Top Five: BB Creams

Essentially BB creams are a super-charged tinted moisturiser with a light to medium coverage. A universal product that leans more over into the make-up side of the fence, it primes, balances skin tone and lifts the skin (often with light reflecting particles), with the added benefits of an SPF protection. For this reason they are great for the summer months; a product which gives you some coverage whilst not having the weight of a foundation on your face.

There seems to be a little discrepancy when it come to SPF. A traditional BB cream would contain some sun protecting properties however there are some product out there which seem to omit it. Personally I think if it doesn’t contain SPF then it technically should be considered a tinted moisturiser so for the purposes of this post I am going old school and so have only included products which will protect your skin from UVA and UVB rays.

Here are my top five natural and organic BB Creams (with SPF ;)…

BB Natural Perfection – Balance Me Beauty (£26.00)

Natural Perfection is a BB cream with an SPF 25 which protects the skin against both UVA and UVB rays. A relatively light cream which gives a sheer wash of colour (although sadly only in one shade), even-ing out and brightening skin tone. Designed for normal to dry skins, Natural Perfection contains (my favourite ingredient) Hyaluronic Acid and Abyssinian and Rosehip Oils to keep skin hydrated and Spruce Knot, Lotus Flower and Lavender extracts calm redness and create an even skin tone. As well as protecting from the suns rays, the cream contains powerful antioxidants to help protect from pollution and free radicals.

I first used this a couple of years ago which prompted me to write about it on here – you can read my thoughts here.

Sensitive BB Cream – alva Skincare (£30.00) (V)

Apparently the world’s first certified organic, 100% natural and vegan BB Cream, this particular cream was the first one I tried back in 2013. Designed for those with sensitive skin but suited to all skin types, alva’s BB cream protects the skin against free radicals and an SPF 20 protects from sun damage. It gives the appearance of smoother skin, minimising the appearance of blemishes and minor imperfections and leaves the skin with a flattering matte, velvety texture, whilst still managing to give the soft glow the BB’s are known for.

I wrote about this some time ago also. You can read what I thought of it here.

Botanical BB Cream – PHB Ethical Beauty (£18.95) (V)

An organic BB formulated using a blend of beneficial botanical extracts such as Rosehip, Aloe Vera and Grape Seed which nourish and protect the skin. Another perfect for all skin types (including sensitive) Botanical BB has a lovely light consistency and goes on evenly, giving the skin a smooth, even finishes and a beautiful radiant glow – all whilst offering a sun protecting factor of 15. One of the over-riding benefits of this BB is that it is available in 6 shades (more than nearly any other clean BB on the market) so there are options for those wanting something a little darker. This one is also available in handy sample sized pots so definitely worth a try!

Glow Time BB Cream Foundation – Jane Iredale (£39.95)

My mum loves this BB cream. A lovely cream which reduces the appearance of fine lines and pores whilst leaving the skin with a softly radiant finish. With an SPF 25, Glow Time contains broad spectrum protection and is water resistant for 40mins which is great when you are wanting to hit the beach or pool. The best thing about it is that it is available in 10 shades (see why the PHB only got a nearly in the last paragraph) including four for darker skin tones (I haven’t tried this one darker skin so can’t account for any potential ashy-ness I’m afraid). One thing to note is that this BB is full coverage – and I mean full so it is almost like you are wearing a foundation, hence the name.

Ok. On this occasion I could only come up with four BB cream’s that I actually liked. It isn’t often that I don’t deliver but I’d rather list fewer products than give you ones I don’t feel do the business. If you can come up with a fifth option then give me a shout – I’d love to try it :)

Images: (1) ; (2) Balance Me Beauty; (3) Alva Natural Skincare; (4) PHB Ethical Beauty; (5) Jane Iredale