you. Message us online to ask questions and learn more about our exciting programs, and for more information, you can also schedule a tour of our professional cosmetology and esthetics school.