What’s the Difference Between BB Creams and CC Creams?

What’s the difference between BB Creams and CC Creams can prove a loaded question because the answer will vary depending on where you’re purchasing BB and CC Creams from (Asia or the US).

With the biggest trend of the moment being CC Creams you might just be confused about what exactly the difference is between the formulas and in most cases it’s a simple one.

So let’s see what the difference between BB Creams and CC Creams really is!

BB Cream stands for beauty balm (not sure what a BB Cream is? Find out in my “What’s a BB Cream?” post) and if you’re purchasing Korean or other Asian BB Creams you’re looking at a multitasking foundation product that’s typically available in two shades. The formula acts to protect skin with a high SPF, brightens it, hydrates it acting like a moisturizer, and typically it also contains anti-aging benefits.

I find BB Cream in the US is one step up from a tinted moisturizer. Asian BB Creams are typically more pigmented but in the US we seem to rely on a sheerer formula. The benefits are the same but I do see that many of the BB Creams in the US don’t really offer whitening benefits the way Asian ones and we typically send our BB Creams to market with a lower SPF of 30 where as Asian BB Creams typically go as high as 50.

BRTC Jasmine Water BB Cream Swatches

Clinique Age Defense BB Cream Swatches

CC Cream stands for color corrective or color corrector. It also provides the same multitasking formula as BB Cream however, it offers color correcting benefits to ease redness, darkness, and even out skin tone. I find that here in the US they actually kinda went above and beyond with the CC Cream formula and it’s a bit more pigmented than the BB Creams that initially released when the trend was developing. So you get more coverage and apparently color correcting properties. I personally prefer the Asian take on CC Cream which Pop Beauty captured very well recently with the release of their CC Cream. In Asia, many of the newer CC Cream formula are a single shade of white which have tiny color adapting pigments that burst as you apply. They are sheerer, very sheer in fact however, they act to take already good skin and perfect it. I was on a wild ride with BB Creams and purchased tons of Korean ones several years ago and have many, many favorites. However, when CC Creams started launching from many of my favorite Korean I dove right in. And I must say I actually prefer the CC Cream formula. I already have fairly good skin without blemishes or visible pores. I do have drier skin and duller skin. CC Cream acts to ease my dullness while brightening and perfectly my already good skin.

Pop Beauty CC Cream Swatches

Tony Moly Pure Aura Luminous CC Cream Swatches

However, US CC Creams went a little bit of a different route as I mentioned above. They seem to be beefier formulas and some promise color correcting benefits. I actually prefer the Asian ones in all honesty and wish more US brands embraced this style formula! Some brands have gone lighter in formula but I like the color adapting technology that I see from Asian brands and wish more brands embraced it! Stila CC Color Correcting Cream is a good place to start if you’re looking for lighter, color correcting, color adapting technology.

If you’d like to figure out what exactly the difference is between BB Creams and tinted moisturizers you can have a look at my other article addressing this!

Hopefully this article helped you figure out what the difference is between BB Creams and CC Creams!

Which formula do you use and prefer?

The higher coverage of a BB Cream?

Or the lighter color correcting one of a CC Cream?

Do share!