The Gloves Sold At The Hair Supplier Are Not For Your Salon Chemicals

Did you know?

Gloves purchased at the hair chemical supplier do not meet the standards recommended by the hair chemical brand.

Our gloves should come from a chemical safety supplier but most of us hairstylists do not purchase our color gloves from one, we buy them from the hair supplier where we buy our color chemicals, not even thinking that these gloves wouldn't match our chemicals and we could be needlessly exposing ourselves to them.

I found this out 12 years into my career, after pouring over MSDS's, and then after checking the gloves I purchased for my salon chemical services I realized these were not even close to the type of glove that should be used for ultimate protection, I was floored and definitely experienced some feelings of outrage. I can't even count how many chemical burns I have experienced over my career.

Why Can't We Buy Our PPE At The Cosmetology Chemical Supply?

How this is not a thing yet I completely do not understand. On a most basic level, the gloves we have to use to protect ourselves should be available to us where we buy the chemical. It is simply misleading to sell "color gloves" that do not actually offer sufficient chemical resistance- the box doesn't even tell you the thickness of the glove most of the time. It is just confusing that brands label their tool/PPE with the word 'color' on it when we have no idea what color line it is referring to. Two chemicals, each with known properties, can cause unexpected effects when they are mixed. Chemical mixtures vary from brand to brand.

My own experience using these kinds of gloves is that they rip, tear, break, and bleed often! I have taken off a glove and have had chemical stains on my fingers and palm. This is targeted organ exposure.

It was not easy to find the correct gloves because the standards keep changing.

I am trying my best to be as precise as possible with the requirements and recommendations but the truth of the matter is no one has revised and updated their MSDS to reflect the new standards!

Glove manufacturers are aware of these changing standards and adapt their products accordingly, but not so much with hair chemical manufacturers. That is just another reason why it is good to buy our tools from these safety suppliers and go to them with our questions, they seem to have the most current information.

So What Type Of Gloves Should We Be Looking For And Why? Skip To Glove Recommendations

Most MSDS say category 3 chemical resistant gloves that meet the EN ISO 374 standard are what should be used with most salon chemicals. However, there is a new standard that supersedes the EN 374 for chemical resistance and you will need to find gloves that not only meet the regular EN 374 standard but also EN 16523-1: 2015 + A1: 2018. STAY WITH ME NOW! You need to know this!

Why EN 16523-1: 2015 + A1: 2018 standard?

It’s a tested standard of safety. This standard specifies a test procedure to determine the resistance of protective glove materials to permeation by potentially hazardous non-gaseous chemicals under the conditions of continuous contact. Permeation is the process by which a chemical moves through a protective glove material on a molecular level. Gloves are classified according to the breakthrough time of the chemical through the glove material. In other words Is the glove resistant to permeation by liquid chemicals and if so, how fast?

How is it tested?

A sample of the glove material is placed in contact with a challenge chemical and the rate at which this chemical travels through (permeates) the material is determined. The breakthrough time is the time at which this permeation rate exceeds 1µg/cm2/min. The samples are assigned performance levels depending on this breakthrough time. To be certified as chemically protective, the gloves must achieve one of three specified levels of protection defined in terms of breakthrough time and the number of chemicals tested.

Hair Hug Moment

It hurts me to watch videos of humans performing chemical services and not using gloves, going even further, massaging chemically treated hair with their bare hands as if they were giving a peanut butter head massage.

These are chemicals, chemicals that we do not know the full repercussions of working with, but we do know they are carcinogenic, mutagenic, cause reproductive harm, central nervous system damage, and endocrine disruption, just to name a few potential risks. Chemical burns may seem to be temporary but with repetition, we build up sensitization. This becomes a chronic habit quickly. It should be banned from salon culture and frankly should be flagged on platforms that show tutorials that showcase unsafe practices.

When should gloves be used?

Use gloves while

• mixing chemicals

• applying chemicals

• washing out chemicals

• any time you are at risk of exposing your skin to chemicals.

Disposable gloves should NEVER be washed, dried, and worn again. These gloves are disposable for a reason and are already in the molecular degradation stage after use with chemicals, including styling products.

Hair Hug Tip

Stylists, if your salon owner is pressuring you to reuse gloves to save on back bar expenses because they are supposed to provide PPE, please show them your chemical MSDS and maybe this article so they can know how serious this is and get more information to assist you and the rest of the salon.

Yes, the salon owner is responsible for purchasing and maintaining sufficient PPE in the salon, and providing training on how to use such.

If a color line does not have a glove recommendation but they have chemicals in their line, differ to the EN 374 standard to choose the correct glove.

Hair Hug Recommendations

I recommend these gloves because I have used them, as I find more gloves that meet the current standards I will update subscribers: LIST UPDATED AS OF 11/05/22 CHECK OUT OUR SAFETY GEAR PAGE

REUSABLE For Prolonged Chemical Contact

Showa Chemical Resistant Glove 727

EN ISO 374 Chemical Rating, Type A, Chemical Resistant, Water Resistant, Unsupported, Bisque Grip, Chlorinated, FDA Compliant

EN ISO 374-5 Microorganism Protection Type Bacteria, Fungi, Virus

Meets CE Rated, EN 388:2016 2001X, EN ISO 374-1:2016/Type A JKLOPT, EN ISO 374-5:2016

EN ISO 374 Chemicals Tested J - n-Heptane, K - Sodium Hydroxide 40%, L - Sulphuric Acid 96%, O - Ammonium Hydroxide 25%, P - Hydrogen Peroxide 30%, T - Formaldehyde 37%

These gloves are what I use for applying color & bleach as well as wearing them while washing out those chemicals, the biggest features for me are:

15 mil thick protection (most "salon gloves" bought at the local cosmetology supplier are 3-6mil)

The length of the forearm of the glove offers a lot more protection than traditional gloves. It is probable to have a chemical come into contact with uncovered forearms during the application or washing process so in conjunction with long sleeves, these gloves offer a suitable amount of protection during the chemical service.

Despite thickness, they are very easy to get used to. I can foil with them.

REUSABLE

Lanon Chemical Resistant Cotton Lined Glove

LANON industrial gloves for hand protection are certificated by CE 0075 CAT III, with Standards EN 388:2016, EN 420, EN ISO374-5:2016, EN ISO374-1:2016/Type B, and meet CA Prop.65 regulations for phthalates.

13 gauge seamless cotton liner, these heavy-duty gloves are breathable, easy to pull on and off. You will be able to wear these gloves for long periods of time without discomfort. The extended cuffs provide effective barrier protection for the wrist and forearm from splashes, abrasives, and dangerous chemicals.

I understand, you may feel like you are all of a sudden in a lab and have lost your cuteness, but guess what? You will be so happy you used protection as the years go by and you still have your health and career. One of the most common routes of exposure is through skin contact. Contact dermatitis and chemical sensitization is no joke. If you have one reaction you have a 50% chance to have another reaction in the future and one that could be career destabilizing.

DISPOSABLE

Chemical Work Foiling Glove 9 Mil Nitrile

Wash Out Chemical Glove 5.9 Mil Medium Nitrile

Industrial Nitrile Gloves 8 Mil

Orange and available in size small

These gloves are not CE marked which would not qualify as the correct gloves your MSDS is recommending. But I want to show people these because they are a safer, thicker disposable option compared to the 3-5 mil gloves salons mostly use. You don't lose any tactile flexibility with these, a common concern for stylists with nimble fingers and quick foiling techniques. I recommend that these gloves be changed between application and washing. I wouldn't personally wear a disposable glove for more than 1 hour. And if the glove was saturated I would replace the glove as soon as possible within the hour.

Resist the urge to use the top of your glove as your pallet, chemicals will be sitting on the surface area degrading faster molecularly through glove material, this is concerning since the skin on the top of your hand is thinner and is close to your veins.

When there is a lack of information available around a glove I look for an equivalent and these are what I found on Grainger Chemical Resistance/ General Purpose. In general, it is best to get your gloves from a supplier like this because they offer support when you need them. I include links to amazon because many stylists have a Prime account and suppliers use Amazon to handle their shipping, also sometimes the price is significantly cheaper for the same glove. I would imagine there are plenty of gloves on the market that meet these standards but have no CE mark or revised markings of updated standards.

HOW COULD THIS IMPROVE?

Have the correct PPE sold at cosmetology chemical supply stores.

In my opinion, we can streamline safety if right at the store where we buy our salon chemicals MSDS sheets were available beside the chemical sold, or given to the stylist at the time of purchase (how is this not an enforced requirement?!). If we wanted to get even more streamlined include a QR Code on the chemicals to scan for the safety precautions and required PPE.

I would have appreciated a section in a store with some serious safety protection like ventilation systems, capture units, respirators, eye protection, eye washing stations, capes, and protective clothing for stylists. I do not know why these types of companies do not have relationships with each other when their businesses are closely related and could benefit from each other.

Below is an essential salon safety asset with much more info we created so you can up your salon safety game for the price of a comb!

The Hair Hug Glove Guide | Safety Materials

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