BB cream vs CC cream vs tinted moisturiser

Confused by the different types of creams available? How do you know which one is right for your skin? We’ve compiled a guide below to help you understand the difference between BB cream, CC cream and tinted moisturiser and which one is the best for your skin.

What is BB cream?

BB cream, which stands for Blemish Balm or Beauty Balm, is a great foundation like cream which offers sheer coverage. BB creams typically contain SPF or other good-for-skin ingredients, give a natural glow and come in options for many different skin types.

What are the benefits of BB cream?

The main selling point of BB creams is that they provide sun protection along with some amount of some extra ingredients beneficial for your skin.

BB creams brighten, hydrate and smooth out your skin tone to give you a flawless, radiant look.

If you want more coverage than a tinted moisturiser but less than thick foundation, then a BB cream is suitable for your needs. It should be noted that BB creams will tend to be thicker than CC creams but will also offer more sun protection. BB cream offers buildable coverage for a more natural finish for when you want that no makeup look but you should know that it won’t provide full or matte coverage.

When to use BB cream?

BB creams can generally be used on a daily basis, especially when you are short on time. BB creams offer versatile skin care with their combination of SPF and hydrating benefits that you don’t need to go through your whole morning beauty routine!

What is CC cream?

CC cream stands for colour corrector/complexion correction and it is an effective cream which helps to neutralise the look of any skin imperfections you may have.

What are the benefits of CC cream?

If redness is your main issue then a CC cream may be what you need instead. CC creams are packed with many benefits, similar to BB creams, but go that extra step for when you want to even out redness or skin tone. CC creams are also great for covering dark spots and can even help to mask acne.

The way CC cream goes about neutralising your skin imperfections is through using colours that are opposite to each other on the color scale. As an example, if you are dealing with redness, rosacea, acne or sunburn then a green CC cream would be beneficial for you in order to neutralise the red colour on your skin. Similarly, if you have purple circles under your eyes then you would opt for an orange or peach coloured CC cream.

Another benefit of CC creams is that most of them provide you with extra anti-ageing properties. Make sure to look for CC creams with Niacinamide as well as Vitamins B and E to help recapture your skin’s youthful glow.

When to use CC cream?

When you’re in a rush and want to cover up your imperfections in the least amount of time, or you simply don’t want to wear too much make-up, instead of choosing a foundation, go for CC cream equipped with broad-spectrum SPF, and make use of its many added skin care benefits.

What is tinted moisturiser?

Tinted moisturiser differs from BB and CC creams as it is a type of lightweight face cream with some colour added. The colour tends to be quite sheer, but the tinted moisturiser itself works just like a regular moisturiser hydrating the skin whilst evening out your complexion.

What are the benefits of tinted moisturiser?

One of the benefits of tinted moisturiser is its thin consistency especially when compared against regular moisturisers and BB creams. It feels lightweight on the skin and you can choose from a wide range of shades.

When to use tinted moisturiser?

A tinted moisturizer is good for those days when you want to go for the no makeup look but want a tiny bit of colour to your skin. It is also suitable for you if your skin is clear of imperfections and you just want to brighten up your skin.

BB cream vs CC cream vs tinted moisturiser

One of the most significant differences between a CC and a BB cream is that while a BB cream offers light coverage and added skin care benefits, a CC cream also aims to colour correct. It’s primarily meant to help correct the colour of redness, dark spots or pale skin and is meant to go under a foundation.

If you have fewer blemishes or almost an even skin tone you can definitely go for a tinted moisturiser. A tinted moisturiser might also be better for teens and those in their early twenties as usually their skin doesn’t require more. When you start to get a bit older, your skin will require more aid and that’s when a BB cream packed with many vitamins and helping ingredients comes in handy.

If you are looking for light to medium coverage with sun protection, BB cream is your go to. If you have some imperfections or redness and you don’t want to use a foundation or concealer then a CC cream is a better alternative. For those of you who just want to add some tint and colour to your skin, a tinted moisturiser is a good recommendation.

How do BB cream, CC cream and tinted moisturiser differ from foundation?

Foundation differs from BB cream, CC cream and tinted moisturisers in one key way: coverage. It offers much better and thicker coverage and comes in a variety of forms including powder, liquid and creams.

Foundations, whilst they can feel heavy and sometimes a bit cakey, are excellent if you wish to completely cover any skin imperfections as well as smoothing out your skin tone. They also offer longer lasting coverage in comparison to BB and CC creams.

However, foundations do not typically provide many benefits for your skin, at most you may find foundations with SPF 15. In this case you may wish to opt for a BB or CC cream which come with many benefits, as listed earlier in the article.

Now that you understand the differences between BB cream, CC cream and tinted moisturiser and which one is right for your skin, why not check out our range of CC and BB creams, along with our tinted moisturisers.