CC Cream vs BB Cream

Since the mid-2010s, alphabet creams have transformed the beauty blogosphere. With beauty bloggers and beauty mavens alike making them a staple part of their makeup routines, it can be hard to know which exactly is the right type of BB or CC cream for your skincare routine. Whichever letter you choose, the idea behind these alphabet creams is to find a middle ground between moisturiser and foundation that leaves you with the nourishing skincare benefits and complexion coverage of both. 

We’ll talk you through what each alphabet cream does, from BB to CC through to DD and EE, and help you find out which alphabet cream and moisturisers are right for your skin type.

What Is Tinted Moisturiser?

It’s hard to talk about what alphabet creams are without first understanding what tinted moisturiser is. Tinted moisturiser is an old favourite with those that now swear by alphabet creams – they give you a bit of complexion covering colour while offering all the moisturising benefits you may expect. Alphabet creams like BB cream and CC cream evolved from it, so tinted moisturisers have become less popular in recent years as more creams that address specific skincare and makeup benefits have become available.

What is BB Cream?

BB creams were the first tinted moisturiser alternative to become popular. Offering good coverage for your complexion while also providing extra skincare benefits such as SPF and anti-oxidants, BB creams are actually called Beauty Balms and were invented in Germany. BB creams became incredibly popular in South Korea and as the South Korean beauty market expanded, so did the popularity of these all-in-one BB creams. They are lighter than foundation but heavier than tinted moisturisers to offer full coverage without drying out the skin. 

The most popular BB creams tend to be those with SPF. Keep in mind that the amount of BB cream you would typically need to apply wouldn’t offer the same SPF coverage that using suncream would so we highly recommend applying your SPF first or even mixing it in with your BB cream for added benefits. Overall, BB creams offer blemish prevention and skincare maintenance, making them a great daily staple for many.

Works best with skin types: ageing, blemish-prone, sensitive, and combination. 

What is CC Cream?

CC stands for ‘colour correcting’ and, while they offer a very similar set of benefits to BB cream, CC creams are designed to address any blotches and uneven skin tones such as redness or under-eye circles. CC cream is even lighter than BB cream, offering less overall coverage and more of a colour correcting base thanks to its light-diffusing particles. They are much lighter on the skin than BB creams, and people with oily skin tend to fare better with CC creams because of this lightness. 

However, most beauty experts find that BB creams and CC creams are quite similar in that they both offer coverage as well as skincare benefits. CC creams are a great choice for priming your skin and acting as a concealer, especially when you don’t want to wear a heavy makeup base. 

Works best with skin types: ageing, blemish-prone, sensitive, blemished, prone to redness.

What is DD Cream?

The most recent development in the alphabet cream trend is DD cream. Described as a hybrid between BB creams and CC creams, DD can stand for anything from ‘dynamic do-all’ to ‘daily defence’ and even ‘disguise and diminish’ depending on the beauty brand. Pitched as a ‘super cream’, DD creams are being developed into an anti-ageing product that aims to reduce the depth and appearance of wrinkles when used as part of a daily routine.

Works best with skin types: All complexions!

What is EE Cream?

Similar to CC Cream, EE cream stands for ‘extra exfoliation’ and aims to reduce day-to-day damage by city air pollutants. Designed to be added to your cleansing, toning, and moisturising routine, the EE cream is a protector for regular daily defence and has been developed over the years to become helpful at exfoliator and allowing the skin to absorb serums a bit easier. Simply mix with your favourite cleanser and allow your skin to appreciate the benefits!

Works best with skin types:  All complexions!

What’s The Difference Between BB, CC Creams, and Foundation?

With BB creams and CC creams offering such great benefits across both skincare and makeup, many are asking if this eliminates the need for foundation? In our opinion, foundation is still a relevant part of your makeup bag as it is more versatile in terms of colour and coverage. While BB and CC creams are great for quick on-the-go coverage, they can’t produce the same full coverage that foundation does.

Foundation can be layered and even mixed to produce an exact skin match, whereas BB and CC creams are much less precise, and the same goes for concealer, which can provide much more targeted colour correction. Many makeup artists choose to use a BB cream or CC cream as a primer or base on which to then work with the foundation to create the desired finish. 

Shop our collection of BB Creams & CC Creams at Beauty Base to find the perfect must-have cream for your makeup bag!