SC Esthetician cheat sheet

Epidermal layers, deep to superficial: basale, spinosum, granulosum, lucidum (palms and soles only), corneum.

Keratinocytes make up about 90% of epidermal cells; melanocytes produce melanin; Langerhans cells handle immunity; Merkel cells sense touch.

Epidermal turnover averages about 28 days in young adults and lengthens to 40+ days with age, slowing repair and product response.

Dermis: papillary layer (capillaries, touch and pain receptors) and reticular layer (dense collagen, elastin, follicles, glands); fibroblasts build collagen and elastin.

Acid mantle pH is roughly 4.5 to 5.5; because the pH scale is logarithmic, a drop of one whole unit equals a tenfold rise in acidity.

Six skin functions: protection, absorption, secretion and excretion, sensation, thermoregulation, and vitamin D synthesis.

Solution = solute dissolved in solvent; emulsion = oil and water held together by an emulsifier; suspension = undissolved particles temporarily dispersed in a liquid.

Facial bones include frontal, zygomatic, maxilla, mandible, nasal, and lacrimal; muscles of facial expression are supplied by cranial nerve VII (facial nerve).

Eccrine glands cover most of the body and regulate temperature; apocrine glands sit in the axillae and genital area, become active at puberty, and contribute to body odor.

Decontamination ladder: sanitation (cleaning, lowers microbial count) → disinfection (kills most pathogens, not spores) → sterilization (destroys all microbial life, including spores).

Implements contacting skin or blood are cleaned, rinsed, dried, then immersed in an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant labeled bactericidal, fungicidal, virucidal, and pseudomonacidal.

Respect label contact time, commonly 10 minutes, and change disinfectant solution per manufacturer directions or when visibly soiled.

Porous and disposable items (cotton, tissues, wooden spatulas, sponges, wax strips) are single-use and discarded; they cannot be disinfected and reused.

Wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before and after each client, after glove removal, and after restroom, eating, or coughing.

Standard precautions: treat every client's blood and body fluids as infectious; glove for potential contact and place lancets, blades, and other sharps in a sharps container.

Do not treat a client with a contagious condition (conjunctivitis, impetigo, ringworm, active herpes, lice) or an undiagnosed rash; refer to a physician.

Keep a current SDS for every product; store chemicals in labeled original containers, never in food or beverage containers, and never mix products except as the label directs.

Bacteria shapes are cocci (round), bacilli (rod), and spirilla (spiral); viruses are smaller than bacteria and need a host cell; fungi include molds and yeasts.

Primary lesions arise on previously normal skin (macule, papule, pustule, vesicle, bulla, wheal, nodule, cyst, tumor); secondary lesions are changes to existing lesions (crust, scale, fissure, scar, excoriation, ulcer, atrophy).

Fitzpatrick types I–VI estimate UV response: I always burns and never tans; VI is deeply pigmented and rarely burns, so burning is a poor guide to damage in darker skin.

Open comedo = darkened plug in a widened follicle (blackhead); closed comedo = plug sealed under the skin (whitehead); inflamed papules, pustules, and cysts are never extracted.

Facial contraindications: active cold sore, impetigo, conjunctivitis, open or weeping lesions, severe cystic acne, recent surgery or peels, sunburn, and undiagnosed growths.

ABCDE referral signs for pigmented lesions: Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Color variation, Diameter over 6 mm, Evolving size, shape, or symptoms.

Rosacea management: avoid heat, steam, extractions, aggressive exfoliation, alcohol, and spicy triggers; use gentle barrier-supporting products and daily SPF.

Wood's lamp readings: normal or thick skin blue-white, dehydration light violet, oily areas yellow-pink, and coral-red fluorescence suggests Cutibacterium acnes.

A treatment plan documents goals, number and spacing of sessions, products and modalities, home care, contraindications, and signed consent.

Classify by type (normal, dry, oily, combination, sensitive) and separately by condition (dehydrated, acneic, mature, pigmented, sensitized).

Standard facial sequence: consultation and consent → cleanse → skin analysis → exfoliate → steam and extract → massage → mask → moisturize → sun protection.

Massage movements: effleurage (gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (percussion), friction (circular), vibration; strokes move upward and outward toward lymph nodes.

Massage contraindications: fever, acute infection, recent surgery or fillers, severe or cystic acne, sunburn, uncontrolled hypertension, and first-trimester pregnancy.

Extractions follow warm steam or softening, are done with gloved hands and gentle pressure, and are limited to non-inflamed open and closed comedones.

AHAs (glycolic, lactic, malic, tartaric) are water-soluble and act at the surface; BHA (salicylic acid) is oil-soluble and penetrates the follicle.

Superficial peels exfoliate the epidermis only; medium and deep peels reach the dermis and are medical procedures performed under physician supervision.

Mask selection: clay or kaolin for oily and congested skin, cream and gel for dry or sensitive skin, peel-off limited to normal or oily non-reactive skin.

LED therapy: blue light near 415 nm targets acne bacteria; red light near 630 nm supports collagen and reduces inflammation.

Electrical facial contraindications: pacemaker, pregnancy, epilepsy, metal implants, recent injectables or cosmetic surgery; screen before every service.

Hair cycle: anagen (active growth, roughly 2–6 years), catagen (transition, weeks), telogen (rest, months) with shedding after telogen.

Wax is applied in the direction of hair growth and removed against it while skin is held taut; hair should be about 1/4 inch (6 mm) long for effective removal.

Waxing contraindications: isotretinoin use, recent retinoid or acid exfoliation, sunburn, moles, varicose veins, active infection, and recently treated or fragile skin.

Test wax temperature on the inner wrist and patch test new products 24–48 hours before the first full service.

Hard (stripless) wax sets and lifts without a strip; soft wax requires a cloth strip; sugaring uses sugar, water, and lemon and rinses away with water.

Chemical depilatories dissolve keratin in about 3–15 minutes; patch test 24 hours ahead and never apply to inflamed, broken, or freshly waxed skin.

Laser and IPL hair reduction target melanin in the follicle under medical supervision; contraindicated with tanned skin, photosensitizing medications, and pregnancy.

Lash and brow tinting requires a 24- to 48-hour patch test behind the ear or in the elbow crease, with the result recorded on the client card.

Makeup color correction: green cancels redness, peach or orange cancels blue-dark circles, lavender cancels sallow yellow, yellow cancels purple bruising.

Match foundation along the jawline in natural light and classify undertone as warm (golden), cool (pink), or neutral.

Ingredient categories: surfactants cleanse, emollients soften and occlude, humectants attract water (glycerin, hyaluronic acid), emulsifiers blend oil and water, preservatives prevent microbial growth, antioxidants neutralize free radicals.

Any formula containing water needs a preservative system; anhydrous oil-only products generally do not.

AHA exfoliates the surface; BHA (salicylic) penetrates pores; both increase photosensitivity and should not be layered with retinoids in the same routine.

Retinoids speed cell turnover and thin the stratum corneum, causing photosensitivity; avoid during pregnancy and discontinue before waxing per protocol.

Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) is an unstable antioxidant degraded by light, heat, and air; ferulic acid and vitamin E stabilize it.

SPF measures UVB protection against erythema; PA or PPD ratings indicate UVA protection; physical filters (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) scatter and absorb UV.

Galvanic current is direct current: desincrustation uses the negative pole to soften sebum; iontophoresis uses the positive pole to drive water-soluble products in.

High frequency is alternating (Tesla) current: violet electrode is drying and used briefly on acneic skin; neon/orange electrode is soothing and boosts circulation.

Equipment safety: verify UL listing, inspect cords, work with dry hands, unplug by the plug body, keep devices away from water, and remove malfunctioning units from service.

The South Carolina Board of Cosmetology, administered through the SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR), licenses estheticians, cosmetologists, nail technicians, instructors, and salons.

Only a currently licensed individual may perform skin care for compensation; practicing without a valid license is a violation subject to fines, suspension, or revocation.

A salon must hold a salon license and have a licensed individual in charge; licenses must be kept at the workplace and available for inspection.

Infection control rules require clean linens and towels for each client, disinfected implements, and closed labeled containers for disinfected tools.

Esthetician scope: cleansing, facials, masks, makeup, hair removal, and superficial exfoliation; deep peels, injectables, and laser resurfacing are medical acts outside the license.

Services are prohibited on inflamed, infected, or contagious skin; the licensee documents the finding and refers the client to a physician.

The Board may deny, suspend, or revoke a license and impose civil penalties for unsanitary practice, unlicensed practice, or fraudulent and unsafe conduct.

Client records should document consultation, contraindications, products used, patch tests, and signed consent, and are retained according to business and legal requirements.

Pricing must cover product cost per service plus time; retail markup and service price set margin, while booth renters pay rent and salon owners carry payroll taxes, insurance, and overhead.