Sanitation, Disinfection, and Safety Practices
The three levels of decontamination
Sanitation reduces the number of microbes on a surface to a safe level. Disinfection destroys most pathogenic organisms, but not bacterial spores. Sterilization destroys all microbial life, including spores - estheticians do not sterilize; implements that would need it are single-use or sent to a medical facility.
What gets disinfected, and how
Nonporous implements (tweezers, extractors, metal spatulas, scissors) are scrubbed with soap and water, dried, then completely immersed in an EPA-registered, hospital-grade disinfectant carrying a tuberculocidal claim for the full contact time on the label. Porous items - wax strips, cotton, wooden spatulas, buffers, sponges, disposable brushes - are used once and discarded. Never double-dip a spatula into wax or a product jar.
Hands, gloves, and surfaces
Wash hands with soap and water before and after every service and after removing gloves; hand sanitizer is not a substitute when hands are visibly soiled. Wear gloves whenever contact with blood or body fluids is possible. Clean and disinfect work surfaces, lamps, and product bottles between clients, and keep a blood-exposure kit and covered waste container on site.
Traps
- UV cabinets and 'barbicide jars' left indefinitely are not substitutes for timed chemical disinfection.
- Contact time is the most-tested number: a 10-minute product used for two minutes has not disinfected.
- 'Sanitize' and 'sterilize' are distractors when the key says 'disinfect.'
Worked example
Label says 10 minutes; you have five extractors. Immerse all five at once in a covered tray and set a timer for 10 minutes - the clock starts once the last tool is submerged, and it does not restart per tool.