Should an esthetician maintain inventory and usage records?

• A. Inventory records are only for salons with more than 10 employees.
• B. Inventory records must be kept for 5 years by law.
• C. Maintaining records of products used and inventory helps with safety and recalls and may be required.
• D. Inventory records are unnecessary and burdensome.

Answer: (C)

Maintaining inventory and usage records centers on safety and accountability. When you track what products you have, their lot numbers, expiration dates, and exactly what you used on each client, you create a traceable record. This becomes crucial if a product is recalled or a client reports an adverse reaction—you can quickly identify which clients were exposed and halt use of the implicated batch. It also helps you verify products aren’t expired or misused and supports proper inventory control, ordering, and compliance with sanitation and handling rules. While specific retention periods can vary by jurisdiction, the underlying idea is that keeping these records supports safety, recalls management, and regulatory expectations. It’s not something only large salons need, nor is it accurate to say the records are universally unnecessary or fixed to five years in all cases.