BB Cream Versus CC Cream: Let's Get To The Bottom Of The Coverage Debate

In the quest for dewy skin, there's no shortage of buttery, skin-care-meets-makeup formulas. Enter, your BB and CC creams, K-beauty mainstays meant to give your skin that effortless, woke-up-with-no-blemishes glow. While both can cover up acne and discoloration, there are slight (emphasis on slight) nuances to the two that mind a little beauty lesson. That said, let's dive into the makeup alphabet, starting with BB versus CC creams, plus which one you should use.

For even more of a skin care boost, makeup artist Alexandra Compton, product development manager at clean beauty retailer Credo, suggests mixing your BB cream with your moisturizer or face oil. If you're hoping to resemble a dewdrop (or a crystal pane of glass, perhaps?), consider this makeup artist hack: "It will change the finish from dewy to dewiest," she says. 

Short answer: You can totally swap your foundation for a BB cream, if you so choose. If you're used to a full-coverage look, though, just know you won't get the same payoff from BB cream as you would a highly pigmented foundation.

While brands may incorporate SPF into the formula (see our recs, below), that's usually where they draw the line in terms of skin care benefits. You see, CC creams don't have as many hydrating ingredients as a BB cream: "They might have a few luminizing properties, but they're mostly about the mix of pigments to even out skin tone," says makeup artist Jenny Patinkin. So if you're noticing any hyperpigmentation or redness, a CC cream may be just what you need.

Since CC stands for "color correcting," reach for the CC cream if you're looking to neutralize any discoloration, and stick to a BB cream for overall sheer coverage. "You can focus the creams on areas of concern, like darkness under the eyes or redness around the nose and cheeks," Compton explains. "Or you can easily apply all over like you would a face cream." The ball is in your court, here. 

That's not to say a proper foundation doesn't have its advantages; foundations can have a spectrum of coverage options themselves (from extra-light to heavy), as well as a wide range of shades. And despite the heavier coverage, there are a multitude of ways to apply them without looking too caky.

Think of BB and CC creams as just a step or two heavier, says Patinkin; the difference isn't much, admittedly, but sometimes that extra step is just what you need for pesky blemishes or under-eye shadows to remain hidden.

While browsing all your coverage options, you may have heard the term "DD cream" thrown around once or twice. DD stands for “dynamic do-all,” “daily defense,” or “double duty." Essentially: DD creams do, well, everything. They're marketed toward those looking for makeup with healthy aging benefits, like protection from environmental aggressors and oxidative stress (hence, where the term "daily defense" comes from).

Admittedly, it's a bit of a marketing game—they're essentially the same. If you want to get technical, you can think of DD creams as BB creams with an extra dose of antioxidants and SPF (like this option, from DERMAdoctor).

Ultimately, it depends on what kind of coverage you're looking for. Here's the summary:

Whether you're partial to the bounce-and-swipe of a beauty blender or using your (clean!) fingers, you can rely on BB and CC creams to elevate your dewy look, all while letting your natural skin texture live on.