17 Best BB Creams for Every Type of Skin
Courtesy/InStyle
Unofficially, BB creams are the hero of low-maintenance makeup. The acronym stands for beauty balm or blemish balm, depending on who you ask, and the best options on the market bottle up skin-perfecting products — moisturizer, foundation, and sunscreen — into lightweight, breathable formulas that have just as many skin benefits as they do cosmetic ones.
Unlike tinted moisturizers that offer hydration and sheer coverage (and sometimes sun protection), BB creams will give you solid light-to-medium foundation-like coverage, skin-boosting antioxidants, and substantial SPF. They're ideal if you're looking for a dewy, healthy complexion without putting on a full face of makeup. The one downside? Shade ranges are limited — most products typically carry less than 10 shades — but because of the blendability factor that makes BB creams so popular, each shade can accommodate multiple skin tones.
RELATED: Uh — Why Is Everyone on My TikTok and Instagram Feeds Using Blue Foundation?
Plus, thanks to the number of different BB creams available today, you're guaranteed to find something that not only gives coverage, but also addresses your particular skin concern, whether that's maturation, dryness, oiliness, or acne. To take out some of the guesswork, we've pulled together more than a dozen of the best BB creams that, according to reviewers, keep skin looking bright and healthy even after you've washed them off.
Shop the 17 best BB creams on the market:
Best Overall: Maybelline Dream Fresh Skin Hydrating BB Cream
Best Drugstore: L'Oréal Paris Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream
Best With SPF: IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream
Best for Dry Skin: bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream
Best for Oily Skin: CoverGirl Clean Matte BB Cream
Best for Redness: Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment
Best for Sensitive Skin: DERMAdoctor DD Cream Dermatologically Defining BB Cream
Best Long-Lasting: Tarte BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer
Best for Full Coverage: Urban Decay Hydromaniac Glowy Tinted Hydrator Foundation
Best for Buildable Coverage: Pacifica Alight Multi-Mineral BB Cream
Best for Illuminating: Pūrlisse Radiant Glow Illuminating BB Cream
Best for Blurring: Revlon PhotoReady BB Skin Cream Perfector
Best Korean Beauty Option: Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream
Best Shade Range: e.l.f. Camo CC Cream
Best Natural Option: Burt's Bees BB Cream
Best Mineral Option: Jane Iredale Glow Time Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream
Best Overall: Maybelline Dream Fresh Skin Hydrating BB Cream
Courtesy
With more than 16,000 five-star ratings on Amazon, this eight-in-one Maybelline BB cream unsurprisingly takes our top spot. In fact, the brand dubs itself "America's #1 BB brand," according to data collected in 2019, and as one Amazon reviewer said, "This is the best thing I have found for evening complexion?."? Its light coverage is perfect for natural makeup days, but it still offers enough of a tint to minimize redness and blur out the look of imperfections and pores. "It doesn't settle into creases," according to another shopper, instead leaving behind a fresh and dewy finish that's great for normal to dry textures (though its oil-free formula is equally suited for those with oily and acne-prone skin).
Shop now: $7–$9; amazon.com and ulta.com
Best Drugstore: L'Oréal Paris Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream
Courtesy
"This is my favorite drugstore-level BB cream, and I have tried them all," wrote one Amazon reviewer. For just $5, this four-in-one option truly does the most, and as another shopper noted, it's "far superior" to more expensive BB creams. It primes to smooth your skin's natural texture, corrects to even out its complexion, hydrates for long-lasting moisture, and perfects to conceal pesky imperfections. Color-transforming pigments adjust to your ideal shade, while vitamin C- and E-infused pigments heal and nourish the skin, so it looks and feels radiant long after you take your makeup off.
Shop now: $5–$12; amazon.com and ulta.com
Best With SPF: IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream
Courtesy
Although this tinted moisturizer is technically a "color correcting" cream (basically a BB cream with more pigment), we couldn't resist the urge to include it, as it has nearly 12,000 five-star ratings on Amazon. Although it's packed with SPF 50+ — which one Amazon user said "is the highest I've found" — it "does not smell or feel like sunscreen." Users not only love it as a daily defense against UV rays, but also for its complexion-perfecting coverage and nourishing formula that's packed with hyaluronic acid, peptides, niacin, and hydrolyzed collagen. It's essentially a lightweight foundation, hydrating serum, and protective sunscreen all in one — what's not to like?
Shop now: $32–$42; amazon.com and sephora.com
Best for Dry Skin: bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream
Courtesy
This Hailey Bieber-approved BB cream is the one to buy if you're battling dry skin. Reviewers love it for its hydrating properties that doesn't make "skin look like an oil slick," according to one Sephora shopper, while an Amazon customer said it "looks like you have nothing on at all." Available in 20 shades, it's packed with olive-derived squalane that contains moisture-clinging fatty lipids, plus hydrating coconut alkanes for a smoothing feel; propanediol boosts their effectiveness by aiding in absorption. Anti-aging hyaluronic acid is also on board, creating a water-retaining barrier that reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Shop now: $33–$34; amazon.com and sephora.com
Best for Oily Skin: CoverGirl Clean Matte BB Cream
Courtesy
Shine? Don't know her. Unlike most BB creams that are designed to give you a radiant, glowy boost, this oil-free formula dries to a matte finish. It effectively keeps chronically oily skin in check, according to one Amazon shopper, who said "it's mattifying but not drying." Another reviewer even said, "I usually always have to set makeup with powder, but I didn't with this." It's water-based to avoid clogging pores and breathable enough to prevent future breakouts. And despite its outrageously affordable price, it still offers ample coverage to blur existing blemishes and even out skin tone.
Shop now: $2–$10; amazon.com and ulta.com
Best for Redness: Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment
Courtesy
Another CC cream that's so good, we just had to give it a special mention: This TikTok-famous moisturizer from K-beauty brand Dr. Jart+ is a redness-reducing "daily must-have," according to a Sephora reviewer. Its green-to-beige formula auto-adjusts to your skin tone with a shockingly precise match — within moments of application, your complexion will look natural and neutralized. The cream "eliminates redness like a charm," but that's not all it does; its reparative formula is powered by tiger grass to soothe, calm, and moisturize the skin, while mineral sunscreen protects against sun damage.
Shop now: $52; sephora.com
Best for Sensitive Skin: DERMADoctor BB Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Courtesy
Approved and tested by dermatologists, this hypoallergenic BB cream is brilliant for those with sensitivities, featuring a fragrance-free, non-drying formula that avoids irritation and helps maintain skin health in the long run. With regular use, your complexion will feel noticeably hydrated and refreshed thanks to rejuvenating white sapphire complex, which promotes cell turnover and clean out your pores. Reviewers love it, too; one said they "swear by this stuff," while another called it "a staple in my makeup bag" that they "never leave home without." And did we mention it self-adjusts to your skin tone? That's right — no shade-matching required.
Shop now: $40; amazon.com and dermstore.com
Best for Anti-Aging: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Aging Perfector SPF 20
Courtesy
Using the anti-aging powers of retinol and SPF, this tube offers not just coverage, but actual skin benefits, too. It reduces the appearance of fine lines, evens out skin tone, and smooths skin texture with breathable, blendable, sheer coverage that leaves the complexion fresh and dewy. One shopper said it "does not settle into fine lines like some of the thicker foundations," In fact, it "covers fine lines and age spots pretty damn good!" according to another.
Shop now: $9– $14; amazon.com and target.com
Best Long-Lasting: Tarte BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer
Courtesy
From morning to night, this long-lasting BB cream is built to withstand whatever the day brings: One Sephora shopper "put it for a serious test hiking in hot weather" and it stayed on "ALL DAY!" When worn on its own, its medium coverage is substantial enough to even out skin tone and cover up imperfections. But thanks to a lightweight liquid formula that, according to another reviewer, feels like "pure heaven," it can also be layered underneath foundation as a primer to amp up its concealing powers and extend its wear time. No matter how you choose to use it, the brand claims it can last up to 12 hours, so you never have to stress over its staying power.
Shop now: $39; sephora.com and ulta.com
Best for Full Coverage: Urban Decay Hydromaniac Glowy Tinted Hydrator Foundation
Courtesy
Promising the healing benefits of a skin treatment with the reliable coverage of a foundation, this product's "coverage is better than most 'full coverage' foundations I have bought in the past," said one Sephora shopper. This weightless-feeling formula from Urban Decay features nourishing marula oil, along with antioxidant-rich kombucha filtrate that works to brighten the complexion. "I was surprised by how thick and full coverage it was for being so hydrating!" another Sephora reviewer noted. The cream claims to stay put all day without that heavy feeling, and its 12-shade range works across multiple skin tones.
Shop now: $29; sephora.com and ulta.com
Best for Buildable Coverage: Pacifica Alight Multi-Mineral BB Cream
Courtesy
Everyone has good skin days and bad skin days, and you can use this BB cream for both. Apply the sheer formula lightly for a natural finish, and when you need a boost of coverage, layer it on to seamlessly blur pores, fade fine lines, and even out tone. And speaking of skin tone, while this BB cream has a smaller number of shades than others on this list, specialized mineral pigments in its clean formula adjust to your unique color, so one bottle can actually work for many. Reviewers attest to its buildability: "This cream gives a nice coverage that's lightweight and brightening, and [is] totally buildable if I need more coverage," wrote an Amazon customer.
Shop now: $16–$18; amazon.com and target.com
Best for Illuminating: Pūrlisse Radiant Glow Illuminating BB Cream
Courtesy
Dry, dull skin can make you look tired. If your goal is to give your complexion a boost of brightness, this illuminating BB cream "leaves skin with a soft, dewy, radiant glow," in the words of one Amazon shopper. The K-beauty buy is packed with light-reflecting pigments for a naturally radiant appearance that looks dewy, but not heavily shiny, "glittery or phony-looking," according to another customer. Antioxidants and moisture-retaining properties hydrate and soften the skin for a perky, wide-awake look that lasts long after you take off your makeup.
Shop now: $35; amazon.com and birchbox.com
Best for Blurring: Revlon PhotoReady BB Skin Cream Perfector??
Courtesy
You never know when a photo op will strike, but this Revlon BB cream is always at the ready with advanced skin-blurring capabilities. Complexions look flawless both on and off camera thanks to the five-in-one formula that acts like a moisturizer, primer, foundation, concealer, and sunscreen (it has SPF 30) in a single application. It offers medium, buildable, and "blendable" coverage that "covers all flaws," including blemishes and dark under-eye circles, according to shoppers.
Shop now: $7–$12; amazon.com and target.com
Best Korean Beauty Option: Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream
Courtesy
If you're not already familiar with Missha, the K-beauty brand that was one of the first to bring the BB cream movement to the Western market, get acquainted. At the forefront of its BB cream's ingredient list is snail mucin, which repairs, brightens, and hydrates the skin, while hyaluronic acid and ceramides enhance its elasticity and tone. Though its full-coverage formula conceals blemishes and brightens complexions, it offers a lightweight, moisturizer-like feel for all-day comfort that customers have called "an absolute miracle." It even has SPF 42 for powerful UV ray protection. As one reviewer suggested, "If you are a fan of Korean brands and you want a BB cream to match your complexion, this is the one!"
Shop now: $12; amazon.com
Best Shade Range: e.l.f. Camo CC Cream
Courtesy
BB and CC creams notoriously come in just a handful of color options, but not this inclusive, full-coverage find from e.l.f. It's available in 20 shades and three undertones (cool, warm, and neutral) to help more people find their perfect match. Not only did one Target reviewer say it "matched [their] skin tone exactly," but another said the shade range is "equivalent to MAC or better." Key ingredients like peptides and niacinamide even out skin tone for a perfect finish, while hyaluronic acid plumps, effectively hydrating below its surface.
Shop now: $14; amazon.com and target.com
Best Natural Option: Burt's Bees BB Cream
Courtesy
Like most Burt's Bees products, this one is made with 98.9 percent natural ingredients, so you can feel good about putting it on your face. The mineral-rich composition claims to provide nine promising benefits — sun protection, firmed-up skin, and filled-in fine lines and wrinkles among them — and leaves a natural, believable finish on the skin that according to Ulta reviewers, looks "so glowy and healthy," but "without the slick shine."
Shop now: $15; amazon.com and ulta.com
Best Mineral Option: Jane Iredale Glow Time Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream
Courtesy
As its name suggests, this multitasking mineral option gets the complexion glowing and camera-ready by merging makeup with skincare to minimize the appearance of pores, conceal signs of aging, and brighten the skin. The full-coverage BB cream features grapefruit, apple, and bitter orange extracts to rejuvenate the skin and fill in fine lines without pilling or feeling cakey. It's also water-resistant up to 40 minutes for worry-free fun at the pool and beach, and according to the brand, it's recommended by The Skin Cancer Foundation as an effective broad spectrum sunscreen thanks to reef-safe SPF 25. Even a professional makeup artist called it "a go-to product.'
Shop now: $52; amazon.com and nordstrom.com