With the continued explosion of BB, CC and now DD creams on the market, it’s difficult to know which one to choose. And what, if any, are the differences between them? Confused? Join the club.
BB = Beauty Balm or Blemish Balm. The first Blemish Balm was developed by a German dermatologist in the 1960s with the goal of treating patients recovering from plastic surgery and laser treatments. In the mid-1980s, it was introduced to the Asian markets where BB creams typically contained a tinted moisturizer, sunscreen, blemish healer and a skin whitening ingredient. Once launched in North America, BB creams were renamed Beauty Balms and focused on providing hydration, sun protection and light color coverage. Essentially, BB creams are tinted moisturizers, often with sunscreen.
CC = Color Correcting. CC Creams go one step further by merging makeup and skincare in one product. Providing slightly more coverage to visually even out the skin tone, CC creams typically include a foundation-level of color along with some antioxidant or anti-aging ingredients to improve the overall condition of the skin. CC Creams also tend to have a lighter feel and finish on the skin than its BB cousin.
DD = Daily Defence? Dermatological Dream? Double Duty? Or perhaps Dynamic Do-it-All? Your guess is as good as mine. Although not yet as widely available as its predecessors, DD creams’ focus seems to be anti-aging and marketed for more mature skin. The difficulty is in trying to improve on two other versions that are already meant to be all-in-one multitaskers. Appearing so late in the game, DD creams seem rather superfluous.
The slew of alphabet creams seems to be most popular with and suited for the teens and young adults who may not be concerned with anti-aging or correcting anything more than the appearance of acne and a slightly uneven skin tone. For them, this one-step product is ideal and fits right into their lifestyle.
For those who demand more of their skin care or are of a “certain age”, these creams are simply a daily moisturizer with a bit of tint for a more complete and finished look. They in no way replace the serums, sunscreens and night creams that we feel we need to meet our skin’s specific needs.
Regardless of the letter, the challenge is to find one whose formulation meets all my skin care demands in terms of sun protection, active ingredients and color. The quest has been long and arduous with still no ideal alphabet cream in sight. I may have to make one myself.
Now, there’s an idea. Personally Perfect PP Cream, anyone?
