Using makeup serves a number of purposes including decorative and having that glam look that we all strive for when attending special events.
It’s also useful when we’re trying to get rid of those dark circles underneath our eyes on those tired mornings that just won’t go away.
While many face makeup products such as concealer and foundation can change your look, there are some days when you want maximum results for minimal effort.
This is where BB creams are incredibly useful.
What is BB cream?
Once known as blemish balm, BB cream, or beauty balm cream, is a hybrid makeup product that includes all the wonderful elements of a foundation and tinted moisturiser.
It’s typically more gentle on the skin than your usual facial complexion makeup product, it’s lighter in consistency and offers more sheer coverage when applied.
This lightweight formula exists to give your skin type a bright, fresh finish, as opposed to CC creams that are slightly thicker in consistency and designed to conceal uneven skin tones, blemishes or redness.
Foundation is heavier than CC cream, corrects the skin and adds coverage, but often doesn’t come with the kinds of skincare ingredients typically found in BB creams.
What To Keep in Mind When Looking for the Best BB Cream?
If you’re shopping for a BB cream, be sure to study the ingredient label meticulously. Those formulas that include SPF 30 or SPF 50 are highly effective; just be sure to apply sunscreen BEFORE you apply your makeup.
We’d also recommend keeping an eye on ingredients that include vitamins, antioxidants, hyaluronic acid and ceramides which will give your skin the necessary boost it needs to shine.
Conversely, there are a number of BB creams to avoid including any that have fragrance in them, as well as any that have essential oils.
Despite the fact that these are natural ingredients, they are fragrant and can be misinterpreted for chemicals and ingredients that can irritate your skin.
How Do You Apply BB Cream?
Now that we know how to look for the best one, we can now chat about how to best apply BB cream.
In short, this will all depend on your personal preference. You can choose to use your fingers, with a damp beauty blender or with a brush.
For the absolute best results, we recommend starting the application process with your daily skin care routine, followed up by a cream SPF and finish off with your preferred BB cream.
If your BB cream has a matte finish, we’d suggest adding a drop of your favourite face oil to mix it up a little bit.
Below we’ve included what we think are the best 3 BB creams to use for a variety of skin types and skin tones.
Jane Iredale Glow Time Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream
Minimal yet luxurious
Jane Iredale is by far and away the first brand that comes to mind when thinking of high quality BB creams.
Available in a variety of shades, this mineral BB cream is all business. It will give you protection from the sun and harmful UV rays with SPF 25, and enhance the natural luminosity of your complexion.
It also shrinks pores, reduces any fine lines and visible signs of aging, and rebalances uneven pigmentation.
This Jane Iredale BB cream contains sunflower seed oil, as well as apple extract and aloe leaf juice that exfoliates and calms the skin.
Buy your Jane Iredale Glow Time Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream here
Clinique Moisture Surge Sheertint Hydrator
Ideal for dry skin
Clinique is a makeup brand that you can always depend on to sell products that are designed with your skin’s needs in mind.
Their BB cream is certainly no exception here as it is the best for dry skin.
Complete with hyaluronic acid and aloe water, this will ensure your skin is always highly moisturised.
Furthermore, it provides light-to-medium coverage for up to 12 hours without that dry skin effect that can sometimes occur.
If you happen to have skin that usually feels tight, this is the BB cream for you.
Buy Clinique Moisture Surge Sheertint Hydrator here.
Dr. Jart Premium BB Beauty Balm SPF 40
Perfect to use when in the outdoors
This BB cream comes jam-packed with a number of incredible features particularly its SPF 40, which is the highest amount offered of any product on this list.
This makes it one of the best premium beauty balm creams with SPF available for you to buy and use.
It certainly is a fantastic option for any makeup wearer who wants to include sun protection into their daily routine whatever that may be.
It does offer a slightly more buildable coverage than other brands while also having a more natural finish that is highly breathable.
Buy Dr. Jart Premium BB Beauty Balm SPF 40 here.
Have We Missed Any?
These are just some of the BB creams we think you should be considering to include in your makeup bag in 2022.
But are there any we have missed that you think we should include?
We always love chatting about makeup and cosmetics with our customers, so if you think there’s one we have missed, please let us know in the comments below.
