By Teresa
Zawada, Licensed Aesthetician
Flawless summer skin without layers of make-up seems like a
myth, but armed with the right knowledge, you can be even and glowing all while
feeling fresh and bare-faced.
Let’s take a mental walk through the beauty aisle. All of our old friends are there…foundation,
concealer, primer, serums and SPF. But lately there’s a new kid on the block
that is causing a lot of buzz. Known as
BB cream, (Blemish Balm or Beauty Balm), it’s advertised as the product to
replace all your other products. BB promises to act like a foundation all while
giving you anti-inflammatory (for you acne sufferers), anti-aging (for
everyone), and sun protection (again everyone) with a near weightless
feel!
Sounds too good to be true?
Well, taking a look at the history of BB, you’ll learn that even though
it’s in its infancy here in the U.S., BB has been used for over two decades in
East and South East Asia (hence the limited shades) for those very reasons,
PLUS skin whitening, which was left out of our western formulations. Like many
things that lose their meaning in translation, BB also loses valuable
properties in some brands, NOT ALL, becoming nothing more than a tinted
moisturizer or a perfect primer under a foundation.
Next door to BB, there you have CC cream! Yes, strolling down the alphabet are the
“Color Correcting” creams. The next generation of the BB cream, CCs are known
to be lighter, have a wider range of shades, all while having better sun
protection and many including light diffusers, brightening skin tone. CCs are usually sufficient to wear alone, or
for added coverage, applied on top of a foundation, rather than the BB, used as
a primer.
If you really want to get crazy, just keep going down the
alphabet to the…drum roll please…DD Cream!
Yes, with only one formulation on the market, the DD or “Dynamic
Do-All,” has the same claims as their lettered counterparts. One main
difference is the marketing. Here in the U.S., they’re advertised as “heavy
duty body and foot creams” according to
CosmeticsDesign.com, where as in the U.K.,
Julep, the manufacturer of the DD cream, markets it as an all-around facial
cream.
So where does it end and what to do? First of all, DO NOT go and dispose of all the
cosmetic products in your arsenal!
First, determine your own skin’s needs. If you’re simply on the dryer
side, with no visible correction needed, stick to a tinted moisturizer with SPF
or the BB creams.
Anyone with normal to oily skin with some visible correction
needed should aim for the CC. Any of the
above would be convenient for a beach day (remember to reapply the creams for
sufficient SPF), when running late, or on a humid summer day. They’re especially convenient for the woman
who doesn’t want an entire regimen. I
find that with using the right all-in-one cream, at least you’re getting a
little bit of everything in 5 seconds! For the woman who likes to layer
products, it’s a great addition to a regimen, or again, it’s available for
convenience.
Still unsure about this makeup alphabet stew? Schedule an
appointment at
WindsorDermatology and we’ll help you determine the right skin regimen for your
needs.
