What is BB Cream? Everything you need to know.
BB Creams have been around for decades – since the 1960s to be exact. But despite its massive popularity in more recent years thanks to K-beauty, it remains an enigma to so many of us. What exactly is BB Cream? Who should use it? How is it different from tinted moisturizer? Can it replace my foundation? Great questions, we’d love to tell you!
What is BB Cream?
BB Cream has many different names – blemish balm, beauty balm, blemish base, etc. – which is actually very fitting considering its multitasking abilities. A BB Cream is meant to streamline your routine to serve as your moisturizer, makeup primer and foundation all in one. It also exists somewhere between skincare and makeup, providing just enough coverage as well as age-defying benefits and SPF.
What are the benefits of BB Cream?
Because BB Creams blur the line between skincare and makeup, it’s a multi-tasking time-saver. In addition to providing light coverage, they also infuse skin with a lot of your favorite skin-loving ingredients. Our Mineral MD BB Crème SPF 50 contains vitamins, antioxidants, squalane, caffeine, and niacinamide. So your skin doesn’t just look glowy and filtered when wearing it, but improves overtime for plumper, smoother, brighter, more youthful-looking skin.
Is BB Cream better than foundation?
How much coverage you want is a personal choice. BB Creams tend to provide a light to medium coverage while foundations tend to be fuller coverage. BB Creams are also much airier and allow the skin to breathe more. If you’re acne-prone, have sensitive skin or a skin condition, you might be better off with a BB Cream.
BB Cream vs Tinted Moisturizer vs Tinted SPF
While tinted moisturizers and tinted SPFs also provide multitasking benefits, they still tend to stay in their own lane. For example, tinted moisturizers are essentially your favorite moisturizer with a hint of tint thrown in. The same goes for a tinted SPF. But they still exist as two separate steps. If you're really looking to streamline your routine, a BB Cream with SPF will give you all the benefits of a tinted moisturizer and tinted SPF with a bit more coverage.
What is the best BB Cream?
As with all skin-related products, there are an endless amount of BB Creams to choose from. Our favorite is, of course, our own MD Mineral BB Crème SPF 50! Dermatologist-developed with clean, safe, effective ingredients, its whipped, 100% mineral formula glides on super light and airy for a beautiful matte, even-toned finish. Available in three shades – light, medium, dark – so all skin tones can benefit!
- Vitamin C helps brighten
- Natural antioxidants – green tea, cranberry + pomegranate extracts – fight off free radicals
- Squalane hydrates and smooths
- Niacinamide + caffeine minimize discoloration and redness
- Naturally-derived eco-cert zinc oxide provides safe, clean, 100% mineral protection
What’s the difference between MD Mineral BB Crème and Mineral Tinted Crème?
The main difference between these two MDSolarSciences best sellers is that one is a BB Cream and one is a tinted SPF. Our Mineral Tinted Crème SPF 30 provides both sheer coverage and 100% mineral SPF 30 in a creamy, lightweight application. Our MD BB Crème SPF 50 has a more velvety texture, provides more tinted coverage, plus additional benefits that minimize discoloration and even skin tone.
Either way you can’t go wrong, but if you’re looking for more tinted coverage, our BB Crème is your best bet!
