去角质

去 (qù, 'remove') + 角质 (jiǎozhì, 'keratin / cornified layer'). 角质 is the proper term for the dead surface skin cells, borrowed from Sino-Japanese medical vocabulary. The verb is splittable: 去一次角质 = 'exfoliate once'.

culture

Chinese skincare culture distinguishes 物理去角质 (physical, with scrubs) from 化学去角质 (chemical, with AHAs/BHAs). The trend has shifted toward chemical exfoliation following K-beauty influence — products with 果酸 (AHA) or 水杨酸 (BHA, salicylic acid) are common.