The Long & Short of BB Cream

Heard of BB cream?

We won’t be surprised if the majority of you have tried BB cream at least once; after all, it has been all the rage for the past few years. Although there are mainly Korean brands for BB cream products, many international companies are also catching up and launching their own version of the BB cream.


So, now, what is BB cream?

BB cream is the abbreviated (and more commonly used) term for Blemish Balm cream. And yes, it is one of the hottest and best-selling beauty products out of Asia. BB cream originated in Germany and was initially used by dermatologists to help their patients who had gone through laser skin surgery soothe and regenerate the skin. BB cream also helps to protect the skin from the sun since post-surgery (e.g. peeling and laser treatment) skin tends to be more sensitive and vulnerable. In addition, it also helps to conceal the post-surgery scars and reddness that sometimes occur after the procedures.

Soon after, Korean celebrities started using the cream and a craze was born. Big companies then took the idea and turned it into a product widely available to the public. The new product is suitable for all skin types, especially those with sensitive and acne-prone skin. It has the advantages of both a makeup and skincare product. It can even out skintone, camouflage undereye circles, acne scars and add radiance to the skin without the heavy mask-like effects of a foundation. Prolonged used of the product will also (supposedly) help improve the overall texture of the skin and fade acne scars.


In short, the BB cream is a multi-functional makeup product with skincare properties. It can be as a moisturizer, sunblock, concealer, makeup primer; in fact, some women use the BB cream to replace foundation totally. In addition, the different variants and enhanced formulation also see the development of BB cream with anti-wrinkling, skin-whitening and oil-control benefits.

Other than its skincare properties, one other reason the BB cream is so popular is because it cuts the prepping time in half, imagine eliminating the need for a separate moisturizer, sunblock and make-up primer for your face. Just apply the BB cream and then follow with your powder foundation or just loose powder, and VIOLA! you’re all set in just minutes.

Here, some general BB Cream characteristics:

• Natural glow on your face; produces a very natural, ‘no makeup’ look
• Provides coverage just like a foundation but without clogging pores or damaging the skin
• Conceals all types of pigmentation, discoloration, acne and marks
• Healing properties which soften, smoothen and refine skin
• Encourages skin regeneration to create and maintain youthful skin
• UV Protection for healthy skin (SPF levels differ for each product; but the SPF factor is generally not very high)
• Works pretty much like a tinted moisturizer
• Some BB creams have additional features such as wrinkle improvement, whitening functions etc.

As mentioned above, the BB cream can be used as a makeup base or primer before foundation. Or in fact, people with good skin can just skip foundation alltogether as it already has tinted color. (Yes, in a way, it’s like tinted moisturizer except that the BB cream claims to have a whole host of extra benefits!)


However, the BB cream is not without flaws. The single most commonly heard woe about the BB cream is the colour! (or rather, the lack of it is the problem, keke!)

Now if you’re familiar with BB cream, you will know that unlike foundation, they come in very limited shades, if there’s a choice at all in the first place. Yes, there are BB cream that come in just one colour! For those of you with darker skintones, this might be a problem as even the darkest of the BB cream shades is usually not dark enough. However, some BB cream claims that it can adapt to the colour of your skin, giving a more natural, fresher look to your face. So you might still want to give the BB cream a try and see if it will adapt to your skintone.

And oh, one other thing about BB cream is there are some BB cream that are abit too ‘rich and oily’ (perhaps to cater to the harsher and drier weather conditions in Korea…?) So there is some feedback from people with oilier skin that the product feels ‘overly moisturizing’. Then again, not all BB cream is like that, there are some that are actually light enough for people with combination and oily skin and also suitable for the Southeast Asian climate.


Well, as with all skincare and makeup products, you have to be careful what you’re buying and pick the right product that best suits your skin and in the right shade too!

All set, we believe that the BB cream is a fabulous invention that has been commercialized for consumers to also benefit from this multi-tasking product. It’s great as a primer and also extremely useful and handy on days when you just do not feel like putting heavy make up on but still want your skin to look flawless. Or even for when you’re entertaining your friends at home. Just apply BB cream and you are set. They are great for giving that natural yet fresh and tidy look.


Yours in Pink,
The Shiny Happy Peeps ♥