Facials, Make-up Application, and Waxing

Facials and Make-up Application

Facials can be invasive procedures that involve a risk of exposure to blood or body fluids, especially when the procedure involves extractions.

Infection prevention and control precautions must be followed to protect both personal service workers and clients. You do not have to see blood or bodily fluids on the instruments for an infection to occur.

The following information is in addition to the general operating requirements for personal services settings as written in Ontario Regulation 136/18 Personal Service Settings.

Infection and Prevention Control Requirements

  • Inspect client’s skin. Do not provide service on inflamed, infected skin with a rash or any open wounds.

Hand Washing & Glove Use

  • Hand washing must be performed:
    • Before starting a treatment/procedure
    • after wearing single use gloves; and
    • in between breaks in service
  • Gloves or finger cots are not required for routine procedures in which contact is limited to a client’s intact skin.
  • Wear single use gloves or single use finger cots for:
    • Contact with blood, body fluids, secretions and excretions from mucous membranes or non intact skin
    • Handling items visibly soiled with blood, body fluids, secretions and excretions
    • When the personal service worker has non-intact skin on their hands, gloves or finger cots should be worn. They must be changed between clients and between breaks in treatment/service of the same client.
  • Gloves should be changed between procedures with the same clients and between clients.
  • Gloves should be removed immediately after completion of the procedure, at the point of use and before touching any other surfaces.
  • Single use disposable gloves should NOT be reused or washed.

Blood and Body Fluid Exposures

  • Instruments that accidentally break the skin during a procedure must be cleaned and disinfected with high level disinfectant prior to re-use.
  • Section 14 of the Personal Service Setting regulation lists updated requirements for on-site record keeping. This includes records related to:
    • Sterilization
    • Disinfection
    • Invasive Procedures
    • Accidental exposures (such as blood or body fluids)

*Please note that these records must be kept on-site for at least one (1) year and available by request at least two (2) years after.

Equipment

  • Dispense creams, lotions, makeup for each client:
    • With a single use disposable applicator (e.g. spatula), or
    • Into a clean single use container and discard container after use
    • Reusable spatulas must be constructed of non-porous material (e.g. metal) which can be cleaned and disinfected between clients. Ensure spatulas do not contaminate the original container and must be cleaned and disinfected using a low to intermediate disinfectant.
    • Empty cream and lotion containers should be discarded or cleaned and disinfected using a low level disinfectant before refilling.
    • Creams, lotion, or cotton balls must be dispensed in a manner that does not contaminate the remaining portion. Equipment that cannot be properly cleaned and disinfected between clients is single use (e.g. facial sponges, cotton balls, tissues, applicators, facial steamer machine inserts etc.) and must be discarded immediately.
  • Use pre-packaged, single-use, sterile needles or lancets for extractions. Discard used needles or lancets into an approved sharps container after each use.
  • All reusable equipment that contacts only intact skin must be thoroughly cleaned and then low to intermediate level disinfected after each use.
  • All reusable equipment that comes in contact with non-intact skin, blood or body fluids requires cleaning and disinfection with an intermediate to high level disinfectant (e.g. high frequency glass or metal probes, comedone extractors).
  • The water in facial steam vapour machines should be emptied and cleaned on a regular basis.
  • Make-up brushes used on areas other than the eyes must be washed with soap and water, rinsed, then disinfected with a low level disinfectant after each client.
  • Use single use applicators for applying eye make-up. Do not double dip.
  • Eyeliner and lip liner crayons must be re-sharpened after each client. Clean sharpener daily.

Waxing

Waxing, if not done properly, could lead to skin irritations, infections of the hair follicle, or the transmission of blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV. Infection prevention and control precautions must be followed to protect both personal service workers and clients.

Infection Prevention and Control Requirements

  • Examine the skin of the client’s body to ensure that the skin is healthy and intact. Do not wax if skin is broken, infected or irritated.
  • If you anticipate being in contact with blood or bodily fluids, it is recommended you wear single-use disposable non-sterile gloves.
  • Wash hands before and after each waxing procedure, in between breaks in service, or before putting on or removing gloves.
  • Clean and disinfect client’s skin with a skin antiseptic prior to waxing.
  • Hepatitis B vaccination is strongly recommended for the personal service worker.

Equipment

  • If applying wax directly onto skin, a single-use disposable applicator (e.g. spatula, stick) should be used. Do not double dip. Once a spatula/stick has come in contact with the client’s skin, it should never be dipped into the wax again.
  • Single-use applicators must be discarded after each contact with client. Use a new applicator for the next application on the same client.
  • Reusable applicators must be constructed of non-porous material which can be easily cleaned and disinfected.
  • Other single-use disposable items (e.g. cloth/paper strips, threads etc.) must be discarded after each client.
  • Roller head wax applicators are single use and must be disposed of after each client. Cartridge casing must be cleaned and disinfected with a low level disinfectant between clients.
  • Hair removal products such as wax, sugaring products etc. must not be reused or recycled.
  • Tweezers used after the waxing process to remove hairs are to be cleaned and disinfected (using intermediate to high level disinfectant) after each client.
  • If reusable equipment is used to REMOVE an ingrown hair, it must be cleaned and sterilized between clients. This is considered an invasive procedure because the item has intentionally penetrated the skin.
  • Clean multi-use instruments such as stainless steel spatulas, with soap and water, then disinfect with an intermediate to high-level disinfectant.
  • Use fresh paper liner or clean linen on waxing tables/beds between each client. Used linen must be laundered after each client.

Note: The heated wax temperature is not hot enough to kill bacteria or viruses

References