BB, CC, and DD Creams — What's the Difference?

Decoding BB, CC, and DD creams

BB, CC, and DD creams are all the rage in the world of skincare and beauty. But it can be difficult knowing what each one does, and which one is right for you. What do all these letters stand for, and what does each one do? Here’s the difference between each one.

BB Creams

The “BB” in BB creams stands for beauty balm. Most BB creams are creamy and moisturizing, and they offer outstanding skin-protecting benefits. BB creams provide sun protection, extra hydration, and light coverage. With use, you’ll notice that your skin is smoother and your skin tone is evener. You’ll also see that your skin appears more dewy and luminous.

The downside is that BB creams don’t usually contain a high concentration of anti-aging ingredients. That’s why it’s important to continue using anti-aging creams in addition to BB creams. Remember to use BB creams sparingly.

The best BB creams:

1. Tarte Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer

Infused with skin-balancing Amazonian clay and chamomile, vitamins A, C, and E, and sodium hyaluronate, this multitasking, tinted moisturizer hydrates, brightens, treats, and protects skin from UV rays and free radical damage with SPF 20.

2. Burt’s Bees BB Cream

This BB cream is somewhere between a lightweight foundation and a super-hydrating lotion. It contains noni extract and SPF 15 protection. It also firms, conceals, smoothes, perfects, and illuminates skin while evening skin tone and visibly reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

3. Maybelline New York Dream Fresh BB Cream 8-In-1 Skin Perfector

This 1-step wonder combines skincare and makeup, to blur, brighten, smooth, hydrate, and more, with the added benefit of SPF 30 sunscreen. Hydrating and lightweight, it gives you a natural, skin-perfected look.

CC Creams

The “CC” in CC creams stands for color correcting. CC creams tend to be lightweight and fast-absorbing. They offer medium coverage, and most contain light-diffusing particles to even skin tone plus tons of antioxidants for anti-aging effects. CC creams are lighter than BB creams, and their primary purpose is to correct color-related skin issues, like redness or dark spots. Almost all CC creams contain SPF to protect against UVA/UVB rays.

The best CC creams:

1. Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream

This CC cream has a lightweight formula that instantly color corrects a range of complexion concerns, including redness, dullness, and sallowness for healthy-looking skin. It contains an SPF of 30 and is oil-free.

2. BareMinerals Complexion Rescue

This CC cream combines SPF 30 with the benefits of a BB cream and a CC cream for a radiantly smooth finish. It contains natural ingredients including marine botanicals and mineral electrolytes that hydrate and boost your skin’s natural beauty.

3. Stila One Step Correct

This innovative CC cream instantly primes, color-corrects, brightens, and nourishes skin for a flawless face. The green tone instantly neutralizes redness and conceals blemishes while the lavender tone counteracts sallow undertones for a vibrant, energized look. The peach tone brightens, illuminates, and helps diminish the appearance of sunspots.

DD Creams

The “DD” in DD creams stands for dynamic do-all. Most DD creams have a similar texture to BB creams — they’re creamy and moisturizing. DD creams combine the power and benefits of BB and CC creams with a focus on anti-aging. So if you’re looking for a product that contains SPF and moisturizers to prevent moisture loss along with some color to balance uneven skin tone, then DD creams are for you.

The best DD creams:

1. Dermadoctor DD Cream

This DD cream does it all. It defines, delays, defends, delights, and delivers. This multifunctional corrective anti-aging beauty balm helps support a healthy complexion. Its mineral-based SPF 30 protects skin from harmful UV rays.

2. Beauty by Earth Tinted Facial Sunscreen

This lightweight DD cream gives you complete UVA/UVB broad-spectrum protection with a sheer finish. It also contains organic aloe vera, organic oils, and extracts for additional skin hydration and anti-aging.

3. Nuxe Creme Prodigieuse DD Cream

This DD cream helps to protect skin from daily pollution and UVA/UVB rays for coverage that lasts up to eight hours. With its light and creamy texture, your skin will be left looking flawless, natural, and glowing.

Which alphabet cream is right for you?

Deciding which one of the alphabet creams — BB, CC, and DD — is right for you doesn’t have to be hard. Here’s a cheat sheet: If you’re younger and searching for hydration and SPF protection, then a BB cream should meet your needs. But if you’re primarily looking to correct pigmentation issues, reach for a CC cream. If you’re older and wanting anti-aging skincare benefits, then a DD cream is ideal.

And if a tinted sunscreen is all you’re after, LaserAway Beauty offers the ultimate in color correcting broad-spectrum protection. BFF SPF 50+ is a whipped, hydrating sunscreen developed by dermatologists to provide superior sun protection that evens skin tone and gives you a gorgeous glow.

References

“12 BB Creams That Will Transform Your Skin, Elle, May 31, 2018.
“Beauty Breakdown: All About BB, CC, and DD Creams,” Marie Claire, August 5, 2013.
“The 14 Best CC Creams for Flawless Skin, Elle, May 25, 2018.
“What is a DD Cream and Why Do You Need One?,” Marie Claire, October 19, 2017.
“What’s the Difference Between BB, CC, and DD Creams?,” Women’s Health, January 23, 2014.