MI Esthetician study guide
MI Esthetician · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Michigan esthetician credential is a state occupational license issued through the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Professional Licensing, under the authority of the Michigan Board of Cosmetology. The board operates under Article 12 of Public Act 299 of 1980, as amended, with cosmetology-specific administrative rules found in Article 1-6 of the Occupational Code. The license authorizes the holder to perform esthetic services - skin care treatments, hair removal, and makeup application - for compensation in Michigan, and it is the credential employers, salons, and spa establishments check when verifying that a practitioner is authorized to work. Candidates typically reach the license by completing an approved esthetics program and then passing the licensing examination, which samples scientific concepts (skin histology, skin disorders and diseases, anatomy and physiology), sanitation, disinfection and safety, esthetic services and procedures, and business practices, law and regulations. The MI Esthetician study guide has 4 sections and about 1,615 words.
01Scientific Concepts: Skin Histology, Disorders, and Anatomy
Skin has three main layers: epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis. In the epidermis, keratinocytes are born in the stratum basale, flatten upward through the spinosum and granulosum, and end as corneocytes in the stratum corneum.
340 words, about 2 min02Sanitation, Disinfection, and Safety
These are not interchangeable. Cleaning removes visible soil; disinfection kills most recognized pathogens on nonporous surfaces; sterilization destroys all microbial life and is rarely needed for esthetic tools.
313 words, about 2 min03Esthetic Services and Procedures
Consultation and skin analysis (with consent) → cleanse → exfoliate → steam and extractions if indicated → massage → mask → tone and moisturize → sunscreen in the morning. Products go thin to thick; extractions come after softening, not before; massage follows lymphatic direction and is avoided over active acne, sunburn, or recently injected areas per your training.
331 words, about 2 min04Business Practices, Law and Regulations
Price a service from cost, not guesswork: product cost per service + your time (target hourly rate) + overhead share (rent, utilities, insurance, laundry, software) + profit margin. Retail typically uses keystone pricing (double wholesale).
631 words, about 3 min