How well do you know your ABCs? BB and CC creams have taken over the beauty industry, and companies are rolling out alphabet creams so quickly that it’s hard not to get confused. I competed in my 4th grade spelling bee, so I’m completely equipped to get you through this. Well, not really (I misspelled “because” in round two), but I do know my way around beauty and skincare – have no fear!
AA
Ok, so there really isn’t an AA cream. It felt kind of wrong skipping straight to BB, but AA actually stands for “Anti-Aging”.
BB – “beauty/blemish balm”
BB creams originally took off in Asia, but let’s make one thing clear. BB creams in the Asia market are COMPLETELY different than the ones in the states. Those BB creams are heavy duty, cover-all creams. If that’s your cup of tea, I totally recommend going online or to a beauty store in Chinatown.
The American version of BB creams are essentially glorified tinted moisturizers. I recommend them to all my friends who have pretty fantastic skin but still want a glow. Most BB creams will have anti-aging benefits, moisturizing agents, and built in SPF. The coverage is very light, but it is enough to even out your skintone and give you a luminous boost. I sometimes use it as a primer for my heavier foundation on nights where I need to really get gussied up!
My BB cream picks:
– Maybelline New York Dream Fresh BB Cream $8.99
– L’Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream $10.95
– Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm SPF 20 $34
– Boscia BB Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 27 PA++ $38
CC – “color/complexion corrector”
I always reach for my CC cream in the mornings. I have sensitive skin prone to breakouts if I’m not careful, and I was definitely not careful in my high school years. Therefore, I do have some acne scarring. CC creams are filled with vitamins C and E, which have been go-to vitamins for skin care products that target dark spots and scarring. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant to your skin by both protecting and repairing damage. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant that works to create collagen which makes your skin plump and smooth. They both protect against free-radicals, and free-radicals are the super villain of the beauty world. They damage your skin and cause wrinkles – no thank you.
My CC cream picks:
– Lumene Time Freeze Anti-Aging CC Cream $14.99
– Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Tone Correcting CC Cream Moisturizer SPF 15 $19.99
– Clinque Moisture Surge CC Cream Hydrating Color Corrector Broad Spectrum SPF 30 $35
– Peter Thomas Roth CC Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Complexion Corrector $48
My advice when buying your BB or CC cream, think about whether you want it to work more as makeup or skincare! For makeup, I would stick to makeup brands like Maybelline, and vise versa, you should stick to good skin care brands like Ole Henriksen.
P.S. There are such things as DD creams “dynamic do-all” apparently, but I don’t think there’s enough interest in them to fully take off yet.