Illinois Law, Rules, and Professional Ethics
The licensing framework
Esthetics in Illinois is regulated under the state cosmetology statute and administered by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). To become licensed you must meet the minimum age requirement, complete the required clock hours of approved training in a licensed school (750 hours for estheticians), pass the state examination, and submit an application with the required fee. Your license must be available for inspection at your work station, it renews on a two-year cycle, and continuing education is required at renewal - always confirm current hour requirements with IDFPR rather than relying on a class handout.
Scope of practice and the establishment license
An esthetician cleanses, treats, and beautifies the skin; performs facials, makeup application, hair removal by waxing or depilatory, and brow and lash services. Diagnosing or treating disease, breaking living tissue, and any medical procedure belong to physicians. A salon must hold its own establishment license; your personal license does not cover the business, and renting a chair does not remove your responsibility to follow sanitation rules.
Ethics
Obtain informed consent, protect client confidentiality, never guarantee results, describe products honestly, charge as quoted, avoid disparaging colleagues, and refuse any service that exceeds your training.
Worked example: A client shows a crusted, bleeding spot on her cheek and asks you to "freeze it off." You do not treat or diagnose; you document what you observed, decline the service on that area, and refer her to a dermatologist. The trap in exam questions is any option that has you diagnosing or treating a disease.