BB Cream & Tinted Moisturiser

I've Been Selling Natural Makeup for 15 Years: Here's How I Define BB Cream, CC Cream & Tinted Moisturisers

BB creams are my favourite makeup product of all time. They're the perfect mix of a hydrating moisturiser and a touch of foundation.

There's a lot of buzz around the terms BB cream and CC cream, and I've even heard of DD creams. BB cream stands for beauty balm, these are your moisturiser and light foundation in one. CC cream stands for colour correcting, so these contain a little more coverage or colour neutralising pigments. DD cream stands for daily defence, and these contain SPF and ingredients to combat oxidative stress and pollution. But really, in my experience, these are all a variation of tinted moisturiser, which combines skincare ingredients with a little foundation for coverage.

The original BB cream would be the Dr. Hauschka Tinted Day Cream. It launched in 1989, way before anyone came up with these buzzwords. I wrote a whole guide on this original BB cream.

What I look for in a clean BB cream

Hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, plus skincare ingredients like vitamin C and niacinamide. It needs blendable coverage that matches and evens out my skin tone, but still shows my freckles. Plus, it needs to conceal my dark circles without settling into my fine lines. A BB cream with added SPF is always a bonus too. And it needs to have staying power, I always add a little pressed powder over the top of mine, which really helps.

My favourite clean BB creams by skin type

For oily skin, I love the certified organic LAMAV BB cream. It contains hyaluronic acid and Kakadu plum, which is one of the highest natural sources of vitamin C. It has great coverage with a velvety matte finish and great staying power.

For dry skin, I love the 100% Pure BB cream. This is what I use. It's made with aloe vera and olive squalane, and it has medium to full coverage with a beautiful dewy finish.

For all skin types, I love the certified organic INIKA BB cream. It's made with prickly pear to help plump and hydrate the skin, as well as jojoba oil to help balance and nourish. It has nice coverage and a beautiful satin finish.