Makeup Artists
in alabama deserve beauty, not barriers
Alabama is tied with just two other states for having the most burdensome training requirements for makeup artists: the state requires MUAs to get 1,000 hours of costly training in a traditional cosmetology program to apply makeup. That’s not fair.
Meanwhile, 13 states do not require a license to apply makeup at all. This has allowed MUAs to design their own careers, forgo debt, seek the specific training they need, and start earning sooner.
There’s no denying that MUAs deserve more flexible training options that cater to their specific needs. They shouldn’t be forced into these outdated 1,000-hour programs—especially those who have already mastered this specific, safe, and in-demand skillset. Plus, it’s 2023: there are so many other ways to learn, outside of a classroom!
let’s create opportunity for muas in alabama.
alabama requires muas to spend 1,000 hours in a costly cosmetology program. the state is tied for having the steepest requirements nationwide.
but the state has a retail exemption – meaning MUAs can earn a living applying makeup from behind a beauty counter, but can’t provide the same service outside of a store.
that’s not fair.
are you interested in getting rid of alabama’s requirement that makeup artists pay for 1,000 hours of training before they can work?
Join us! We are Beauty, Not Barriers, a nonprofit initiative working to make it less costly to work in the beauty industry.
did you know:
13 STATES EXEMPT MUAS FROM COSMETOLOGY LICENSING.
It’s not fair that beauty professionals face steeper and more costly licensing requirements than so many other fields.
Education
Chefs prepare food that is ingested by customers and aren’t required to get a license or go to school. They take a short, simple sanitation course, and the restaurant is subject to inspections. It’s up to the chef whether they want to go to culinary school. Â
Time
In Alabama, EMTs – who administer life-saving aid – have to get 180 hours of training to get a license to work. Compare that to 1,000 hours for makeup. That’s not fair.
Regulations
Personal trainers aren’t required to have a license. Tattooing is riskier and more invasive than what makeup artists do, but tattoo artists in Alabama only need to obtain training in bloodborne pathogens.
it’s 2023: It doesn’t make sense to require makeup artists to spend so much time in traditional, costly cosmetology programs, when there are so many other, more affordable training options.
learn More
Beauty, Not Barriers is an initiative of the Institute for Justice, a non-profit organization that works alongside beauty professionals and other workers nationwide to change laws that make it hard to earn a living. So often, state laws require way too much to work in an occupation—like expensive and excessive training, which profits the schools at the expense of students going into debt.