7.2 Esthetic Tools, Implements & Equipment (and the Machines Reserved for Advanced Practice)
Key Takeaways
A basic esthetician's core equipment includes the facial bed, magnifying lamp, Wood's lamp, steamer, rotary brush machine, towel warmer and wax heater; the brush machine is allowed because esthetics includes manual or machine skin cleansing.
Implements such as comedone extractors, tweezers, bowls, fan brushes and metal spatulas are cleaned and fully immersed in EPA-registered hospital disinfectant after each client; porous items such as sponges and wooden spatulas are single-use.
Electrical equipment, including steamers and esthetic machines, is cleaned and disinfected after each use, including the body, handle and cord (Minn. R. 2105.0375, subp. 11).
Galvanic, high-frequency, microcurrent, LED and other light therapy, ultrasonic and radio-frequency devices, microdermabrasion and dermaplaning tools are advanced practice equipment in Minnesota.
Follow the manufacturer's directions for use and maintenance, and keep equipment manuals on the premises (Minn. R. 2105.0375, subp. 7, item F).
1. Tools, Implements and Equipment: The Vocabulary
- Tools is the general term for anything used in a service.
- Implements are hand-held, reusable instruments such as extractors, tweezers, scissors and spatulas.
- Equipment means larger, often electrical, items such as the bed, steamer, lamps and heaters.
- Supplies are consumables: cotton, gauze, spatulas, sheets and gloves.
Exam items ask what a tool is used for, how to clean and store it, and whether it is single-use or multi-use. Minnesota items add whether the tool is within the basic esthetician's scope.
2. Equipment in the Basic Facial Room
| Equipment | Purpose | Safe use and care |
|---|---|---|
| Facial bed and stool | Positions the client and the esthetician | Washable, intact upholstery; clean sheet plus cloth or paper barrier; disinfect daily and after bare-skin contact (subp. 15) |
| Magnifying lamp (loupe) | Enlarges the skin for analysis and extractions; lenses are rated in diopters (for example, 3 or 5 diopters) | Cover the client's eyes before swinging it over the face; disinfect handles and arm after each use; never leave the lens facing sunlight, since a lens can focus heat |
| Wood's lamp | Filtered long-wave UV light that shows conditions invisible to the eye (see section 4.3) | Use in a dark room with the client's eyes closed and covered; clean after use |
| Facial steamer | Warm vapor that softens surface cells and sebum before extractions | Distilled water only; preheat pointed away from the client; keep a safe distance; never leave a client unattended; empty and clean the reservoir as the manufacturer directs; disinfect the body after each use (subp. 11) |
| Rotary brush machine | Motorized brush for machine skin cleansing and light surface exfoliation | Allowed in basic scope as "manual or machine skin cleansing" (Minn. R. 2105.0105, subp. 2, item C); use light pressure; avoid inflamed acne, couperose and sensitized skin; remove brush heads, clean them and immerse them in disinfectant after each client (subp. 10) |
| Towel warmer (hot cabinet) | Keeps towels warm | Disinfect daily; bleach-washed towels prepared fresh each day; tongs or clean hands; test temperature before use (subp. 15, item G) |
| Wax heater | Melts hard or soft wax to its working temperature | Keep covered; clean the exterior daily; discard contaminated wax and disinfect the pot (subp. 14) |
| Paraffin warmer | Paraffin treatments for hands, feet or body | Portion paraffin per client; never dip directly into the shared warmer (subp. 14) |
| Distilled-water spray bottle | Mists the skin to rehydrate or activate masks | Label contents; clean and refill daily |
| Disinfectant containers | Hold covered disinfectant for immersion | Large enough to submerge all tools; covered; labeled; fresh daily unless the label says otherwise |
3. Implements and Supplies
Multi-use (clean and then disinfect after every client):
- comedone extractor (stainless steel loop or spoon) for basic extractions;
- tweezers (slant, point or flat) for brow shaping and stray hairs;
- brow scissors for trimming brow hairs;
- mixing bowls (glass, stainless or nonporous plastic) and stainless spatulas for dispensing;
- fan brushes and mask brushes for applying masks and exfoliants, cleaned and immersed like other tools;
- makeup brushes (see section 9.2); and
- headbands, if made of nonporous material, cleaned and disinfected. Fabric headbands are laundered like linens.
Single-use (discard immediately after one client, Minn. R. 2105.0375, subp. 13): cotton pads, balls and swabs; gauze; sponges; wooden spatulas; neck strips; wax strips; under-eye pads; tape; disposable mascara wands and lip applicators; paper bed rolls; and anything else made of paper, wood, foam or other porous material. Gloves are discarded after every service.
Storage (subp. 6). Disinfected implements are kept in clean, closed containers, cupboards or drawers, or on a clean towel covered by a clean towel, never touching used items. Storage containers need solid sides and lids and are disinfected weekly. Plastic or paper bags may not be used for disinfected items. UV cabinets may not be present at all (Minn. R. 2105.0377, item D). New single-use supplies stay in covered containers or sealed original packaging.
4. Caring for Electrical Equipment
Minn. R. 2105.0375, subp. 11 names esthetic machines, steamers, glass or metal electrodes and diffusers among the electrical tools that must be cleaned and disinfected after each use, including the body, handle and attached cord:
- Unplug the device.
- Remove removable nonmetal parts, such as brush heads and plastic attachments. Clean them and immerse them in disinfectant.
- Brush or wipe the body, handles and cord free of product and debris.
- Disinfect the surfaces with an EPA-registered hospital spray or wipe that stays wet for the contact time.
- Store the device on a clean, disinfected surface, stand or hook, or in a closed cupboard.
Skin care machines are cleaned and disinfected or sterilized according to the manufacturer's directions (item F). Keep manuals on the premises and follow maintenance schedules (subp. 7, item F). A device that is not in good repair, meaning clean, with no frayed wires or torn coverings and fully working (Minn. R. 2105.0010, subp. 10), is removed from service.
5. Machines Reserved for Advanced Practice in Minnesota
Many esthetics textbooks teach electrical and mechanical modalities that Minnesota places only in the advanced practice (AP) scope (Minn. R. 2105.0105, subp. 5):
| Device or modality | Minnesota status | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Galvanic current (desincrustation, iontophoresis) | AP only | Electrical energy treatment using direct current |
| High frequency (direct, indirect, sparking) | AP only | Electrical energy treatment |
| Microcurrent | AP only | Electrical energy treatment |
| LED and other light therapy | AP only | Light is listed among electrical energy treatments |
| Ultrasonic or sound-wave devices | AP only | Sound energy |
| Radio frequency | AP only | Listed in item B |
| Microdermabrasion | AP only | Advanced exfoliation |
| Dermaplaning blade | AP only | Advanced exfoliation |
| Lancets and needles | AP only | Advanced extraction |
| Skin needling devices | AP only | Item C |
| Laser | Neither license | Practice of medicine |
Exam strategy. When a General Theory item simply describes how a galvanic or high-frequency machine works, answer the science question. The PSI references are national textbooks. When a Minnesota scope question asks whether a basic esthetician may perform the service, the answer is no. Recognizing these machines also helps with contraindications: pacemakers, pregnancy, metal implants and epilepsy are classic contraindications to electrical treatments, and you may be asked to screen for them during a consultation.
6. Choosing the Right Tool in a Scenario
| Situation | Best choice |
|---|---|
| Open comedones on the nose after steaming | Gloved fingers wrapped in cotton or gauze, or a disinfected comedone extractor |
| Applying a clay mask | A clean fan or mask brush, or a disposable spatula |
| Removing product from a jar | A clean or disposable spatula onto a palette |
| Softening skin for a client with couperose | Warm, not hot, compresses instead of steam |
| Seeing sun damage invisible to the eye | Wood's lamp in a darkened room |
| Stray hairs after a wax | Disinfected tweezers |
Which piece of equipment may a basic Minnesota esthetician use for machine skin cleansing?
A galvanic machine using the negative pole
A high-frequency unit with a mushroom electrode
A rotary brush machine with clean, disinfected brush heads
A microdermabrasion wand
How must a facial steamer be cared for between clients under Minn. R. 2105.0375, subp. 11?
Clean and disinfect it after each use, including the body, handle and attached cord
Wipe only the nozzle once a week
Store it in a UV cabinet overnight
No care is needed because steam is sterile
Which item is single-use and must be discarded after one client?
A stainless steel comedone extractor
A glass mixing bowl
Stainless steel tweezers
A cosmetic sponge used to remove a mask
Before swinging a magnifying lamp over a client's face, what should the esthetician do?
Turn the room lights off completely
Cover the client's eyes with eye pads
Apply a mask so the skin is protected
Place the lamp as close to the skin as possible
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.