The Truth about BB Creams

Hey guys! I hope you’ve had a great day, and that tomorrow is even better!

BB? What the heck is that and what does it do?

Song Hye Kyo, first Asian actress who admits to using BB cream.

So, today I wanted to tell you about BB creams because they have become so popular over the past year. Almost every high end and drugstore brand now has their own version of a BB cream and they are becoming increasingly expensive. Also, I wanted to tell you about the differences between Western and Asian BB creams.

BB creams, or beauty/blemish balms, are like tinted moisturizers with some added benefits. These benefits are usually hydrating, evening out skin tone, covering redness, and brightening. At least the western/American ones are “brightening”, this really means a glowy or dewy finish. The biggest difference in Western versus Asian BB creams is whitening.

Yes, you read that right. Whitening. In Asian BBs, there is a whitening agent. It’s not a crazy amount or anything, but continued use will take your tan right away. There are some pros to the whitening though, like the lightening of sun spots or freckles. I think BB creams are more for women over 30. If you’re a teenager, the only reason you would like a BB cream would be for hyperpigmentation, as the whitening will reduce the appearance a little bit. Other than that, you’re better off with a tinted moisturizer because it has about the same coverage.

Now that you have a little more information, picking whether a BB cream is right for you should be easier.

My recommendations:

BB Cream: Skin79, Lioele, Maybelline Dream Fresh BB (the first two are Asian and the last is western)

Tinted Moisturizer: CG Smoothers (the original, not the new BB), Aveeno Active Naturals