The beauty of BB creams

Want to tone, moisturise, correct, brighten, banish blemishes, and enjoy a variety of skincare benefits all in one easy-to-apply cream? Welcome to your face’s new best friend.

Take a cursory glance in your bathroom cabinet – chances are you’ll find in there a collection of half-used products, all competing for some space on your face. Moisturisers that promise day-long hydration. Primers that declare they’ll help smooth your pores. Foundations that beg to even your skin tone. They might all be effective, but a multi-step skincare routine can be time consuming. When BB creams burst onto the scene around five years ago, promising to do all of the above in one simple step, it’s no wonder the stampede for this timesaving tube of skin-coddling goodness was deafening.

What is a BB cream?

The BB stands for ‘Beauty’ – or ‘Blemish’ – ‘Balm’. It’s creamier than a moisturiser yet lighter than a foundation. The secret to a BB cream lies in its formula, which may include a tint to even skin tone, moisturisers such as hyaluronic acids or glycerins, silicon-based ingredients for a priming effect, light-reflecting compounds to give skin a luminous sheen and even ingredients that can diminish signs of ageing including peptides, antioxidants and UV filters.

Why should I use it?

If you want to streamline your beauty routine to a point where you can do five things at a time with one product, BB cream is your go-to. Its sheer coverage (ranging from matte to dewy) is perfect for an au naturel look, though it doesn’t cover like foundation, so a concealer may still come in handy. Its colour range tends to be limited, so finding one that matches (and trialling it, if you can, to make sure it feels good on your face) is important. As for spending less time in front the mirror, and more time winning at life? Absolutely priceless.

CORRECT AND PERFECT WITH THESE BB BEAUTIES