Perfectly covering, mattifying, yet moisturising – these are the properties of ideal BB cream. Or a CC cream? Don’t worry, most people find themselves at loss when it comes to these two terms. Worse still, you have to choose one of them for your skin. If you don’t know what the difference between BB and CC cream is, and which one you should buy, we’re here to help!
WHAT IS BB CREAM?
BB is an abbreviation of “beauty balm” (or blemish balm, but this is less common explanation) which already sounds wonderful to us! In reality it is even better – it is actually a moisturiser with covering tint, often with SPF filter. It is typically lighter than a foundation, and as the name suggests, more similar to a cream, when it comes to its nourishing and protecting qualities. It often comes with ingredients that keep acne and blemishes away.
WHAT IS A CC CREAM?
CC is a short form of “complexion correcting” or “colour correcting”. You may think that BB cream already has tint in it, so why bother with CC? Let us explain – CC cream is also a moisturiser, also with a tint, also lighter than foundation (bear with us!), but of significantly more concealing properties than a BB counterpart. The aim of CC cream is to cover and prime your complexion to make it look more even in colour and tone. This means that if you suffer from redness or dark spots for example after acne, CC cream suits you best!
TINTED MOISTURISER? WHAT IS IT?
It is probable that you haven’t heard about it, since you’ve always used cream and foundation (or maybe even a base). Tint moisturiser is simply a cream with a small amount of tint as one of the ingredients, to give your skin little boost in terms of coverage and offsetting its tone and colour, yet it is still primarily a moisturising cream.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BB AND CC CREAM?
BB cream aims at prevention, moisture and coverage. It is great for skin with problems like acne and blemishes, or adversely, for a dry skin, and helps to sustain the effects of all your beauty routines. CC cream, on the other hand, is less oily, yet better in concealing skin conditions that might be close to impossible to get rid of, like redness and spots, things that you actually want to hide.
BB OR CC – WHICH ONE SHOULD I CHOOSE?
That’s a good question, though the answer may be a bit tricky, even if you already thought you’ve made your decision after reading the paragraph above. It all depends on your skin needs, and this is the fiddly part, as we all know, skin issues tend to overlap.
BB cream is thus more suitable for a skin prone to acne and blemishes, since it will help you fight these issues thanks to preventative ingredients. It is also best for dry skin that needs only a little concealing, but a lot of moisture. If you’re among the luckiest of us, and you simply need some enhancement, a proper BB cream will also give your skin healthy, natural gleam.
CC cream, however, will be apt for prone to redness skin, since it will even the complexion tone. It will also cover every darker spot and post-acne or blemishes scar. Thanks to its lighter texture, it will also be best for oily skin.
Now is the time for more complicated matters. Ageing skin will be pleased with both creams, yet the final choice depends on its additional needs (is it dry or is prone to blemish?). Same situation is with sensitive skin – both may meet its expectations, depending on other skin issues. Possibly, BB cream will be best for combination skin, yet it is always a good idea to try and test, which type of a cream suits you best.
Multifunctional cosmetics like these are perfect for non-problematic skin which needs only a little improvement, but also works great as an emergency counterpart of moisturiser and foundation, for example if you’re in hurry or away on holidays and you don’t want to take lots of cosmetics with you. It is also a fine alternative for summer, when most of us prefer lighter coverage, especially during hot and humid days. Yet, remember, that it will not be as concealing and opaque as a foundation, and it certainly won’t replace a rich moisturising cream, and shouldn’t supersede a wholesome skin-care routine.
