What the heck is a BB Cream?!?

BB creams are popping up in Aussie shops lately and in magazines and on TV. I recently did a mini review of the first BB cream to come into the mainstream, chemist/drugstore beauty scene, the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector. (BTW, has anyone seen the ridiculous ad for this product? Why do cosmetic ads have to be so lame?)

But what even is a BB Cream? Is it a moisturiser, a foundation, a tinted moisturiser, a primer? Do you put it on under makeup, or use it as your foundation? Where has it come from? Questions abound...

Being a researcher by trade, I thought I'd hunt down some answers for you all!

What does the BB stand for?
BB stands for Blemish Balm, Blemish Base or Beblesh Balm.

Who invented BB cream and why?
BB creams were created by a German dermatologist and allergologist, Dr med. Christine Schrammek- Drusio, for patients who had undergone cosmetic surgery - think cosmetic peels, laser resurfacing and microdermabrasion.

Dr Schrammek worked in a skin clinic and surgery for years and developed a passion for skin care products. Her philosophy behind her product development is "Dermatology meets Cosmetics".

No doubt this clever lady is rolling in some sweet, sweet coin following the invention of this product...

What are BB creams used for - what are the meant to do?
Initially BB creams were used to protect, soothe and refine the super sensitive skin of patients who had undergone cosmetic surgery skin treatments. It also provided light coverage for post laser scarring, acne and any other assortment of blemishes.

Nowadays BB creams come in a variety of formulations and with an assortment of purported properties. Stated benefits include skin whitening or brightening properties, anti wrinkle, anti acne, sun protection, nourishment and moisture for you skin without being greasy, anti imflamatory, calming, coverage of blemishes, lightening of scarring, evens out skin tone, pore minimisation, healing properties that encourage skin regeneration and long lasting with a natural finish.  In short, while foundation really does nothing to your skin but conceal and cover, BB creams are meant to be working miracles for your skin while you have it on. An absolute wonder product, fo shiz!

That's great. But what am I meant to do with it?
BB creams can be used in a variety of ways, depending on user perference: as a tinted mosturiser, as a replacement for foundation, or as a primer. They are recommended for all skin types especially sensitive and acne prone skin.

Why is everyone raving about BB creams now?
To be honest, Australia is totes behind the proverbial 8-ball. BB creams gained prominence via those glowing skinned Korean beauties. The story goes that Korean actresses who had undergone laser treatments started using the product post treatment, then continued using the creams for beauty purposes.

Cosmetic companies caught wind and realised there was moolah to be made if BB creams were available to a winder audience. Originally, BB creams sold for around $100 a tube. NOT price friendly for the every day lassie. Companies like Hanskin Co Ltd, a Seoul based cosmetics company went out on a limb, sourced the German ingredients, made their own version and reduced the price to around $20 a bottle.        
 
In 2006 actress Yoon Son-Ha went public with her love of BB creams on a Japanese home shopping advert. Korean dramas (and hence their associated celebs) are hugely popular and the craze went wild. BB creams are still a number 1 beauty product in Korea. Following this the trend spread from Japan and Korea to South East Asia and now to Europe, the US and finally Australia.

What are some brands I can try?
The majority of manufacturers are still Asian based, meaning that BB creams can be hard to find in local stores in Aus. Garnier has recently released their 'drug-store' version, the Miracle Skin Perfector, for about $14, which is receiving mixed reviews.

The best place to find other brands is on Ebay or Amazon or finding Korean based online shops that ship internationally. They start at about $10 for a 20ml tube, and at about $13-20 for a 50ml tube, depending on whether you get 'free' postage. 

Brands to look for include Skin79 (the famed hot pink bottle is hugely popular and reviewed lots on youtube); Etude; Missha; Hanskin; L'Egere; Lioele; Arezia; Natina; Dr Jurt; Skinfood; BRTC; Banilaco; and Laneige.  

I suggest googling for reviews of individual products and checking out youtube. The lovely Jen at the blog http://www.frmheadtotoe.com/ has a great youtube video full of reviews and swatches of a large range of BB creams.

The one thing to note is that most brands of BB creams only have one to three shades, usually a variety of light to medium shades. Even the BB cream produced by Schrammek Kosmetic only comes in three shades. I think people with really light skin will be ok finding something that matches, but those with dark skin tones will be more limited.              

I hope this has been a helpful post, I've learned quite a bit researching :) If you have tried any of the brands listed or have bought them from particular ebay sellers or websites, share your thoughts in the comments below!

References and further information 





Www.schrammek.com
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2011/02/07/2003495273o
http://www.squidoo.com/b-b-cream 
http://www.frmheadtotoe.com/search/label/bb%20cream

*Note that the approximate prices I've listed are in Aussie dollars.
 

Garnier BB Cream - initial thoughts

A product that recently hit shelves in the last couple of months is the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector, a BB Cream Innovation. I was intrigued... I've not seen a BB cream on shelves before, and have only heard about them mostly via youtube. I'm not sure about any other Aussie girls, but did this seem to just slip into stores without much fanfare, except on blogs? Or was I just out of it for that month or so?

Anyhoo, I popped down to Priceline and got myself a tube to try for just under $14. It comes in two colours, light and medium. You just have to guess at which colour you'll be, because there are no testers, which was quite annoying because I always find the terms "light" and "medium" really subjective - one brand's light is another's medium and vice versa. I did ask a friendly retail assistant and she recommended the medium, apparently the light is very light and only good for very pale people. I've been using a bit of fake tan recently, and it's heading into summer here, so I trusted her with the medium.

Here's a look at the box - apologies in advance for the slightly fuzzy pics, I'm working on my technique...

You can't quite tell here, but it's a really text heavy box - print everywhere. Info overload in my opinion. In short, Garnier promise this cream will give you "INSTANTLY PERFECT SKIN" via

- an even complexion

- reducing sunspots and imperfections

- boosting a healthy glow

- providing tinted 24 hour hydration 

- and UV protection SPF 15 

Quite the claim.

Here it is on the back of my hand - it's quite thick but spreads and blends well. It smells a little fruity.

 After blending - I spose it makes my hand more dewy looking.

 Comparison to non BB-creamed hand on right. BB-creamed hand is more dewy and glowy.

And about half an hour after application - still dewy.

I've used this about twice so far on my face and I can't say that it gave me instantly incredible, perfect, amazing skin. It did feel nice on my skin, gave good coverage, quite smooth and almost silky after application, the medium tint suited me well and it lasted fairly ok. But you could still see some of the heavier imperfections on my skin and I don't think the overall effect was that different from any other tinted moisturiser. (Mind you, currently my other tinted moisturiser is from Korres and cost me $50, so this does win on price.)

I'm a bit ambivalent about this product. Is it a must have? No. Is it nice? Yes. I would recommend this to people with normal to dry skin (I'm combination oily and it's ok, but so far I've been trying it in cool weather) who are looking for a nice, relatively inexpensive tinted moisturiser for summer to wear in lieu of foundation. This product would particularly be good for time poor people (like my sister with two kids... hmm, potential sticking filler).

I'll keep using for a bit, see if my skin improves as the box claims, and do some face before and after photos. Maybe even a half-half face photo like on the box. Then I'll do an updated review. Maybe it takes a few more times to beautified to the degree of perfection Garnier promise.

Toodles!

P.S. I currently have on order from Ebay a Skin79 Hot Pink BB Cream, one of the most popular BB Creams out. When it comes in the mail (hurry up Australia Post!) I'll do a comparison :)