Byala kozmetika, literally “white cosmetics”, is skincare: everything applied to look after the skin rather than to colour it. The other half is decorative cosmetics, that is make-up.
Where the Phrase Comes From
The split comes from professional practice and from the trade. Care products usually look white or clear: the white comes from the emulsion itself scattering light, not from added pigment. Decorative ones are coloured by design. So the two groups became “white” and “coloured” cosmetics, and the phrase stuck.
Is it used elsewhere
The term is common in Bulgaria and in neighbouring markets. English simply says skincare for one and make-up for the other, without the colour metaphor.
What Belongs to It
Cleansing products: foams, gels, milks, micellar water, toners. Serums. Face creams, day and night. Eye care. Masks. Sun protection. On a broader reading it takes in body and hair products too, but in everyday conversation the phrase usually describes face care.
What does not
Foundation, powder, concealer, primer, mascara, lipstick. They are decorative cosmetics, even when they carry caring ingredients or a sun protection factor.
The borderline cases
BB and CC creams, tinted fluids and powders with an SPF sit in between. They carry pigment, so they are decorative, but they also carry care. A sensible rule: if the main job is to change the colour of the skin, it belongs with the decorative ones.
Why the Split Matters
The two groups are chosen on different criteria. Skincare is chosen by skin type and by goal, and judged by how the skin looks and feels after weeks of use. Make-up is chosen by shade, coverage and wear, and judged at once, in the mirror.
And they go on in a different order
Skincare goes first and underneath: cleanse, serum, cream, sun protection. Make-up comes on top of it, once the earlier layers have absorbed.
Skincare and Professional Cosmetics
The two are not opposites: professional cosmetics are skincare made for a salon treatment, in larger sizes and with a protocol for applying them. The difference is not the category but who the product was made for and how it is used. In detail in the article on home and professional skincare.
Where a Routine Should Begin
Three products are enough for a complete routine: cleansing, a cream and sun protection. A serum is added when there is a specific goal, and a mask is for the days when the skin wants more. Everything else is an extension.
In what order
Morning: cleanse, serum, cream, sun protection. Evening: cleanse, serum, a richer cream. In detail in the morning and evening routine.
Where to Look
All the skincare is arranged by product type and by ingredient in the skincare section, and the decorative range is on the make-up page. If you would rather start from what is bothering you, see skin concerns.