Soap and water hand hygiene is more important than ever for reopening salons and beauticians

The reason that reliance on gels has to be left behind

Although hand sanitisers are currently playing a role in helping control the current novel coronavirus pandemic, their use should be limited in the near future as they could “present problems for human health and the environment in the long term”. The focus should be on soap and water washing – with sanitiser use being minimised when case numbers recede says a recent report.

The Hair and Beauty Industry Authority, HABIA, is “is recognised by (the UK) government as the Standard Setting Body (SSB) for the hair, beauty, nails, spa and aesthetic sectors.”

Effective hand hygiene is at the forefront of its downloadable PDF guidance “Hygiene in Beauty Therapy”, which states that good practice can “significantly reduce the risk of cross-infection in the salon.”

At the heart of this good practice is effective soap and water hand washing – which is very much preferred to the use of sanitisers. The document provides a 13 step guide to effective cleansing. This should take place both before and after any contact with a client says HABIA.

“To be sufficiently effective for prevention of cross-infection in a salon situation, this involves a thorough …wash of the hands and wrists using water and liquid soap, followed by a thorough drying. Single use paper towels are preferred to fabric reusable towels.”

Encourage your customer to wash their hands too!

And a final thought – encouraging customers to wash their hands upon entering the salon will help keep customers and staff safe.

Soap and water hand washing is crucial: health problems are looming with sanitisers… »

The Teal beauty range of portable hand wash units can be deployed wherever they’re needed – with no plumbing required!

With 80% of bacteria and diseases spread by touch, there are high risks of cross-contamination between clients and practitioner and their tools which makes good hand hygiene essential. See the range of hand wash units for the beauty and aesthetics industry »

The Teal HandSpa (below). Delivering superb hand washing – at the point of need. The automatic sensor delivers a hygienic hand wash without having to touch a tap or button.

Download the HandSpa fact sheet »