The Best BB Creams
The best BB creams offer both protection for skin and hydrating properties. What exactly is a BB cream? "BB" is actually short for beauty balm or blemish balms. BB creams combine elements of tinted moisturizers with other ingredients, all in one product. They're all the rage, and they're great if you can find the right one for your skin type. It seems that nearly all of the top cosmetics brands now offer a BB cream. Who makes the best? The ones listed here are all considered good, so vote them up or down based on your own experiences. And, if you've got a favorite BB cream that isn't listed, add it.
Great BB creams are usually much lighter than foundation. They don't offer that kind of full-coverage, but they do offer some other huge benefits, like anti-oxidants to help brighten skin tone and smooth fine lines. Most of them also include sunscreens, to help ward off potentially skin damaging sun rays. BB creams that are fragrance-free are also available, for those with skin sensitivities. Be sure to read labels carefully, so you know exactly what you're getting.
Some BB creams are designed for specific skin types: Those with dry skin, for instance, would be well served by trying a BB cream that offers some extra facial moisturizing ingredients, like hyaluronic acid. For those with oily skin, it might be best to find a BB cream that isn't too heavy on the "glowing" aspect -- because really, oily skin doesn't need any kind of additional glow, now does it? There are BB creams on the market that can help to control excess oil, by the way. It seems, at least at the moment, that there's literally a BB cream for all skin types.
How do you know if you'll like using a BB cream? Do you wear a tinted moisturizer in place of a regular foundation? If so, you'll probably be perfectly cool with a light coverage BB cream. If you want more coverage though, stick to your regular foundations and primers for now and try to check out samples of BB creams to start. That way, you're not throwing your hard-earned cash away on a product that will just wind up taking up space in your already cluttered makeup drawer.
