Makeup Artists

in alabama deserve beauty, not barriers

Traditional cosmetology programs are too expensive. At 1,000 hours of state-required training, the path for MUAs to get licensed and enter the workforce in Alabama is too long and costly, and artists who have already mastered these skills shouldn’t be forced to spend money learning what they already know.

Alabama makeup artists deserve better, flexible, more affordable options to enter the industry that cater to their needs and existing skillsets. Let’s create opportunity and get rid of Alabama’s 1,000-hour licensure requirement for MUAs.

1,000 hours of training to apply makeup?

That’s too much. Alabama is tied with just two other states for having the steepest, most costly training requirements in the country.

13 states do not Force Muas to go to school.

This saves MUAs time and money – especially those who already have the skills. MUAs in these states can choose what training to pursue.

What about sanitation and safety?

Customers are already protected by consumer protection laws. Plus, Alabama has a “retail exemption” allowing makeup to be applied from behind a counter without a license.

are you a makeup artist or want to become one? want to change the law?

Beauty, Not Barriers is a nonprofit initiative working to make it less costly to work in the beauty industry.

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did you know:

13 STATES EXEMPT makeup artists FROM LICENSING.

  • This has saved MUAs money and time and allowed them to focus on getting the specific training they need and building their careers based on their talent, passion, and reputation, and not on a state-issued license.
  • In states that don’t require a license, clients are protected by existing consumer protection laws.
  • Alabama already allows those working at makeup counters selling products to apply full makeup to any member of the public without a license. What changes when makeup is applied outside of a mall? Why should talented individuals be prohibited from expanding past retail sales?
  • Cosmetology schools lobby to keep state hour requirements in place and high, because they profit off of every hour you spend in school.

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.  

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.
While aspiring makeup artists are in school—spending money and not making money—those in 13 other states are able to determine what training they need and can start providing services sooner, without the added burdens of the cost of 1,000 hours in school and wages lost while in a lengthy program.
We believe that makeup artists deserve better.

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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.  

  • There are better and far more affordable alternatives to these kinds of laws, that allow training to be tailored to the students’ needs.
  • The alternatives would make it easier for existing and aspiring beauty professionals alike to work in the industry.  
  • We support beauty, opportunity, entrepreneurship, professionalism, and safety.  We are against barriers. 
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