BB, CC and DD creams, and why tinted sunscreens may replace all of them?

People have always been looking for a perfect, all-in-one product. This single, multifunctional product would help them with their everyday routine, without having to put on ‘make up’ in particular.

BB, CC and DD creams, were usually the go-to products for such needs. In terms of coverage, CC – complexion corrector or colour corrector creams had the deepest coverage, while BB – blemish balms or beauty balms focused more on texture/ finish with lesser coverage. DD or daily defense balms were typically sunscreens but also with some level of coverage and potentially, including some actives as well. While these products have been popular so far, the arrival and approval of sunscreen as everyone’s AM product has changed things a little.

Now we all know that our morning routine needs to be around sunscreen, and an adequate amount of it. The amount is the main factor here, since to be effective sunscreens have to be applied at least at a quantity of 1-1.5ml for the face. (You can check how much sunscreen you need to use on your face using the personalization calculator here). Now applying CC, BB, DD creams at this high level, would not be practically doable, simply from the aesthetic point of view. Given their high focus on coverage, CC creams almost act like foundations at higher usage volumes. This takes away from the subtle result that is desired when preferring a CC cream over a foundation. Similarly, BB creams which offer finish and smooth texture, can feel very heavy at a higher level of usage, if we want to achieve our sun protection goals. DD creams were almost sunscreens, and with the clarity that people now have around sunscreens, are redundant as a product type.

So, to manage this need for everyday protection and everyday coverage, tinted sunscreens which give a clear understanding of the level of protection that can be achieved for a given level of usage, are now in trend. Since the dominant mineral in tinted sunscreens is zinc oxide or titanium dioxide over iron oxides in mineral tints, the coverage is not as deep as a foundation but deeper than a CC cream. And because tinted sunscreens are specifically made to be used at a particular volume of usage, applying more product, typically does not interfere with aesthetics as CC creams do.

Overall, though colour match remains a challenge, tinted sunscreens seem to be doing a fairly good job in terms of both comfort as well as protection. However, when it comes to customizing your sunscreen for better protection, non-tinted sunscreens can have a huge advantage over the tinted versions.