Prepping for Safe Makeup Application
8-time Emmy Award-winning makeup effects artist, Eryn Krueger Mekash (American Horror Story, Scream Queens, 300: Rise of an Empire ) shows you everything you need to know about suiting up and getting prepared to do makeup effects during the pandemic, with this FREE excerpt from her Stan Winston School of Character Arts Lesson, Covid-Safe Makeup Application.
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- Following Productions’ Covid-19 Safety Protocols
- Using a PPE Kit for Makeup Prep
- Keeping Sets Safe With Masks and Gloves
- Protective Gear for Every Occasion
To watch the complete video, click the PLAYER ABOVE!
Following Productions’ Covid-19 Safety Protocols
Most legitimate productions today will have a Covid-19 supervisor and will provide crew with some sort of personal protection gear. If the company does not have a Covid-19 protocol in place, that might be a signal that it's not a safe company to work for anyway.
Do not attempt to do any makeup during the pandemic without practicing extensively first. Eryn Krueger Mekash, will tell you, you just have to get into the groove and figure out ahead of time how you're going to do it.
Don’t try to do this on day-one of a new job. Try out your personal protective gear at home. Put it all on and keep it on for a LONG time. The first time you do it, there will be a lot of anxiety. It freaks you out. But the longer you wear it, the more comfortable it will get. Once you get comfortable with the protocol, it will become second nature.
(Eryn Krueger Mekash demonstrates the proper way to don a KN95 medical mask.)
The state-of-the-art makeup artists' mask is still the one more nurses and hospitals prefer, the KN95 surgical mask. These masks are simple, inexpensive and re-usable over several days as long as the exterior doesn't get dirty. (Put a used mask in a paper bag, not a plastic bag, overnight.)
Using a PPE Kit for Makeup Prep
(Personal protective equipment, or PPE, to prevent transmission of Covid-19 and other germs, includes face masks, face shields, wipes, sanitizer and anti-fog spray and cloth.)
There are many available products designed to protect you from germs in the air and on your face, hands and surfaces. While many productions will provde basic PPE, it never hurts to customize your kit with material that meets your specific needs. Try out different masks to see which ones are the most comfortable to wear for long duration. Try different face shields to see which ones give you the best balance of protection and anti-glare. The more layers you can put between yourself and potential aerosol germs, the better protected you will be and the more comfortable the performers you work around will feel.
(Anti-fog cloth applied to goggles, glasses and face shields helps improve your clarity of vision when wearing PPE.)
One of the most critical pieces of makeup prep will become your anti-fog wipes or spray. Especially if you are a person who wears glasses, there are many atmospheres you'll encounter on set where the air temperatures cause your lenses to fog almost immediately. A good wipe with an anti-fog cloth on all surfaces you intend to use as transparent protection is always a good idea.
Keeping Sets Safe With Masks and Gloves
(Eryn Krueger Mekash, loops the elastic of her KN95 surgical mask over one ear and then the other.)
You may find that wearing a white mask contributes to glare in your glasses, a condition that is more likely when you have multiple lenses such as goggles and face shields and you're under bright lights. In these cases you can wear a black colored mask over the KN95 mask. Some manufacturers even make black colored masks. But whichever mask you wear, it will need to be approved by the on-set Covid supervisor.
(You'll know you have a good seal if the mask sucks in when you inhale and expands when you exhale.)
Homemade cloth masks are generally not acceptable as Covid prevention masks on set unless they're worn OVER surgical masks. Though some studios, including Disney, do provide pre-approved masks that are cloth. That said, double-masking is not unusual.
Gloves on the hands are not required unless the actor requests them. Eryn says that she usually only wears gloves when working very closely around someone's eyes. In any event, keeping the hands clean and disinfected is a critical habit to get into. Wash with soap and water for 20 seconds every hour rubbing the soap into your thumbs, wrists and hands thoroughly.
Protective Gear for Every Occasion
(The foam pad across the top of the face shield prevents any dispersed aerosol particles that might settle from above on exposed areas of the face.)
It is best practice to try out different face shields to get a feel for which one will work best for you in different situations. Eryn finds the standard-issue foam-topped face shields to be a bit flimsy which contributes to glare, especially because she wears glasses. There are face shields that are attached to eyeglass frames that maintain their shape and may feel more secure on the head.
One trick for removing dents from face shields is to lightly heat the area with a blow dryer or heat gun.
(Eryn Krueger Mekash demonstrates an alternative face shield that uses a neck collar.)
Though falling particulate may still pose a small threat, the advantage of the face shield that attaches at the collar is that, worn by actors, it won't mess with makeups and hairstyles when it comes on and off.
(Eryn Krueger Mekash's favorite face shield is this one from Jackson Safety.)
The Jackson Safety mask has expanded goggles to accomodate artists, like Eryn, who wear glasses. It's available in different colors. And though she says it gives her a "Darth Vader/Motocross" aspect, and is more costly than other options, it is her preferred choice due to the added comfort and visibility.
(Eryn Krueger Mekash has rigged her own personal Jackson Safety face shield and mask with side knobs for attaching mask loops.)
Eryn's mask even has loop knobs, cleverly integrated into the top strap of the face shield, which allow easy attachment of a mask. This reduces the strain on the ear that often comes when you have a mask on for many sequential hours, as is often the case on set.
(The typical light blue, pleated face-mask is probably the most common use mask you'll see on film sets.)
The accordion-style or pleated face-mask, though not as secure as the KN95, is perfectly good for preventing most germ transmission and is often provided by production crews. As with the surgical masks, to put it on, loop each ear, then pull the lower part of the mask down under your chin; and finally pinch the metal band across the top of the the mask so it makes a good seal. This is easier to breathe through than the KN95. Being around people with colds or allergies, even pre-and post-pandemic, you might find this is a preferred way to work.
(Face shield that attaches to a zippered hoodie.)
Yet another very effective face shield for germ protection is one, offered by several providers, which attaches a polycarbonate face shield to a hoodie by means of a zipper. These shields often require the application of a bit of heat with a heat gun or hair dryer to fix the shape of the shield. These shields are extremely effective against aerosol germs. One additional advantage of this type of face shield is that the hood backing does significantly reduce glare--the enemy of trying to do good makeups during the pandemic.
(Alcohol wipes and some different brands of hand sanitizer.)
The key number to look for when buying alcohol wipes or hand-sanitizer is 70%. Though there are brands that may be partially effective with lower concentrations of alchohol, it is best practice to use brands that have at least 70% concentration in order to kill the Covid-19 germs. Hands Down makes a lovely scented version with aloe that helps prevent chaffing, but even pharmacy brands often have appropriately high concentrations of alcohol.
Whichever you use, get used to the habit. Hand sanitizing will become part of your routine and something you do between every other action you take during the makeup process. In addition to the hourly 20-second full hand wash, the sanitizing of your hands, your tools and your station, is something that goes on constantly.
WATCH ERYN KREUGER MEKASH'S' "COVID SAFE MAKEUP APPLICATION" COURSE: