If you know anything about multitasking beauty products, you’ve heard about BB Creams. BB Creams, which typically stand for beauty balms –and in some cases blemish balms–are the ultimate multitasking beauty product to have in your arsenal. Depending on which one you try, a BB Cream can address any number of common skin concerns including lack of moisture, need for sun protection, blemishes, signs of age, uneven skin tone and more. You can wear them alone as your primary foundation, as a primer to set the tone for your foundation application, or as just another layering step in your makeup routine. The versatility of BB Creams are endless. Which is exactly why what started out as a popular beauty craze in Korea has become a staple beauty product for women around the world.
The History of BB Creams
So we know that BB Creams are super popular now and we even know that the beauty world’s interest was piqued once they became a hit in Korea, but that doesn’t really cover how and why BB Creams were created in the first place. Originally developed in the 50’s by a German dermatologist, the original BB Cream was created to help restore skin after common dermatology treatments like chemical peels. After these type of skin procedures, it isn’t uncommon to experience flaking, redness, dryness, and other sensitivities so the BB Cream was developed as a single product that could address each of these effects. The original BB Creams worked to moisturize, protect, treat, prime, even the skin, and its complexion.
Even though the original BB Cream was amazing in its own right, it wasn’t until decades later that they were picked up by the Korean skincare market which is known and celebrated for its innovative beauty treatments. BB Creams were a hit. Throughout Asia, BB Creams were being praised by everyone from skincare experts, dermatologists, and even celebrities. It wasn’t long until the rest of the beauty space began to discover these innovative beauty balms and brands across the U.S and Europe began producing their own versions promising more benefits, more results, and most importantly more shade options to reach a wider range of people.
How BB Creams Work
With so many different BB Cream options available today, depending on which one you pick up, the way it will work in your skincare routine will vary. Though there are many different variations, the basic function of BB Creams are pretty standard throughout. While commonly confused with tinted moisturizers, BB Creams take tinting and moisturizing a step further by providing additional benefits including protecting, treating, correcting, and more. It’s the added benefits that differentiate BB Creams from each other and your typical tinted moisturizer options. You’ll find that BB Creams have ingredients like antioxidants to protect from environmental free radicals, broad spectrum SPF to protect against the harmful rays of the sun, different additives both natural and chemical-based to treat skin concerns like blurring imperfections, smoothing fine lines, or reducing the appearance of pores. Unlike foundations, BB Creams are easier to match to your skin tone so you’ll find them available in a significantly smaller shade selection with most lines having three to five shades to choose from.
Best BB Creams for Every Skin Type
Like any product that becomes super popular seemingly overnight, since BB Creams exploded outside of the Asian beauty space, the number of brands offering their own versions of beauty balms has increased dramatically. This is great as it provides people with many opportunities to find just the right BB Cream for them but it can be a bit overwhelming if you’re new to BB Creams and aren’t sure where to start. We’ve compiled the best BB Creams for different skin types, different ingredient preferences, coverage, and the best BB Cream overall.
For Dry Skin: Missha Signature Essence Cushion SPF 50
If you have dry skin and are looking for a BB Cream that can provide the moisture your skin desperately needs, the Missha Signature Essence Cushion is a great place to start. This is a Korean BB Cream that is packed with hydrating ingredients like birch sap which is rich with minerals, amino acids, enzymes, and nutrients, along with hyaluronic acid which is essential for helping the skin retain moisture. The Missha BB Cream provides a powerful dose of moisture, works to soothe dry, irritated skin, and provides a healthy dose of SPF sun protection all while offering a pretty significant amount of coverage as well. As a Korean BB Cream, the shade options are limited with four shades best suited for very pale to light skin tones. If you have medium or deeper complexions, this BB Cream would not be a viable option to choose.
For Oily Skin: Estee Lauder DayWear Antioxidant Beauty Benefit Creme SPF 35
People with oily skin may be nervous to try yet another product that can cause their skin to look shiny or oily, but the good thing about BB Creams are you can find options specifically formulated to address oily skin needs. The Estee Lauder DayWear BB Cream is a popular choice for its oil-free formulation that is able to combat shine, still moisturize, and leave your skin with a healthy radiant glow. This particular BB Cream provides anti-aging benefits, along with moisture and sun protection. Inside the oil-free formula, you’ll find antioxidant vitamin E which helps to protect the skin against environmental free radicals and vitamin C which helps to brighten and even the complexion. The result is a lightweight BB Cream that leaves your skin looking even, smooth, and refreshed.
For Sensitive Skin: Physician’s Formula Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm
When you have sensitive skin it can be intimidating to try out new products. And something as multitasking as a BB Cream can cause more harm than good when we’re talking about skin that’s easily irritated. If you have particularly sensitive skin, a great BB Cream to try is the Physician’s Formula Super BB Cream. This BB Cream is hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, non-comedogenic, and approved by dermatologists all in a gentle formulation that won’t irritate your skin. It has a lightweight texture that helps to gently even the complexion, moisturize the skin, and offer SPF protection. Once applied, skin looks smooth and naturally radiant.
For Acne Prone Skin: Clinique Acne Solutions BB Cream
Those with acne prone skin aren’t left out of the BB Cream conversation with a few brands creating BB Creams that specifically target the source of blemishes. Clinique’s Acne Solutions BB Cream is one that works particularly well for people who have oily skin and/or are prone to breakouts. The way this BB Cream works is it controls oil production with a non-comedogenic formulation which means it also won’t clog pores. Inside the formulation, you’ll find powerful acne-fighting ingredient salicylic acid which helps to combat acne while preventing new breakouts from occurring. In addition to this, the Clinique Acne Solution BB Cream offers the traditional BB Cream benefits like buildable coverage that lasts and SPF sun protection.
For Mature Skin: Stila Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Beauty Balm
There are many people with mature skin who feel there is no way a multitasking beauty product can deliver all the benefits their skin needs. The Stila Stay All Day 10-in-1 BB Cream is one that begs to differ. This BB Cream was created to help fight the signs of age in the skin by blurring imperfections, smoothing fine lines, and reducing wrinkle depth by an amazing 84%. And in case that seems a bit far-fetched, the Stila BB Cream has a formulation to back it up. Inside you’ll find ingredients like the proprietary tripeptide-37 which helps to support healthy skin and collagen functions, micro-spheres to blur imperfections, and botanical extracts to reduce inflammation and soothe irritated skin. The result? Radiant skin that looks youthful and rejuvenated.
Best Natural Based: Burt’s Bees BB Cream with Noni Extract
For people who want the benefits of a BB Cream in a natural based formulation, look no further than Burt’s Bees BB Cream with Noni Extract. This BB Cream is made with 98.9% natural ingredients and works to hydrate, even the skin tone, reduce imperfections, smoothe the texture of the skin, and illuminate the complexion. The secret behind this BB Cream’s power is Noni Extract which is packed with antioxidants to help protect your skin from environmental stressors along with SPF 15 to protect against harmful sun rays.
Best Coverage: Bobbi Brown BB Cream SPF 35
If coverage is an important factor when it comes to making a decision on which BB Cream to choose, the Bobbi Brown BB Cream is your best option. Along with providing the typical BB Cream benefits like hydrating the skin and offering broad spectrum SPF protection, this BB Cream also focuses heavily on your skin tone and complexion. It works to not only conceal imperfections but works to correct them over time. It also provides the most extensive shade range than any of the other BB Creams listed here with a shade for virtually every complexion. The Bobbi Brown BB Cream is formulated with hydrating ingredients to nourish your skin, botanical extracts to help with redness and discoloration, reflective pigments to reduce the appearance of pores, and SPF 35 to protect skin from the sun.
Best Overall: Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Cream
We saved the best for last. If you’re looking for the best value in a BB Cream regardless of your skin type or needs, the Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Cream is your best option. This BB Cream was created to address a wide range of skin imperfections including dull skin tone, uneven complexion and texture, redness, dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles. It has a powerful formulation that includes a number of botanical extracts which work to calm and soothe the skin, arbutin which is known for neutralizing skin discoloration, chamomile to help hydrate dry skin, and antioxidants to protect against environmental damage and stressors.
