Hygiene, Health, and Professional Image

Hygiene is the practice and study of maintaining health and preventing illness through cleanliness and healthful living. In the beauty profession, our responsibility is to protect and serve the public by following applicable laws, sanitation and infection-control procedures, and safe work practices.

Salon health and safety concerns may include inadequate ventilation, poor lighting, improper cleaning and disinfection, unsafe chemical handling or storage, contaminated tools, poor ergonomics, slips and falls, and other workplace hazards. Beauty professionals should follow current state-board rules, product directions, Safety Data Sheets, and workplace requirements.

Halitosis is the medical term for bad breath. Personal cleanliness, clean clothing, fresh breath, neat grooming, and clean and healthy hair all contribute to a professional presentation.

Healthy-looking skin and hair are influenced by many factors, including nutrition, hydration, rest, movement, genetics, health conditions, medications, environment, and appropriate care. A beauty professional should observe and educate within their scope of practice — not diagnose medical conditions.

Professional appearance and foundational makeup principles

Traditional makeup principles teach that:

• Foundation should be chosen to coordinate with the person's skin tone and undertone.
• Lighter shades can make an area appear more prominent or broad.
• Darker shades can create the appearance of depth or make an area seem narrower.
• A lip may be made to appear slightly fuller by carefully lining just outside the natural lip border. The result should remain balanced and appropriate for the client's desired look.