Chinese Beauty & Skincare Phrases — 护肤, 化妆品, and 美容院 for Self-Care

Skincare is 护肤 (hù fū), and skin is 皮肤 (pí fū). The core routine words are 洁面 (jié miàn) facial cleansing, 爽肤水 (shuǎng fū shuǐ) toner, 精华 (jīng huá) serum, 乳液 (rǔ yè) lotion, 面霜 (miàn shuāng) face cream, 面膜 (miàn mó) face mask, and 防晒 (fáng shài) sunscreen. To describe what you need, say 我要买一个保湿面霜 (wǒ yào mǎi yī ge bǎo shī miàn shuāng) — I want to buy a moisturizing face cream.

Know your skin type to get the right advice: 干性皮肤 (gān xìng pí fū) dry skin, 油性皮肤 (yóu xìng pí fū) oily skin, 混合性皮肤 (hùn hé xìng pí fū) combination skin, and 敏感皮肤 (mǐn gǎn pí fū) sensitive skin. Useful goals: 补水 (bǔ shuǐ) hydrate, 保湿 (bǎo shī) moisturize, 美白 (měi bái) brighten, 祛痘 (qū dòu) clear acne, and 抗衰老 (kàng shuāi lǎo) anti-aging.

Makeup is 化妆品 (huà zhuāng pǐn), and to apply makeup is 化妆 (huà zhuāng). Key items: 口红 (kǒu hóng) lipstick, 粉底 (fěn dǐ) foundation, 眼影 (yǎn yǐng) eyeshadow, 睫毛膏 (jié máo gāo) mascara, 腮红 (sāi hóng) blush, and 眉笔 (méi bǐ) eyebrow pencil. To remove makeup, use 卸妆 (xiè zhuāng) and 卸妆水 (xiè zhuāng shuǐ) makeup remover.

At a cosmetics counter, ask 这个色号有吗 (zhè ge sè hào yǒu ma) — do you have this shade? and 适合我的肤色吗 (shì hé wǒ de fū sè ma) — does it suit my skin tone? To try a color, say 我可以试一下吗 (wǒ kě yǐ shì yī xià ma) — may I try it? Ask 多少钱 (duō shao qián) — how much? and 有折扣吗 (yǒu zhé kòu ma) — is there a discount?

A beauty salon is 美容院 (měi róng yuàn). A facial is 面部护理 (miàn bù hù lǐ) or, more casually, 做脸 (zuò liǎn) — do a facial. To book, say 我想预约一个面部护理 (wǒ xiǎng yù yuē yī ge miàn bù hù lǐ) — I want to book a facial treatment. Ask 有没有适合我的套餐 (yǒu méi yǒu shì hé wǒ de tào cān) — do you have a package that suits me?

Common treatments: 深层清洁 (shēn céng qīng jié) deep cleansing, 补水 (bǔ shuǐ) hydration, 美白 (měi bái) brightening, and 祛痘 (qū dòu) anti-acne. Ask about the process: 做一次要多久 (zuò yī cì yào duō jiǔ) — how long does one session take? and 有没有副作用 (yǒu méi yǒu fù zuò yòng) — are there any side effects?

A massage is 按摩 (àn mó). Useful services: 全身按摩 (quán shēn àn mó) full-body massage, 足浴 (zú yù) foot bath, 推拿 (tuī ná) tuina massage, 刮痧 (guā shā) gua sha scraping, and 拔罐 (bá guàn) cupping. To ask for aromatherapy, say 有精油按摩吗 (yǒu jīng yóu àn mó ma) — do you have an essential-oil massage?

Control the pressure with 力度 (lì dù): 轻一点 (qīng yī diǎn) lighter, 重一点 (zhòng yī diǎn) harder, and 这样正好 (zhè yàng zhèng hǎo) this is just right. If a spot hurts, say 这里有点疼 (zhè lǐ yǒu diǎn téng) — this spot is a bit sore. Ask about duration and price: 一个小时多少钱 (yī ge xiǎo shí duō shao qián) — how much for one hour?

A manicure is 美甲 (měi jiǎ). To say you want one, use 我想做美甲 (wǒ xiǎng zuò měi jiǎ) — I want a manicure. Related words: 修指甲 (xiū zhǐ jia) trim nails, 涂指甲油 (tú zhǐ jia yóu) apply nail polish, 甲油胶 (jiǎ yóu jiāo) gel polish, and 款式 (kuǎn shì) style or design.

To pick a design, say 我想看看款式 (wǒ xiǎng kàn kan kuǎn shì) — I want to look at the styles. Ask 这个颜色多少钱 (zhè ge yán sè duō shao qián) — how much is this color? and 能保持多久 (néng bǎo chí duō jiǔ) — how long will it last? To keep nails natural, say 不要贴甲片 (bù yào tiē jiǎ piàn) — no nail extensions, please.