BB creams used to seem like a fleeting product trend, originating from Germany and gaining popularity once it hit Korea. But years later, many beauty enthusiasts still swear by this non-foundation as their go-to base product—the way that it bridges makeup and skincare being the biggest reason.
When it was first invented, BB creams were called beauty or blemish balms, designed by a dermatologist to protect tender, freshly-lasered skin while giving it light coverage. It's supposed to substitute your moisturizer, sunscreen, primer, and foundation without irritating your skin and overwhelming it with too many layers. If that sounds good to you, then perhaps it's time to add a bottle (or two) to your daily makeup routine. Ahead, we list 15 of the best BB creams for different skin types—just to make shopping a little more hassle-free.
1. Dear Klairs Illuminating Supple Blemish Cream
Best for: Dry and sensitive skin
Cop that signature K-beauty dewy finish with this hydrating cream, which has been formulated especially for sensitive skin that's prone to redness. One layer is enough to achieve a healthy glow and sheer coverage! Since it unfortunately only comes in one shade, this product is well-suited to those with fair skin with neutral undertones.
DEAR KLAIRS Illuminating Supple Blemish Cream, P1310, Watsons
2. Shiseido Sports BB SPF 50+ Sunscreen
Best for: Dry to normal skin
This BB cream is the tinted version of Shiseido's cult-favorite water-resistant sunscreens, providing light to medium coverage while protecting you from UVA & UVB rays. It's your best alternative to heavy liquid foundation whenever you know you'll be out in the sun!
SHISEIDO Sports BB SPF 50+ Sunscreen, price unavailable, TriNoma
3. Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35
Best for: Combination/Oily skin
Smashbox is all about making you look flawless in HD, but since not everyone is a fan of high coverage foundations, they created this BB cream instead. It claims to be a five-in-one product that primes, evens out your skin tone, hydrates, controls oil, and shields you from the sun with SPF 35.
SMASHBOX Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35, P2200, Beauty Bar
4. Bobbi Brown BB Cream SPF 35
Best for: Normal to oily skin
This BB cream is for those good skin days when you barely need coverage yet still want that subtle boost. It basically works like an instant Instagram filter, evening out your skin tone and visibly reducing the appearance of fine lines without appearing or feeling heavy. The decent shade range has options for morenas, too, which is always a plus.
BOBBI BROWN BB Cream SPF 35, price unavailable, SM Megamall
5. MAC Lightful C SPF50/PA++++ Quick Finish Cushion Compact
Best for: Dry to normal skin
Though technically not marketed as a BB cream, the fresh and radiant finish of this cushion foundation mimics the effect that everyone expects from the K-beauty staple. The way it instantly brightens the skin and blurs visible lines and pores in a few pats of the puff makes it an absolute makeup bag staple if you struggle with a perpetually dull complexion.
MAC Lightful C SPF50/PA++++ Quick Finish Cushion Compact, P2250, Lazada
6. Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control SPF50+ PA+++
Best for: Combinatioin skin
This hydrating, pore-blurring, and sebum-controlling cushion is the combo-skinned girl's dream. Not only does it have enough coverage to even out your skin tone, you can easily build it up over blemishes without it caking up either.
LANEIGE BB Cushion Pore Control SPF50+ PA+++, P2050, SM Makati
7. Burt’s Bees BB Cream SPF15
Best for: Dry skin
A whopping 98.9% of this product's ingredients are naturally-derived, and claims to be right in the middle of a lightweight foundation and a hydrating lotion. It's a simple formula that even a makeup novice can smooth over their face like a skin tint—pefect for a barely-there look.
BURT'S BEES BB Cream SPF 15, P1695, Beauty Bar
8. Benefit Big Easy BB Cream
Best for: Oily skin
If you prefer matte skin over a dewy glow, you'll love this oil-free BB cream for its liquid-to-powder formula that helps it blend seamlessly into your skin and last the entire day. Apply it with your fingers for a more natural finish, or stipple it in with a brush for more lightweight coverage.
BENEFIT Big Easy BB Cream, P2400, Greenbelt 5
9. Pond's White Beauty BB + CC Cream SPF30 PA++
Best for: Combination/Oily skin
Finding the right tone in affordable BB creams won't be a struggle with this product, because it comes in warm, yellow-toned colors that suit light to medium Filipina skin tones. Not only that, it combines the benefits of BB and CC creams with a non-oily, longwearing coverage you wouldn't oppose to wearing every day.
POND'S White Beauty BB + CC Cream SPF30 PA++, P259, Watsons
10. Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB
Best for: Combination skin
The bouncy, jelly-like texture of this BB cream brought it its fame, but its lightweight formula and refreshing feel are definitely more deserving of the hype. While it may not be a new product, it can provide you with that trendy "glass skin" glow sans the greasy vibe. It could work on oily skin as well, provided that you don't forget to powder your T-zone!
HOLIKA HOLIKA Aqua Petit Jelly BB, P795, SM Mall of Asia
11. Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream Moist SPF 50+ PA+++
Best for: Dry skin
Putting makeup over dry patches is every dry-skinned girl's struggle. Thankfully, products like this hydrating BB cream exist. It allows pigment to glide evenly over dehydrated skin without looking cakey. It may not be the fullest coverage base out there, but its buildable coverage and luminous finish more than makes up for it.
ETUDE HOUSE Precious Mineral BB Cream Moist SPF 50+ PA+++, P748, SM Mall of Asia
12. Dr. Jart Black Label Nourishing Beauty Balm SPF 25 PA++
Best for: Dry, combination, and sensitive skin
This formula is the kind of one-and-done base that hydrates, evens out your skin tone, and calms down irritated skin in one step. It's great for those who want to wrap up their makeup routine in five minutes but still want a seamless, healthy-looking complexion.
DR. JART Black Label Nourishing Beauty Balm SPF 25 PA++, P2623, Sephora.ph
13. Clinique Acne Solutions BB Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 40
Best for: Oily and acne-prone skin
Piling on a heavy foundation isn't the best idea for breakout-prone skin. That said, if you want to lightly conceal imperfections to get through the day, go for Clinique's fragrance-, oil-, and paraben-free BB that promises to mattify and cover for up to 12 hours without clogging your pores.
CLINIQUE Acne Solutions BB Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 40, P2050, TriNoma
14. Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42 PA+++
Best for: Dry to combination skin
This cult-classic BB cream is well-loved for its high coverage and lightweight feel, hence becoming one of the most popular ones out there. The fact that it has high SPF, ceramide, and hyaluronic acid are definitely a plus, especially if you have dehyrated skin.
MISSHA Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42 PA+++, P660, Althea
15. Canmake Perfect Serum BB Cream SPF50 PA+++
The 21 skin-loving ingredients in this formula (collagen, ceramides, arbutin, and hyaluronic acid, to name a few) make it feel more like a skincare product than makeup. It does, however, do both: provide a flawless finish and conceal imperfections!
CANMAKE Perfect Serum BB Cream SPF50 PA+++, P970, SM Makati
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