“They typically contain skin care ingredients to keep the skin’s natural glow,” explains Joanna Vargas, celebrity facialist and founder of Joanna Vargas Salons and Skin Care. So if you’re looking for a lightweight base that straddles both skin care and makeup, BB cream is your go-to. For even more of a skin care boost, makeup artist Alexandra Compton, product development manager at clean beauty retailer Credo, suggests mixing your BB cream with your moisturizer or face oil. If you’re hoping to resemble a dewdrop (or a crystal pane of glass, perhaps?), consider this makeup artist hack: “It will change the finish from dewy to dewiest,” she says.
While brands may incorporate SPF into the formula (see our recs, below), that’s usually where they draw the line in terms of skin care benefits. You see, CC creams don’t have as many hydrating ingredients as a BB cream: “They might have a few luminizing properties, but they’re mostly about the mix of pigments to even out skin tone,” says makeup artist Jenny Patinkin. So if you’re noticing any hyperpigmentation or redness, a CC cream may be just what you need.
You can even layer your BB over CC creams if you’re only looking to color correct certain areas, says Compton, or use them as primers before laying on concealer: “If you want a very natural skin finish but are struggling with areas of discoloration from sun damage or scarring, apply a BB or CC cream on the entire face and focus a concealer on areas of concern.” That’s not to say a proper foundation doesn’t have its advantages; foundations can have a spectrum of coverage options themselves (from extra-light to heavy), as well as a wide range of shades. And despite the heavier coverage, there are a multitude of ways to apply them without looking too caky. Think of BB and CC creams as just a step or two heavier, says Patinkin; the difference isn’t much, admittedly, but sometimes that extra step is just what you need for pesky blemishes or under-eye shadows to remain hidden.
Whether you’re partial to the bounce-and-swipe of a beauty blender or using your (clean!) fingers, you can rely on BB and CC creams to elevate your dewy look, all while letting your natural skin texture live on.
