In brief
- Here are the words you come across in the salon, on packaging and in our articles, each in a few sentences.
- The list is divided into active ingredients, treatments, your skin and the salon.
- With each word you see where to read more, in the knowledge base or with the treatment.
- Not sure what suits your skin? Take the skin quiz or book a first skin appointment.
Written by Nilay, owner and beauty therapist at Moons BeautyUpdated on
Active ingredients on labels and in treatments.
The substances that do the work in a cream, serum or treatment.
| Topic | What it is |
|---|---|
| AHA (fruit acids) | Acids from fruit and milk, such as glycolic acid and lactic acid. They loosen dead skin cells, so your skin looks smoother and more even. More in active ingredients explained. |
| BHA (salicylic acid) | An acid that dissolves in sebum and therefore works inside the pore itself. That is why it is used for blackheads and oily skin. |
| Ceramides | Fats that occur naturally in the top layer of your skin and keep that layer sealed. You find them in creams for dry or sensitive skin. |
| Collagen | The protein that keeps your skin firm and supple. Your skin makes less of it over the years. Microneedling prompts the skin to make more of it again. |
| Exosomes | Tiny vesicles that cells use to send each other messages. In skincare they are used to help the skin renew itself. More in PDRN and salmon DNA. |
| Hyaluronic acid | A substance that holds a lot of moisture, so your skin feels fuller and smoother. One of the cocktails for microneedling with hyaluronic acid. |
| Mandelic acid | An AHA with a larger molecule. It penetrates the skin more slowly and is therefore milder. At Moons you find it in the mandelic acid peel. |
| Niacinamide | A form of vitamin B3 that helps skin that is out of balance, with blemishes, redness or enlarged pores. See microneedling with niacinamide. |
| PDRN (salmon DNA) | Short pieces of DNA from salmon, used as a signal for the skin to repair itself. Everything about it in PDRN and salmon DNA. |
| Peptides | Short chains of protein building blocks that give the skin a nudge in creams and eye patches, for example in the Skin Relaxant Cream. |
| Retinol | A form of vitamin A that speeds up the renewal of your skin. You build it up slowly. More in active ingredients explained. |
| SPF | The number on a sunscreen that tells you how well it protects you against UVB, the radiation that burns your skin. More in sun protection. |
| Vitamin C | An antioxidant that makes your complexion look more even and fresher. At Moons you find it in the vitamin C treatment. |
Treatments from skin to lashes.
The names you see on a price list, and what happens.
| Topic | What it is |
|---|---|
| Brow lamination | A treatment that sets the hairs of your brows in a fixed direction so they look fuller, for six to eight weeks. See brow lamination. |
| Chemical peel | A treatment in which an acid loosens dead skin cells, for smoother and more even skin. See chemical peel. |
| Connective tissue massage | A firm massage of the layer under your skin, for circulation and tension in your face. See connective tissue massage. |
| Dermapen | The device we use for microneedling: a pen with fine needles that move up and down quickly. |
| Extractions | Emptying blocked pores by hand during a facial cleanse. See removing blackheads. |
| Facial cleanse | A treatment in which blocked pores are emptied, after mild acids and steam. See facial cleanse. |
| Henna brows | Tinting your brows with henna. It also colours the skin underneath, so the shape looks fuller. See henna brows. |
| Herbal peel | A peel of ground sponge, algae and herbs that is massaged into the skin. After a few days the top layer comes away. See herbal peel. |
| Hybrid brows | A brow tint that colours both the hairs and the skin, for a shape that stays visible for longer. See hybrid brows. |
| Hydra treatment | A facial that tops up moisture with hyaluronic acid and a cool mask, for skin that feels tight. See Hydra treatment. |
| Korean lash lift | A lash lift where the bend sits at the root and the rest of the lash points straight up. See Korean lash lift. |
| Lash lift | A treatment that lifts your own lashes and keeps them that way for six to eight weeks. See lash lift. |
| Lash tint | Tinting your own lashes, for colour that lasts around four weeks. See lash tint. |
| LED therapy | A treatment with light of a particular colour that calms your skin. See LED therapy. |
| Microneedling | Fine needles make tiny channels in your skin. The skin repairs itself and makes new collagen along the way. See microneedling. |
| Waxing | Hair removal with warm wax, which takes the hair out with the root. See waxing. |
Your skin and what you see on it.
The words for what happens in and on your skin.
| Topic | What it is |
|---|---|
| Blackhead | A pore that is blocked with sebum and dead skin cells. See removing blackheads. |
| Comedo | The technical term for a blackhead. Plural: comedones. |
| Fitzpatrick | A scale of skin types 1 to 6, based on how your skin reacts to the sun. It says nothing about dry or oily skin. See skin analysis. |
| Hyperpigmentation | Patches where your skin makes too much pigment, such as sun spots and marks left by spots. See pigmentation. |
| Pores | The small openings in your skin through which sebum comes out. See enlarged pores. |
| Sebaceous filament | A normal part of the pore, through which sebum flows out. You see them as grey dots on your nose, and they always come back. See removing blackheads. |
| Sebum | The oil your skin makes itself, which keeps it supple. If your skin makes a lot of it, it soon looks shiny. See oily skin. |
| Skin barrier | The top layer of your skin, which keeps moisture in and irritants out. When it lets too much through, your skin becomes dry and sensitive. See sensitive skin. |
| Skin condition | The state your skin is in right now, such as dehydrated, sensitive or blemish-prone. It changes with the season and your skincare. See skin analysis. |
| Skin type | What you are born with: dry, oily, combination or balanced. See skin analysis. |
In the salon around your appointment.
Words you hear when you book, during the appointment and afterwards.
| Topic | What it is |
|---|---|
| Aftercare | What you do and avoid after a treatment, such as keeping your lashes dry for the first 24 hours after a lash lift. |
| Allergy test | A test beforehand on a small patch of skin, for example if you have reacted to hair dye or lash tint before. See lash tint. |
| Contraindication | A reason not to do a treatment or to postpone it, such as pregnancy in the case of a peel. Also read skincare during pregnancy. |
| Course | A series of treatments with time in between, such as four to six microneedling sessions three to four weeks apart. At Moons you pay per session. See the prices. |
| Downtime | The time your skin needs after a treatment, such as one to two days of redness after microneedling. |
| Processing time | How long a product stays on your skin or hairs before it comes off, such as the lotion in a lash lift. |
| Skin analysis | An examination of your skin, with advice for home and for the salon. At Moons it is part of the first skin appointment. |
| Skin quiz | Our five questions online, after which you see which treatment usually suits you, with price and duration. See the skin quiz. |
Frequently asked questions about glossary
What is the difference between an AHA and a BHA?
An AHA, such as glycolic acid or mandelic acid, works on the surface and loosens dead skin cells. A BHA, salicylic acid, dissolves in sebum and therefore also works inside the pore. An AHA often suits dull or dry skin, a BHA blackheads and oily skin.
What does SPF mean?
SPF stands for sun protection factor. The number tells you how well a sunscreen protects you against UVB, the radiation that burns your skin. More in sun protection.
What is the difference between skin type and skin condition?
Your skin type is what you are born with: dry, oily, combination or balanced. Your skin condition is the state your skin is in right now, and it changes with the season, your hormones and your skincare.
What is salmon DNA?
Salmon DNA is the nickname for PDRN: short pieces of DNA from salmon, used in skincare as a signal for repair. At Moons we work it into the skin with microneedling. More in PDRN and salmon DNA.
What is a sebaceous filament?
A normal part of the pore, through which sebum flows out. You see them as grey dots on your nose. They are not blackheads, and they always come back after they have been emptied.
What is a course of treatments at a beauty therapist?
A series of treatments with time in between, because your skin needs time to build up. Microneedling, for example, is done four to six times, three to four weeks apart. At Moons you pay per session.
What is a contraindication?
A reason not to do a treatment or to postpone it. For a peel that is pregnancy, for example, and for microneedling inflamed skin or skin that has just been sunburnt.
What is the difference between a lash lift and a lash tint?
A lash lift lifts your lashes and gives them a curl. A lash tint only gives them colour. They are often done together, as a lash lift with tint.
From reading to doing
What we do with this in the salon
First skin appointment
We look at your skin and tell you which of these words apply to you.
Online skin quiz
Five questions, and you see straight away which treatment suits you.
All skin treatments
Every treatment with its price and duration, side by side.
Prices
The full price list for skin, brows, lashes and waxing.
