Whether you’re wearing minimal makeup or going full glam for a special occasion, knowing your skin is looking its best can make all the difference. Starting your makeup routine with the right kind of coverage is the first step to achieving a flawless look. While foundation has been the traditional choice for some time, there are other options, such as BB and CC creams, that may help you achieve the type of coverage you’re after.

It could take some experimentation to find the best fit for your skin and your needs. In fact, you may even prefer different finishes based on the occasion. To help you find the right fit, we’re here to help break down the CC cream vs. foundation and BB cream debate:

• What is a BB cream?
• What is CC cream?
• What is foundation makeup?

What is a BB cream?

BB cream stands for “beauty balm” and is known as a product that combines makeup with skin care benefits. Typically made with a hydrating base, they can be boosted with anti-aging ingredients, help minimize oiliness, or offer sun protection depending on the formulation.

Out of BB cream, CC cream and foundation, BB cream tends to be the most lightweight on the spectrum while offering sheer color that enhances or evens your natural skin tone. A BB cream is great for a lightweight “no-makeup” makeup look or an everyday base.

For lightweight coverage with sun protection:

Glo Skin Beauty C-Shield Anti-Pollution Moisture Tint SPF 30

Glo Skin Beauty combines blurring benefits with sun protection and custom color in this moisturizing formula that acts as a treatment, primer and sunscreen in one. It guards against blue light, UV rays and free radical damage while mineral pigments provide a sheer, radiant and skin-like finish that lasts all day. It can be worn on its own or as a primer under concealer and setting powder.

For lightweight coverage with a natural, skin-like finish:

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue - Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 30

One of bareMinerals’ most iconic formulas, this hydrating gel comes in sixteen shades that offer sheer to medium coverage, hydration and sun protection with hyaluronic acid, squalane and all-mineral sun filters. It helps visibly even skin tone with an oil-free formula that’s non-comedogenic, making it great for normal to dry skin types that want to keep skin fresh and radiant throughout the day.

For anti-aging, color correction and sun protection in one:

Revision Skincare Intellishade Tinted Moisturizer SPF 45

Revision Skincare’s iconic all-in-one moisturizer, sunscreen and anti-aging formula corrects skin’s tone, protects against sun damage, conceals and blurs imperfections, hydrates and brightens skin. It’s made with a blend of three powerful peptides, vitamin C, CoQ10 and a blend of mineral and chemical sun filters to improve the look of lines and wrinkles, brighten and even skin’s tone over time and protect against UV rays.

What is CC cream?

CC creams are a more specific product. CC stands for “color-correcting,” and they tend to contain soothing ingredients that decrease redness and discoloration, such as niacinamide or chamomile extract.

CC creams typically have moisturizing ingredients as well as richer pigments to help even out skin tone. They also tend to be lighter in texture than a foundation, but slightly thicker than a BB cream. However, they can still vary in the opacity of coverage they offer.

A CC cream is great for everyday use as well, especially if you prefer a more full-coverage look that still offers breathable coverage with skin care benefits.

For redness reduction and blurring imperfections:

Dermablend Continuous Correction Tone-Evening CC Cream Foundation

If blotchiness or areas of redness are a major concern for you, this Dermablend CC cream comes to the rescue with soothing ingredients such as niacinamide, vitamin E and baicalin. Though it’s a CC cream by name, it provides the all-day staying power of a foundation with up to 24 hours of color wear and coverage for dark spots, blotchiness and hyperpigmentation. It also provides SPF 50 sun protection.

For color correction and oil control:

Mirabella Defense CC Creme

This Mirabella formula offers full coverage along with oil control and daily hydration. Soothing ingredients, such as vitamin E, bamboo extract and lavender, help reduce irritation and redness while salicylic acid helps keep excess oil and developing blemishes in check. Hyaluronic acid provides a dose of hydration while avocado oil and squalane help lock in that moisture, so your skin looks soft and smooth throughout the day.

What is foundation makeup?

Foundation is a type of makeup you apply to your entire face to camouflage imperfections and provide a smooth base for all the other products that follow, including concealer, blush and eye makeup. They’re available in a wide array of formulations—including liquids, creams and powders—and feature coverage that ranges in opacity from sheer to medium and full coverage.

Foundations also vary in finish from ultra-matte to dewy and luminous. This means you can closely match your skin tone for the most natural-looking result possible. Foundations also tend to come in a wider variety of shades than what you’d find in a BB or CC cream, including warm and cool undertones.

If you’re looking for a perfect skin match with customizable, longer-lasting coverage, a foundation is ideal for you. Because foundation formulas tend to be more long-wearing than BB and CC creams, a traditional foundation still remains the best choice for a special event or other occasion where staying power is a priority.

For breathable full coverage:

Oxygenetix Oxygenating Foundation

This liquid foundation from Oxygenetix contains Ceravitae, an advanced complex to help deliver oxygen to skin cells, as well as hydrating aloe gel. “I recommend this for my patients who are looking for a full-coverage foundation that is safe to wear after an in-office laser treatment,” says board-certified dermatologist, Mohs surgeon and cosmetic surgeon Dr. Joel Schlessinger. “It works wonderfully to cover up the redness and allow them to heal. This is also my top foundation recommendation for people on camera or on stage under heavy lighting.”

For a dewy, luminous finish:

Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere Foundation

This Laura Mercier long-lasting liquid foundation for normal to dry skin provides fifteen hours of hydration. Thanks to unique pearlescent pigments, it creates a blurring effect to help improve uneven skin texture and make dull skin appear instantly radiant by reflecting light. It's available in a variety of shades that include warm, neutral and cool undertones, so you can find the right match for your skin tone.

For a long-wearing matte look:

jane iredale Beyond Matte Liquid Foundation

Suitable for all skin types, this jane iredale foundation combines a lightweight feel with long-wearing performance. It provides medium to full coverage that dries to a semi-matte finish. Oil-absorbing ingredients help your skin stay shine-free throughout the day while peptides help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Whether you choose BB cream, CC cream or foundation, or even keep one of each in your makeup kit, there’s a myriad of options when it comes to coverage.

If you’re ready to round out your makeup routine, we’ve got recommendations for concealer too. You can learn more about picking the right concealer on the LovelySkin blog.