What is BB cream?

BB creams (short for beauty or blemish balms) were originally created by dermatologists for patients who had gone through laser skin surgery, with the idea to provide genuine benefits for the skin and enough coverage to replace serum, moisturizer, primer, foundation and sunblock.

What do BB creams do?

hydrate and even out skin tones

treat the skin with powerful antioxidants

offers broad-spectrum SPF

disguises blemishes

soothes and moisturizes skin

some contain anti-aging properties

regenerates skin with ingredients such as hyaluronic acid

Should you buy it or no?

I feel that if you have skin care issues (like severe acne or acne scars), you will not get the same results by replacing your medicated creams and ointments with a BB cream. I also noticed that BB creams tend to be a bit thicker than tinted moisturizers but very blendable; they quickly disappeared into the skin thus making the skin look more radiant.

The big challenge would be finding a BB cream that truly matches the color of your skin. BB creams tend to come in a small range of shades (especially the ones available in India) or in a single shade that blends with all skin tones.

If you are one of those people who has a normal to oily skin and light to medium skin tone, and don’t require heavy moisturizers or anti-acne products, BB creams are for you. For everyday, all you need is a coin-sized dab of the BB cream which can provide with sufficient coverage.

BB creams are perfect for someone who naturally has good skin and doesn’t like the idea of wearing makeup, but wants to protect her skin and cover up some imperfections. In today’s day and age, where women need to multi-task, BB creams are a boon – one product that provides a multitude of benefits, rather than layering on several serums and lotions.

How to find the best BB cream for you?

BB CREAM FOR OILY/COMBINATION SKIN

If you have oily skin, you usually look for an oil-free cream as you will want to stay away from shine as much as possible! All the BB creams available in the market, for oily skin, tend to produce a little bit of shine over the T-zone after 2-3 hours. The best thing to do would be to use a loose powder all over the face after applying the BB cream. This will make the skin look mattified and non-greasy for a long time. DO NOT apply a moisturizer under the BB cream – it’s going to make your skin look even more greasy and remember BB creams have it all 🙂 Good options for BB creams for oily skin are:-

Maybelline Clear glow BB stick contains SPF 21 PA++ and comes in 2 shades. Garnier BB Cream contains SPF 24 and comes in only 1 shade. Colorbar Perfect Match BB cream contains SPF 20 and comes in 3 shades. Pond’s white BB cream contains SPF 30 PA++ and comes in 1 shade.

BB CREAM FOR DRY SKIN

Dry skin would need extra hydration! Some BB creams might not be too creamy (depending on each individual). If that is the case, I would suggest that you apply your favorite moisturizer and then follow it up with the BB cream. This way your skin will feel super creamy all through the day! Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin as they are the key moisturizing agents and Vitamin C as it helps to brighten the skin. Good options for BB creams for dry skin are:-

Bourjois 8 in 1 BB cream contains an SPF 20 and comes in 4 shades. It’s neither shiny nor matte and gives a soft sheen. Clarins BB cream has an SPF 40 and comes in a single shade. L’oreal La Creme True Match Skin Idealizing BB Cream contains SPF 35 PA++ and comes in 3 shades. Revlon Photoready BB cream skin Perfector has an SPF 30 and comes in 3 shades. This one is good for dry to combination skin. Maybelline Dream fresh BB 8-in-1 BB Skin Perfector has an SPF 30 and comes in 5 shades, again good for dry to combination skin types.

BB CREAM FOR NORMAL SKIN

Anything will work for a normal skin type. You will just need to try the products on your skin directly and wait and watch how it reacts. If you land up with break-out’s – obviously it’s not meant for you. Suggestions for BB creams for normal skin:-

Clinique Age Defense BB cream contains SPF 30 and comes in 3 shades. Suitable for all skin types. Deborah Milano 5 in 1 BB cream contains SPF 20 and comes in 5 shades. Suitable for all skin types.

Points to remember when purchasing a BB cream–

If you have acne, do not start using BB creams in place of your medicated ointments. Wait till your acne has cleared and the dermatologist has given you the green signal.

If you have dry skin, apply a moisturizer below the BB cream as the cream’s hydration by itself might not be enough (especially in winters).

If you have combination to oily skin, apply some loose powder over the cream on your T-zone or all over the face, depending on how oily your skin gets, so that your skin does not look oily through the day.

When you look for SPF in a certain product, Asian brands, particularly Japanese ones, tend to use The Protection Grade of UVA (PA) system to measure the UVA protection a sunscreen provides. According to the Japan Cosmetic Industry Association PA+ corresponds to a UVA protection factor between two and four hours, PA++ between four and eight hours, and PA+++ more than eight hours.

Which is your favorite BB cream? Do you prefer your regular skin care and makeup routine? Leave your comment below.

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