Personal Protective Equipment: Selection, Use, and Limits

Why PPE Matters in the Salon

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is your last line of defense against chemical burns, bloodborne pathogen exposure, and skin or eye damage. In cosmetology, you work daily with oxidizers, relaxers, adhesives, and disinfectants that can cause serious injury. A single unguarded splash of hydrogen peroxide or sodium hydroxide can permanently damage your eyes. State licensing boards and federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards both require that cosmetologists use appropriate PPE whenever there is a reasonable risk of exposure to hazardous chemicals or blood and body fluids.

Using PPE incorrectly — or choosing the wrong type — can be just as dangerous as using none at all. This lesson teaches you to select, don (put on), use, and doff (remove) the three types of PPE most common in salon work: nitrile gloves, chemical splash goggles or face shields, and chemical-resistant aprons.

Selecting the Right PPE

Gloves. Nitrile gloves are the standard for salon work because they resist a wide range of chemicals and are latex-free, which protects clients and workers who have latex allergies. Vinyl gloves are too thin and porous for chemical services. Always choose the correct size: gloves that are too loose bunch up and reduce dexterity; gloves that are too tight are more likely to tear. Check the glove for visible tears or pinholes before donning.

Eye protection. Safety glasses protect against flying particles but do not seal around the eyes. Chemical splash goggles create a complete seal and are required whenever you mix or apply chemicals that could splash — for example, lightener, relaxer, or disinfectant concentrates. A face shield provides both face and eye coverage and is often used over goggles for extra protection during mixing. A face shield alone is not a substitute for goggles because it does not seal against the eyes.

Aprons. A chemical-resistant apron protects your clothing and skin from the front. It must be made of a material rated to resist the specific chemical you are using. Cloth salon capes are not PPE and do not protect you from chemical burns.

Donning Sequence (Putting On PPE)

Always don PPE before the hazard is present. The correct sequence for a chemical or blood-exposure situation is:

1. Perform hand hygiene — wash with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub.

2. Put on the apron — secure neck strap and tie waist straps at the front so you can untie them with one clean hand later.

3. Put on goggles or face shield — position goggles snugly against your face; check for a complete seal.

4. Put on gloves — pull them over the cuffs of the apron sleeves if the apron has sleeves, so there is no gap at the wrist.

This sequence ensures that by the time your hands are gloved, your face and body are already protected.

Using PPE During a Procedure

• Never touch your face, phone, or unprotected surfaces with gloved hands.
• If a glove tears, move to a safe position, remove both gloves, perform hand hygiene, and re-glove before continuing.
• Goggles that fog up should not be removed mid-task; choose anti-fog lenses and ensure adequate ventilation before you begin.
• If you suspect a glove has been contaminated with blood, treat it as a contaminated glove even if there is no visible puncture.

Doffing Sequence (Removing PPE)

Doffing is where self-contamination most often occurs. The outside surfaces of used PPE are contaminated; your goal is to remove them without touching those surfaces with your bare skin. OSHA recommends the following sequence:

1. Remove gloves first — grip the outside of one glove at the wrist, peel it down and off so it turns inside-out. Hold the removed glove in your still-gloved hand. Slide two fingers of your bare hand under the cuff of the remaining glove and peel it off inside-out, enclosing the first glove inside the second. Dispose of both in a waste container immediately.

2. Perform hand hygiene.

3. Remove the apron — untie waist straps (touching only the inside or tie strings), roll the apron inward so the contaminated outer surface is folded inside, and dispose of or place it in the designated laundry or waste container.

4. Remove goggles or face shield — grasp the strap or ear pieces (not the lens, which is the contaminated surface) and lift away from your face. Place reusable eyewear in the container for disinfection.

5. Perform hand hygiene again.

Limits of PPE

PPE reduces risk; it does not eliminate it. It must be combined with proper surface disinfection, good work habits, and standard precautions. PPE is not reusable unless it is specifically labeled and designed for reuse and has been properly disinfected. Disposable gloves are single-use. Never wash and re-use disposable nitrile gloves — washing degrades the material and does not reliably remove pathogens or chemicals.

Scope of Practice and Bloodborne Pathogens

Cosmetologists are not medical professionals, but OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard applies in salons because accidental cuts and abrasions can occur during services. If you encounter blood, you must treat it as potentially infectious regardless of who the client is. This is called standard precautions. Don appropriate PPE before you touch or clean any blood-contaminated surface, and dispose of contaminated materials in a proper waste container according to your state's regulations.