15 Best BB Creams for Your Dewiest Complexion Yet
Fans of a matte finish and those who live by dewy moments will both appreciate the best BB creams on the market. These lighter alternatives to full-coverage complexion products are basically what would happen if foundation and skin care had a baby. "A BB cream, which can stand for a beauty balm, is a multi-use product that acts as a primer, foundation, moisturizer, and sunscreen," says Los Angeles-based makeup artist Brandy Allen.
In addition to hydrating and evening out skin tones, BB creams stand out from the average foundation because they also treat your skin to hydrating, brightening, blemish-eviscerating, and fine-line-filling ingredients like antioxidant vitamin C, according to New York City-based makeup artist Jamie Dorman. There's a reason their monstrous popularity put Korean beauty on the map once word got out about their popularity back home.
When you want to appear as if you actually drink eight glasses of water a day, treat your skin to a BB cream since they tend to offer all the complexion-evening benefits of a light-to-medium foundation in a speedier formula that also protects you from the elements. They do double duty to work skin care into your makeup routine so you can more efficiently do both — how clever.
As if BB creams didn't have enough benefits, they're also extremely easy to apply. Both Allen and Dorman agree that you can use just about any of your favorite tools to smooth these effortless formulas onto your skin — even if the said tool is your hand. "You can use a sponge, foundation brush, or your fingers, and gently dab the product for a natural, skin-like finish," says Allen.
If you're ready to switch over to more breathable complexion products with skin-care benefits like broad-spectrum sun protection, then a BB cream (which can also be labeled as a blemish balm, by the way) is in your near future. Below, check out a variety of the best BB creams for any skin type and budget.
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Tower 28 SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation
OK, so technically Tower 28's SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation isn't a BB cream, but it's a tinted SPF option that acts just like one. This light-coverage sunscreen is an Allure editor-favorite because it creates a smooth, even-toned canvas for the rest of your makeup without irritating sensitive skin types in the process.
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L'Oréal Paris Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream
A flawless complexion that costs less than a brunch mimosa? We could never say no to that. L'Oréal Paris's Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream has a lightweight, lotion-like feel that treats your pores to antioxidants like glow-enhancing vitamins C and E as it absorbs into your skin. As the skin-care goodies seep into your pores, encapsulated pigments cover up blemishes and discoloration while creating a sheer, ultra-light finish.
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E.L.F. Cosmetics Camo CC Cream SPF 30
E.L.F. Cosmetics is known for its affordable beauty hits, including the TikTok-favorite Camo CC Cream. This complexion-boosting tint ticks all of our boxes: It has one of the widest shade ranges on the market — 30 to choose from, in case you're wondering — and its formula includes SPF 30 as well as a few of our favorite skin-care ingredients. This medium-to-full coverage CC cream boosts hydration through moisture-retaining hyaluronic acid and brightens with niacinamide, so you'll have a plump, radiant glow all day long and after you wash it off.
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Supergoop CC Screen 100% Mineral CC Cream SPF 50
For the ultimate sun protection, we always turn to Supergoop's range of SPF-infused skin-care products. As a special treat for our skin, the brand created the 100% Mineral CC Cream to guard your delicate pores against UV rays through SPF 50.
This creamy formula also has color-correcting abilities that tackle discoloration, inflammation, and redness like a champ. A few skin-nourishing ingredients you can spot in this CC cream's formula include smoothing apple extract and Irish sea moss, which is known for being rich in acne-targeting sulfur and antioxidants like vitamins A (also known as retinol) and E.
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CoverGirl Clean Matte BB Cream
CoverGirl's Clean Matte BB Cream is the best drugstore pick for people who want oil-controlling benefits from their complexion products. This $10 pick is beloved by oily and acne-prone skin types alike for its oil-free formula and mattifying finish that doesn't overdry skin. This breathable formula leaves a sheer veil of color for an even, "your skin but better" finish. It'll make you say "bye-bye, shine" mere seconds after smearing it on.
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BareMinerals Prime Time BB Primer-Cream SPF 30
BareMinerals' Prime Time BB Primer-Cream is a true triple-threat. This skin-care-makeup hybrid primes and moisturizes skin at once with ingredients like hydrating aloe and calming chamomile extract, so dry skin types will especially love it. This BB cream also provides SPF 30 protection, and light, sheer coverage, for a subtle tint without caking throughout the day.
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Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 40
Soy, licorice, vitamin C, and arbutin have been shown to fade discoloration on the skin's surface. You can find arbutin (a botanical extract that helps stop melanin production) in this K-beauty favorite. Bonus: Dr. Jart+'s Premium Beauty Balm's formula also makes skin look smoother with the help of adenosine, a sugar molecule that speeds up cell renewal, which is why this is one of Dorman's go-to BB creams.
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Clinique Age Defense BB Cream SPF 30
Most BB creams have the texture of tinted moisturizers, but this one by Clinique behaves more like a lightweight foundation. The Age Defense BB Cream contains caffeine to soften lines, and vitamin E and seaweed extract to control oil production, which will help your makeup stay on longer. The mineral pigments help cover fine lines and minor blemishes, but they're not enough for serious discoloration, so supplement with a solid concealer.
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Maybelline New York Dream Fresh BB Cream 8-in-1 Skin Perfector SPF 30
Available in five shades, Maybelline's Best of Beauty Award winner coats your face in a veil of moisture and sheer coverage that provides a nice dose of SPF 30 as well. Also, in case you're worried about breakouts, Dream Fresh is oil-free so you could say it's a base that covers many…bases.
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IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream SPF 50+
There's a reason IT Cosmetics' Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream won a Readers' Choice Award three years in a row. Other than a generous heaping of SPF, one of the top ingredients is snail mucin — in addition to collagen, peptides, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, and vitamins A, B, C, and E, making this full-coverage formula super hydrating and almost just as comforting as a moisturizing skin-care treatment.
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Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42
One of the original K-beauty BB creams that was at the top of the game when BB creams hit the Western market, Missha's dewy formula features snail mucin as a skin-repairing, brightening, and hydrating ingredient. It feels just like a lightweight moisturizer on your face but it gives you full coverage, making it perfect for dry, normal, or combo skin types. While we hope the shade range will be expanded in the near future, there are currently seven shades that'll suit fair to medium-tan skin tones.
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Tarte Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20
For oily skin types and cruelty-free and vegan beauty enthusiasts, Tarte's medium-to-full-coverage BB cream features Amazonian clay, chamomile, and vitamins A, C, and E to blot out blemishes and fill in fine lines without making you look too dewy. The formula actually helps absorb oil but doesn't dry you out because it contains sodium hyaluronate.
Since this formula's broad-spectrum SPF rating is under the American Academy of Dermatology's recommended SPF 30, you'll want to apply a layer of sunscreen before putting this BB cream on.
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Erborian BB Cream Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20
This moisture-plus-coverage pick from Korean-French infusion brand Erborian is a creamy and mattifying option for days when you need some oil control. The BB Cream Tinted Moisturizer provides light-to-medium coverage and is infused with ginseng for moisture and licorice, which is known for its brightening abilities. Since the SPF coverage is less than 30, be sure to apply a sunscreen beforehand.
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MDSolarSciences MD Crème Mineral Beauty Balm SPF 50
The creamy, whipped texture and water-resistant formula aren't nearly the best parts of MDSolarSciences' MD Crème Mineral Beauty Balm. Just like the other products present in your skin-care routine, this formula comes packed with vitamins C and E, plus green tea extract and brightening niacinamide.
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Cle Cosmetics CCC Cream SPF 50
Technically the CCC Cream from Cle Cosmetics isn't a BB cream, but it does combine the best aspects of BB and CC creams into one do-it-all formula. It hydrates and nourishes skin with an impressive blend of hyaluronic acid and glycerin, a humectant that attracts water to the skin. To even out your complexion, this CC cream contains pigments that burst and spread to provide seamlessly blendable medium coverage.
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