HEALTH AND BEAUTY

Dear Readers,

As the song goes, you need to keep young and beautiful if you want to be loved, and in these narcissistic days of selfies, we’re all obsessed with maintaining eternal youth. Luckily, there is no shortage of lotions and potions to fight the evils of cellulite and wrinkles, not to mention rare extracts from the Amazon and the latest wonder drugs. But each tube of cream contains a mind-boggling array of ingredients and an information sheet like a mini-encyclopaedia. Fortunately, BEM is on hand to help you with the vocabulary while you take a soak in a bath of black mud – it’s good for you, really it is.

TERM | POLISH TRANSLATION | DEFINITION

A

acai /æˈsaɪiː/ | akai/acai (brazylijska roślina z leczniczymi jagodami) | a fruit from Brazil with antioxidant properties used in anti-ageing preparations

accelerator /əkˈseləreɪtə(r)/ | przyspieszacz (do) opalania | a product used to speed up the tanning process

acetic acid /əˌsiːtɪk ˈæsɪd/ | kwas octowy | an acid found in vinegar sometimes used for removing oil from the skin

acetone /ˈæsətəʊn/ | aceton | the main ingredient of nail polish remover

acid perm /ˈæsɪd pɜːm/ | trwała kwaśna, ondulacja kwaśna | a perm that results in permanently wavy hair

acne /ˈækni/ | trądzik | an inflammatory disease of the skin linked to puberty leading to spots, particularly on the face

acupressure /ˈækjupreʃə(r)/ | akupresura | an ancient healing technique based on applying pressure to points of the body

acupuncture /ˈækjuˌpʌŋktʃə(r)/ | akupunktura | the ancient Chinese technique of healing through the use of fine needles put in the skin at certain points

age spots /eɪdʒ spɒts/ | plamy starcze | areas of darker skin pigmentation on the hands and face that ...