Cosmetology Infection Control Standards and Requirements

Cosmetology infection control standards come from two places at once: federal OSHA rules on hazardous chemicals and bloodborne pathogens, and state cosmetology board regulations that spell out how tools are disinfected, how facilities are kept clean, and how practitioners handle hygiene. Fines for violations generally run from about $500 to $10,000, and serious or repeated infractions can cost a practitioner or salon their license.¹

Disinfectants and Chemical Labeling

Any disinfectant used on salon implements must be EPA-registered and hospital-grade, meaning it is proven to kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi.¹ The product label lists the EPA registration number, the pathogens the product destroys, and the contact time needed for each.

Follow the manufacturer’s mixing directions exactly. A weak solution won’t kill pathogens; a strong one can damage tools and irritate skin or lungs. If the product needs dilution, keep measuring devices at the mixing station. Replace immersion solutions at the start of each workday, or sooner if the liquid looks cloudy or contaminated.¹

OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard requires labels on every secondary container of a hazardous chemical, showing at minimum the product name and its hazards. The one exception is a portable container filled and used up by a single employee within the same shift. Employers must also keep a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for every hazardous chemical in the salon and make those sheets available to employees on every shift.² An SDS covers first aid, spill cleanup, toxicity data, and storage for each product.

Cleaning and Disinfecting Implements

Disinfection only works on a clean surface. Reusable, non-porous tools like shears, metal pushers, nippers, and combs first need visible debris scrubbed off with soap and water. Skipping that step lets hair, skin, and product residue shield bacteria from the disinfectant, and dropping a dirty tool into a bath contaminates the solution for every other tool in it.

After cleaning, the NIC recognizes three disinfection methods:¹

Immersion. Submerge the tool completely in a properly mixed solution for the full contact time on the label. Every surface, including handles, must stay below the liquid.
Spray. Set the cleaned tool on a disinfected surface and spray until it is thoroughly saturated. All surfaces must stay visibly wet for the full contact time.
Wipes. Use an EPA-registered disinfecting wipe across all surfaces, keeping every surface visibly moist for the required contact time.

Shears and razors are an exception to immersion. They can be wiped clean and then disinfected with a spray or wipe, provided the surfaces stay wet for the required time.¹ Rinse disinfected tools in clean running water to remove chemical residue, air dry them or pat with a clean paper towel, then store them in a clean, covered container labeled “disinfected” or “ready to use.” That container has to be kept separate from any soiled tools waiting to be cleaned.

Single-Use Items and Sharps

Porous, absorbent items cannot be reliably disinfected and must be discarded after one use. That includes wooden sticks, emery boards, foam toe separators, sponge buffers, cotton rounds, neck strips, and anything else that soaks up liquid or skin oils.³ Throw them in a covered waste receptacle right after the service. Reusing porous items is one of the most common violations inspectors cite.

Razor blades, lancets, and disposable cutting edges go in a dedicated sharps container that is rigid, puncture-resistant, and leakproof, with a tight-fitting lid so hands can’t reach inside.⁴ Close and seal the container when it’s three-quarters full. Never open, empty, or compress a full container. Sealed containers are disposed of according to local biohazard waste rules.

Towels, capes, and cloth linens can be reused if they’re washed properly between clients. Use hot water with laundry detergent, add bleach for heavy soil, and dry on high heat. Store clean laundry in a closed cabinet separated from the hamper for soiled linens.

Foot Spa and Pedicure Basins

Pedicure basins with jets or circulation systems can grow bacteria inside their plumbing if the internal parts aren’t cleaned. After every client, the EPA recommends draining the water, removing visible debris, scrubbing the basin with soap, rinsing, and then refilling with clean water and an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant. If the basin has a circulation system, run it during the entire contact time of at least 10 minutes, or whatever the label requires, so the solution reaches the interior piping.⁵

At the end of the day, the basin needs a deeper cleaning. Remove the filter screen, inlet jets, and any other detachable parts. Scrub each with soap or disinfectant and a brush, rinse, then reassemble. Fill the basin with clean water and disinfectant, run the circulation system for the full contact time, drain, rinse, and let it air dry overnight.⁵ Some states require an additional weekly bleach flush left in the system for eight hours or more, so check your state board’s rules for anything on top of the EPA baseline.

Facility Sanitation and Ventilation

Environmental surfaces like styling chairs, treatment tables, shampoo bowls, and countertops get wiped down with a low-level disinfectant between every client. Product residue on these surfaces can harbor microorganisms even when the surface never contacts broken skin. Keep non-porous flooring clear of hair clippings and spills throughout the day. Restrooms need liquid soap and either disposable paper towels or a working hand air dryer. Waste containers need liners and regular emptying, and plumbing must supply hot and cold running water to every handwashing and cleaning station.

Chemical fumes from nail products, hair dyes, and disinfectants themselves create respiratory hazards, especially in nail salons. OSHA identifies ventilation as the most effective way to reduce chemical exposure, and exhaust systems can cut airborne chemical levels by at least 50 percent.⁶ Ventilated nail tables should run whenever they are in use, with charcoal filters replaced at least monthly. Without a dedicated exhaust, set the HVAC fan to “on” rather than “auto” so air circulates continuously during working hours. Opening doors and windows is a simple step that often gets skipped.

Hand Hygiene and Gloves

Handwashing is the cheapest infection control measure available and the one most likely to be skipped. Wash with soap and water immediately before and after every service. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer at 62 to 70 percent concentration works between clients when hands aren’t visibly soiled. Most state boards require liquid soap dispensers rather than bar soap, which collects bacteria on its wet surface. Dry hands with single-use disposable towels instead of a shared cloth.

Gloves are required any time contact with blood or other potentially infectious material is reasonably anticipated. That obligation comes from OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, which applies to any workplace, salons included, where employees face a reasonable chance of blood exposure during their duties.⁷ In practice, that means gloves during waxing, extractions, any work near hangnails or cuticles, and any accidental nick. Gloves are also worn during chemical services like coloring and perming to protect the practitioner. The employer must provide protective equipment at no cost to the employee.⁸

Bloodborne Pathogens Compliance

The Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, carries obligations well beyond wearing gloves, and many small salon owners don’t realize the rules apply to them. If any employee could reasonably contact blood on the job, three additional requirements kick in.

Written Exposure Control Plan

Every covered employer maintains a written exposure control plan that identifies which job tasks carry blood exposure risk, describes the protective measures in place, and sets out what to do if an exposure incident happens. The plan is reviewed and updated at least once a year, and whenever job duties change in ways that affect exposure risk.⁸ Annual updates also document whether the salon has considered any newer safety devices designed to reduce exposure.

Hepatitis B Vaccination

The employer must offer the hepatitis B vaccine series to every employee with occupational exposure, at no cost, within 10 working days of that employee’s initial assignment to duties involving potential blood contact. The vaccination is provided at a reasonable time and place and administered by a licensed healthcare professional.⁹ Employees can decline the vaccine, but both the offer and the declination have to be documented.

Post-Exposure Response

When an exposure incident occurs, such as a needlestick, a cut with a contaminated blade, or blood splashing onto broken skin, the employer must immediately make a confidential medical evaluation available to the exposed employee. That evaluation documents how the exposure happened, tests the source person’s blood for hepatitis B and HIV with consent, tests the employee’s blood, and provides post-exposure preventive treatment when medically appropriate.⁹ The evaluating healthcare professional’s written opinion is provided to the employee within 15 days of the completed evaluation.

When to Refuse Service

Infection control also means recognizing when a service shouldn’t happen at all. Most state boards prohibit working on skin that is inflamed, broken, or infected. Refuse or postpone service when a client presents with:

Active bacterial or viral skin infections, including impetigo and herpes cold sores
Open wounds, cuts, or abrasions in the treatment area
Parasitic infestations like head lice or scabies
Contagious eye infections such as conjunctivitis
Severe inflammatory skin conditions like grade 3–4 acne in the service area

This protects both the client, whose condition could worsen, and other clients who could pick up the infection from shared surfaces. Most state regulations specifically authorize practitioners to decline service without liability. Clients using isotretinoin, topical retinoids, or those with recent chemical peels may also need to wait before receiving skin or waxing services, depending on state guidelines.

Penalties for Noncompliance

State cosmetology boards run scheduled inspections and complaint-driven investigations. Monetary fines for common violations typically fall in the $500 to $10,000 range depending on the state, the severity, and any prior violations on record. A first offense for an expired disinfectant or a missing SDS might draw a warning or a low-end fine. Repeated violations, unsanitary conditions creating an imminent health risk, or working on clients with visible infections can bring license suspension or revocation for both the practitioner and the salon.

OSHA can impose separate penalties for violations of the Hazard Communication Standard or the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, and those fines tend to be steeper than state board penalties. Keeping up with daily cleaning logs, disinfectant replacement, and documentation is far cheaper than dealing with an enforcement action after the fact.

1
National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology. NIC Infection Control Policies
2
eCFR. 29 CFR 1910.1200 – Hazard Communication
3
National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology. Disinfection Guidance
4
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Sharps Disposal Containers in Health Care Facilities
5
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Recommended Cleaning and Disinfection Procedures for Foot Spa Basins in Salons
6
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Health Hazards in Nail Salons – Chemical Hazards
7
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Health Hazards in Nail Salons – Biological Hazards
8
eCFR. 29 CFR 1910.1030 – Bloodborne Pathogens
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 29 CFR 1910.1030 – Bloodborne Pathogens