Before You Buy: We Rank the Best and Worst BB Creams

We are all aware that skin care changes as the seasons do. In the winter, it’s important to load up on moisturizers to avoid flaky, chapped skin. The same occurs in the spring and summer. Though it’s never a great idea to remove moisturizers from your skin care routine, it’s important to take note of how your skin changes in warm weather.

If your skin is oily, combination or acne-prone, you may notice that it’s tough to leave home in the warm weather without returning looking as if you’ve basically spent 12 hours melting your face off. Avoiding a sweaty face can be annoying and may even seem impossible. Even with all the primers, matte foundations and blotting papers, your oil production could still go from 0 to 100 real quick. That’s where BB creams come in.

What is BB cream?

BB creams are a step beyond tinted moisturizers as they offer more beauty benefits. Benefits range from anti-aging to evening skin to even fighting acne. Most provide SPF protection, but you may still want to work in some sunscreen if the coverage falls below 30 or if you’re only applying a thin layer of the best BB cream to your face.

Can we use BB cream instead of foundation?

Once oil enters the picture during the warmer months, an invitation goes out to blemishes to come have a party on your face. A party that can last days, weeks or even months. Since no one wants that, it’s important to transition and train your skin. Our solution has always been lightening our everyday coverage. Lightweight foundations may not be as heavy as your go-to formulas, but they still pack pore-clogging ingredients. BB creams are usually a better option. Though many are made with silicone, most are oil-free and they’re more lightweight than the lightest foundation on the market.

Can you use BB cream every day?

BB creams can be worn daily just like your fave foundation. Just make sure you pick the right one. Since all skin types aren’t the same, neither are BBs. They’re not just for the oily-skinned looking to lighten coverage and reduce pore clogging, there are also some formulated to soothe sensitive skin, hydrate dry skin, smooth textured skin and rejuvenate mature skin. The best part about them all is that they’re formulated to prime, moisturize, protect and perfect skin, thus canceling out the many products applied to your face daily.

Can you use BB cream and concealer?

BB cream coverage ranges from light to full with many being moderate. The more you layer it, the more coverage you’ll receive, but since you’ll be treating your skin in the process, the fear of wearing too much shouldn’t exist. We don’t recommend layering it under foundation or adding concealer on top as it’ll beat the purpose of limiting the amount of gunk that goes into your pores, but if going solo isn’t your thing, brushing a finishing powder on top should give you the coverage you need.

What are the best BB creams?

Key ingredients to look for in the best BB creams are antioxidants, such as vitamins C, A and E to help reduce wrinkles and even skin tone, hyaluronic acid for hydration and SPF to protect skin from the sun’s rays. There are even brands that add little extras, like light diffusers, a bouquet of floral extracts and even brand-developed technologies.

What are the best BB creams for oily skin?

The best BB cream for oily skin should feature ingredients designed to soak up as much oil as possible, leaving even acne-prone skin a smooth canvas. La Roche-Posay even developed its own technology called Airlicium that absorbs 150 times its weight in oil to make sure the oiliest complexions stay perfectly matte.

What are the best BB creams for dry skin?

When it comes to supplying moisture, the best BB cream for dry skin should boast ingredients that promote and retain hydration. Take Bobbi Brown’s BB cream; it contains water-attracting molecules to not only increase moisture levels but actually keep them high throughout the day.

Coola Rōsilliance Organic BB+ Cream SPF 30

Here are the best BB creams for a whole host of skin issues.

1. Bobbi Brown
2. Burberry
3. Smashbox
4. La Roche-Posay
5. Dior
6. Kiehl’s
7. Missha
8. COOLA
9. Erborian
10. Clinique
11. Dr.Jartt
12. Estée Lauder
13. Maybelline
14. MAC
15. Tarte

To see which works best for your skin concern, here are the products with the best BB cream reviews that’ll give you ageless, blemish-free, dewy skin this season.

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