WBBSE Madhyamik Vocational Beauty & Wellness key terms

The daily habits a beauty worker follows to keep the body clean and free of odour and infection, such as bathing, clean clothing, oral care, and tidy hair and nails.

Cleaning hands with soap and water or sanitiser before and after every client, after touching waste, and after using the toilet, to stop germs passing between people and surfaces.

The transfer of germs from one person, tool, or surface to another, often through unwashed hands, shared towels, or dirty implements, which proper cleaning and disinfection prevent.

Reducing germs on surfaces and tools to a safe level by washing with detergent and water, used for general cleaning of floors, basins, and work counters.

Destroying most germs on non-living objects using a chemical solution such as hypochlorite or alcohol, applied after cleaning to tools like scissors, combs, and nail clippers.

Destroying all germs, including spores, on tools by heat, steam, or chemical means; used where skin may be broken, for example metal extractors or reusable nail tools.

A product used once on one client and then thrown away, such as a wooden nail file, cotton pad, wax strip, or disposable razor, which prevents cross-contamination.

The safe handling and discarding of blades, needles, and broken glass into a puncture-proof container with a lid, never into ordinary bins or loose bags.

A small amount of product such as hair dye or wax applied to a hidden area of skin and observed for a day or more to check for an allergic reaction before full treatment.

Any condition that makes a treatment unsafe or unwise, such as broken skin, infection, recent surgery, or allergy, which the therapist must identify and respect before starting.

The natural behaviour of a client's skin, usually classed as normal, dry, oily, or combination, which guides the choice of cleanser, toner, and massage products.

The visual and tactile examination of a client's face under good light before a facial, noting skin type, texture, pores, and any areas needing care or avoidance.

The first step of a facial, removing makeup, oil, and dirt from the skin with a suitable cleanser using gentle upward and outward movements.

Removing dead cells from the skin surface with a scrub or gentle acid product to leave skin smoother and brighter, always done with light pressure and avoided on broken skin.

A blocked pore filled with oil and dead cells; it is called a blackhead when open and a whitehead when closed, and should not be squeezed harshly.

Wiping the skin after cleansing with a mild lotion that removes cleanser residue, refreshes the skin, and prepares it for moisturiser or massage.

The named strokes used in facial and scalp massage, such as effleurage, petrissage, and tapotement, each with a set direction, pressure, and rhythm.

A smooth, gliding massage stroke applied with the flat of the hand or fingers, used to begin and end a massage and to spread product evenly over the skin.

A kneading or lifting massage stroke that works on deeper tissue, applied with the fingers or palms to relax muscles, usually after effleurage has warmed the area.

A treatment for the face that combines cleansing, exfoliation, massage, extraction where suitable, a mask, and moisturiser to clean, relax, and improve the skin.

The three layers of a hair strand: the outer cuticle, the middle cortex holding pigment and strength, and the central medulla, which together explain shine, damage, and colour behaviour.

How easily a hair strand absorbs and holds moisture, ranging from low to high; porous hair takes colour quickly but loses it fast and needs gentler products.

A check on a small hidden section of hair, using colour or a product, to judge timing, result, and possible damage before treating the whole head.

Washing the hair and scalp with water and shampoo using gentle fingertip movements, rinsing fully, and protecting the client's eyes, ears, and clothing throughout.

Applying a product to hair after washing to soften it, reduce tangles, and restore moisture, kept mainly on the mid-lengths and ends rather than the scalp.

Drying and shaping hair with a hand dryer and brush, controlling heat and distance to avoid scalp burns and keeping the nozzle pointed down the hair shaft for smoothness.

Dividing hair into clean, clipped parts before cutting, colouring, or styling so each area is worked evenly and the result is balanced on both sides.

The parts of the nail, including the plate, free edge, cuticle, eponychium, lunula, matrix, and nail bed, which the manicurist must know to work safely.

Softening and gently pushing back the cuticle with a tool and applying cuticle oil or cream, without cutting living tissue or forcing the nail fold.

The outline filed into the free edge, such as square, squoval, oval, almond, or round, chosen to suit the hand, lifestyle, and length of the natural nail.

A treatment of the hands and nails that includes shaping, cuticle care, massage of hand and forearm, and polish, following cleaning and safety steps.

A treatment of the feet and toenails covering soaking, filing, hard-skin removal, cuticle care, massage, and polish, with strict attention to hygiene and client comfort.

Soaking the feet in warm water, often with a softening product, to clean the skin, soften hard skin and nails, and relax the client before filing and massage.

A patch of thickened hard skin on the foot caused by pressure or friction, softened in water and reduced gently with a file or pumice, never cut with a blade.

The rules of how colours mix and relate, including primary, secondary, and complementary colours, used to choose makeup shades that suit skin tone and correct uneven tones.

The subtle warm, cool, or neutral hue beneath the skin's surface, which guides the choice of foundation, concealer, and lip colour for a natural match.

Selecting a base product whose shade and undertone blend with the client's jawline and neck in natural light, tested on the skin rather than judged from the bottle.

A short structured talk before a service in which the therapist records the client's wishes, checks contraindications and allergies, and agrees the treatment and price.

A written or digital form holding each client's details, treatment history, products used, patch test results, and preferences, kept accurate and confidential.

The standards of honest and respectful conduct a beauty worker follows, including confidentiality, informed consent, fair pricing, and refusing work outside their competence.

Getting a client's clear agreement to a treatment after explaining what it involves, the products used, the likely result, the risks, and the alternatives.

The range of services a qualified beauty worker is trained and permitted to perform, and the point at which a client must be referred to a doctor or specialist.

A written daily list of cleaning and safety tasks, such as changing towels, disinfecting tools, and cleaning basins, ticked and signed to keep standards consistent.