Makeup License Requirements in Iowa - QC Makeup Academy Skip to main content

Iowa

Makeup Artist Regulations

You do not need a license to become a makeup artist in Iowa if:

  • You’re working as a makeup artist in a retail environment (e.g. working at a makeup counter, working with a direct sales company, etc.)
  • You’re working as a makeup artist without compensation

In the state of Iowa, makeup application is defined as “Massaging, cleansing, stimulating, exercising, or beautifying the superficial epidermis of the scalp, face, neck, arms, hands, legs, feet, or upper body of any person with the hands or mechanical or electrical apparatus or appliances or with the use of cosmetic preparations, including cleansers, toners, moisturizers, or masques”, under the practice of a cosmotologist.”*

However, in the “Iowa Code – 2019”, Chapter 157, Section 157.2, makeup artists who are working in a retail environment, and makeup artists who are working without compensation are exempted from licensing.

Iowa Code - Chapter 157 Cosmetology
Section 157.2 - Prohibitions - Exceptions

*Always check the Iowa Legistlature for the latest information.

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