BB cream stands
for blemish balm, blemish base, or beblesh balm (apparently
because of a copyright in Korea on the word "blemish"), and in
Western markets, beauty balm.
It is a cosmetic item sold mainly in East and Southeast
Asia, although larger beauty brands are increasingly introducing BB
creams to Western markets.
BB cream is promoted as an all-in-one facial cosmetic product
to replace: serum, moisturizer, primer, foundation, sunblock.
It can be worn alone as a tinted moisturizer, over serum and
moisturizer as a regular foundation, and under powder, depending on the desired
amount of coverage.
History
What was to become BB Cream was originally formulated
in the 1960s in Germany by dermatologist Dr. Christine Schrammek to protect her
patients' skin after surgery. Introduced to South Korea and Japan in
1985 – where healthy-looking, porcelain skin is heavily prized – the cream was
hailed as "the secret of Korean actresses," and was heavily endorsed
by Korean celebrities.
Formulations
BB creams come in a variety of different
formulations. Because Korean companies focused initially on the Korean and
East Asian markets, they are offered in a limited number of hues. Instead of
offering multiple shades for different skin tones, most formulas are designed
to oxidize to match the user's skin tone. The skin-whitening properties of
the cream, as sold in the Asian market, are an important element in its
popularity.
The cream is promoted
as a multi-tasker, an all-in-one treatment, but Korean women mostly use it as
an alternative to foundation, especially Western foundations that tend to be
too heavy for their taste. The coverage is often mineral-based, and is intended
to both cover and treat blemishes such as acne, sun spots and age spots. It
also has anti-wrinkle, anti-inflammatory and soothing effects. Several contain hyaluronic acid and Vitamin C. The Huffington Post reports
that some companies say BB creams have skin-regenerating properties, though one
dermatologist – Dr. Jason Rivers of the University of British Columbia's Department
of Dermatology and Skin Science – expressed skepticism that a product that is
not retinoid based
could do this.
Markets
BB creams make up 13 percent of the cosmetics market
in South Korea. Some Korean brands also offer BB creams for men.
Leading Korean
brands include BRTC, Dr Jart, Etude House, Lioele, Missha, Nature
Republic, Rachel K, Skin 79, Skin Food, Sulhwasoo and The Face Shop.
Western cosmetics
companies began to launch BB creams
in the Western market in 2012, though some of these creams have been
criticized for lacking the skin-caring functions that BB creams normally have,
and for being no more than tinted moisturizer. Early arrivals included Boscia,
Clinique, Dior, Dr Brandt, Estee Lauder, Garnier, Marcelle, Maybelline,
Omorovicz, Revlon and Smashbox. Lab Series makes a BB cream for men. Certain BB creams have been tailored for Western markets: Estée Lauder,
for example, has not included the whitening properties in their formulation for
North America.
Cruelty-free and
vegan BB creams
BB creams advertised as cruelty-free include Smashbox
(owned by Estee Lauder) and The Body Shop (owned by L’Oreal).
The definition of "cruelty-free" varies. The Body Shop BB cream
is certified by the Leaping Bunny Program, which means, according to the
certification process, that no new animal testing has been used in any phase of
product development by the company, its laboratories, or the suppliers of its
ingredients.
Products certified
as cruelty-free may still contain animal products and may not be
suitable for vegans. Vegan BB
creams include the BB cream soufflés from Haut Minerals.
My opinion
I don’t personally
believe much in multitasking products. I think that products that promise too
much, are too good to be true. BB
creams might be very good for young women, with little/no skin
problems, because they offer hydration, low/medium coverage and sunscreen
protection factor . All-in-one creams are also good for persons who don’t
like/don’t have time to use all the products recommended for a perfect daily
skincare: serum, cream ( hydrating, nourishing, anti-aging), concealer, foundation, powder,
sunscreen protection products. If you are among these categories, BB creams is
great for you.
If you have mature
skin you should use specific products which treat and cover more of you skin:
anti-aging serum and cream with SPF, high coverage foundation, powder, concealer
.
Also if you have
acne, you should probably use specific treatment creams, concealers and high
coverage foundations, in order to look great.
Good luck in choosing the right product for your complexion!
Source: Wikipedia
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