Best Practices for Safety and Hygiene in the Salon: Advice to Salon Techs and Owners

When working in a salon, you want to ensure your clients have the best possible experience, but it’s also incredibly important that your salon is a safe and hygienic environment for everyone. Not only is it the law, but poor hygiene and cleaning habits put you and your clients at risk of infection and disease. The use of certain products may contain harsh chemicals that can be harmful to your health. It’s vital that you follow proper protocols in your salon regarding safety and hygiene to protect the health of the staff, as well as the customers. Here we will share some of the best advice and practices to follow in your salon to ensure your customers leave happy and everyone is healthy and safe. 

Chemical Hazards

Traditional acrylics, nail polishes, removers, and other products may contain hazardous chemicals that are harmful to your health, especially when used for an extended period of time. Some salons may use products containing toluene, formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalate — also known as the “toxic trio.” Technicians can breathe in these chemicals, get them on their skin, or even ingest them while eating or drinking. These chemicals can cause various health issues such as breathing irritations, skin irritations, or allergies. 

  • Read the labels - It’s important to read the labels on the products you’re using so you know what toxic chemicals they may contain. 
  • Choose non-toxic products - Choose non-toxic products to use in your salon. Not only is it healthier for your employees, but many clients now actually look for this. SNS products are skin safe, do not contain any the “toxic trio” chemicals, and our bases and sealers have nourishing ingredients that actually improve nail health.
  • Educate yourself and your staff - Employees should be trained on how to properly use the products to ensure safety measures are followed. OSHA requires that salons have Safety Data Sheets for each and every product; you can find those on our website.
  • Ventilate the room - The salon should have proper ventilation to reduce harmful chemical fumes. 
  • Wear gloves at all times - Technicians should wear gloves during services at all times, not only for hygiene reasons but also to protect their skin from harsh chemicals. Gloves should be properly disposed of after each client and replaced with a new pair. 
  • Use small bottles - Using small bottles with small openings and closing them tightly will reduce the chances of spilling harmful chemicals. 
  • Dispose of chemicals properly - Use a lined metal trash can and follow product instruction for safe disposal of any chemicals.
  • Safety Glasses - Wear goggles or safety glasses when handling hazardous chemicals or during the necessary services that may require them. 

Infection Risk

Nail services can put both the client and the technician at risk of a number of infections, viruses, and bacteria due to poor hand hygiene, contamination, and improper cleaning of tools and workspaces. However, this can be prevented, but it’s the responsibility of everyone working in the salon to be on the same page about what’s considered clean and what’s not. Good salon hygiene practices are crucial to reduce the risk of potential infections and diseases. All employees should follow these simple rules to ensure your salon is clean and nobody’s health is at risk.

  • Hand hygiene - Technicians should wash hands before and after each client, as well as after eating, drinking, smoking, using the bathroom, and handling money. 
  • Wear gloves at all times - Technicians should wear gloves at all times and dispose of them after every client. 
  • Cover cuts - Any cuts or wounds should be covered with a waterproof plaster. 
  • Vaccine prevention - Technicians should consider getting a Hepatitis B vaccine.
  • Sanitize - All tools, worktables, and basins should be thoroughly disinfected and sanitized after every client. 
  • Proper disposal - Dispose of any single use tools such as emory board plates or wooden dowels after each client. 
  • Good housekeeping - All areas of the salon should be kept clean at all times. This means reception area, bathrooms, the floor, and obviously the workspaces. 

Reduce cross-contamination - If a client has a visible bacterial or fungal infection, it’s best to turn them away. When using products such as dip powder, technicians should use the pour over method to reduce the risk of contamination.