Word Of Mash: The Verdict Is Out On BB Creams

If you’ve ever set foot anywhere near a cosmetics counter, chances are you’ve been bombarded with tubes of ‘BB’ written on them. For those who aren’t familiar, BB stands for blemish balm. They were originally created and used by dermatologists in the 1950s who wanted to offer their clients a way of treating and concealing the extreme redness caused by procedures such as laser skin surgery. Fast-forward to today, BB creams promise to be an all-in-one solution (SPF, moisturizer, primer, sunscreen, and serum) for daily wear.

In last week’s Word Of Mash, we asked all of you if BB creams are worth it or not?

Here’s the verdict:

Necessary For Survival? No.
65% of you voted against BB creams and we can understand why. The all-in-one compact solution to ALL our skin problems is kind of a stretch. BB creams tend to come in a small range of shades hence finding a BB cream that matches the colour of your skin flawlessly can be a challenge. Also, they’re not very effective at moisturizing. It’s very difficult to load all that functionality into a single product and end up with a light texture. The best candidates for BB creams are people with normal to oily skin and light to medium skin tone (also those who don’t need heavy moisturizers or anti-acne products).

No BB cream! Either foundation or nothing! -@the_lifeofzay

NO BB cream -@alishay.adnan

NEVER BB cream -@unzilahussain

Makes Our Life Easy? Yes.
35% of us depend on BB Creams and that makes sense too. Many BB creams offer natural-looking coverage for daily use and effective sun protection, with SPF 30 or higher.

When it comes to skin treatment, you can find BB creams that contain:

• Anti-ageing components, including peptides and antioxidants such as vitamins A, E, and C
• Moisturizing workhorses like hyaluronic acid and glycerin
• Ingredients such as licorice and arbutin that help even out skin tone
• Light-reflecting mica to give skin a luminous finish
• Silicone-based ingredients, such as dimethicone, that help smooth the skin, acting much like a foundation primer does

BB cream for everyday basis for sure. It gives you the light coverage foundation feel and also protects the skin -@fizzaastic

I love BB creams especially for everyday basis because it has SPF that is very important for your skin and also it’s very light so it doesn’t feel heavy in your skin. Also if you wear full coverage foundation everyday it makes you break out so it’s better to use BB creams. In drug stores, my favourite BB cream is the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB cream and for high rated I like It Cosmetics CC+ cream that has 50+ SPF –@Naz Sheikh

Bb cream for everyday basis…it’s so light as compared to foundation -@warda_arif

Team BB🙋 in my opinion foundation is a bit excessive for me for day-to-day work. BB cream provides just the okay-amount of coverage I need daily. –@asifalvyna

BB cream for a casual occasion as it’s not heavy. Nars BB cream is dewy and covers dark spots giving an even single tone finish! I’ve got combination skin so it’s hydrating and not too oily 🙂 -@sofiaharoon

What Does A BB Cream Replace?
There are plenty of makeup products for our skin, but they’re not interchangeable. BB creams definitely replace primer and, most of the time, foundation. However, It doesn’t replace sunscreen. If you have blemishes or dark circles, you’ll likely still want concealer. At the end of the day, it all depends on what kind of coverage you’re looking for, for your skin type.

@Alinaleghari: tinted moisturizer, just trust me.

@aleeyakhan92: primer is enough for me. Wonder glow primer by charlotte tilbury

@the_lifeofzay: No BB cream! Either foundation or nothing!

Moral Of The Story?
If you already subscribe to low-key skincare maintenance (read: minimal breakouts and little skin discolouration), BB cream is the perfect way to look polished without going the primer-foundation-sunscreen route. But If you have trouble finding the right shade, struggle with acne, or deal with severely dry skin, be honest with yourself: there’s a high probability that you will have to tack on a product that matches your skin tone, covers your blemishes, and also use a moisturizer that nourishes and hydrates more thoroughly.