We tend to ask a lot from BB creams. Not only do we need them to be a perfect balance between a moisturiser and a lightweight foundation, but they’re also expected to be an antioxidant, a brightening serum, and an SPF. If we’re lucky, they also can be anti-ageing. The idea is that you achieve your skin but better, subtly blurring away imperfections and enhancing your natural skin tone. Again, it’s a lot to ask from one product, but there are many anti-ageing BB creams on the market that promise a multitude of benefits.
BB creams are effectively skin tints that offer creamy light to medium coverage for daily wear—not to be confused with CC (colour-correcting) or DD (daily-defense) creams. The “BB” stands for “beauty balm,” and they are rich with proactive ingredients, including peptides and antioxidants such as vitamins A, E, and C.
So what do you need to look for in an anti-ageing formula? There are various BB creams suited for both oily and dry skin types. For anti-ageing, SPF is one of the key ingredients, and wearing a BB cream can help you remember to wear an SPF every day, another anti-ageing bonus.
Personally, however, I do struggle to find a BB cream to match my brown skin tone. Often made with a subtle one-shade-fits-all pigment (or not) and SPF, they can sometimes leave a grey, shadowy cast on brown skin tones. Brand shade ranges have gradually improved over the years, but there’s still some way to go in catering to the deepest skin tones. Bobbi Brown (which has always offered an extensive shade range) has a solid BB cream for dark skin tones, and while not technically a BB cream, Glossier’s skin tint is a great lightweight foundation for darker skin.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OK