Beauty Glossary: H

Halitosis - bad breath.

Hammer toe - a deformity in which the toe is bent permanently downward.

Hemp seed oil - a rich emollient that contains fatty acids. Good for dry, aging skin.

Henna - extracted from the Lawsonia alba plant, it is used as a hair conditioner and to add red highlights or black colour.

Highlighting - (1) Lighter shade or shades of hair color subtly laid onto small sections of the hair (formerly known as "frosting"). (2) The use of highlighter to open up the space between eyes and eyebrows, making the eyes look bigger, more open, and wide awake.

Hormone creams – anti-aging creams that contain estrogen or progesterone.

Horsetail - an herb rich in cysteine that is used to condition the hair.

Humectant - a non-oily ingredient that attracts moisture from the atmosphere, retards evaporation, and helps hold water. Common ones include glycerine, propylene glycol, sorbitol, hyaluronic acid, urea, and lactic acid.

Hyaluronic acid - a protein used in moisturizers (and also found in human skin cells) that helps hold moisture in the skin.

Hydrogen peroxide - used as a lightener in hair colour and an antibacterial in oxygen creams and facials.

Hydrolyzed - broken down into smaller molecules with water.

Hydroquinine - a phenolic compound derived from benzene that is used in skin bleaches. The most tried-and-true of skin bleaches, it works by blocking the formation of melanin.

Hyperpigmentation - dark spots on the skin.

Hypopigmentation - light spots on the skin.