Get the skinny on alphabet based skin perfectors.
You're excused if you think you're back at school, what with a bunch of alphabets being thrown at you each time a new miracle skin care cream hits the market. Hard working tinted moisturizers like Olay Total Effects Touch of Foundation SPF 15 seem to have taken a backseat with marketers falling over themselves to promote BB, CC and now DD creams. As skin care innovation take center stage, Nykaa foresees regular creams and serums being overshadowed by a flurry of alphabet creams hitting the skincare market.
But what do all these letters mean?
BB Creams or Blemish Balms
A Korean import BB creams have enjoyed a wave of popularity worldwide thanks to their much touted multitude of skin care benefits such as built in SPF, anti-oxidants and skin regenerating ingredients. Put simply, BB Creams such as Nykaa SKINgenius BB Cream SPF30, L'oreal Paris True Match BB Cream, Colorbar Perfect Match BB Cream and Maybelline Clear Glow Bright Benefit Cream are lighter than foundation but heavier than tinted moisturizers. If you're in your 20s or early 30s it's just the product you need to complement your near-perfect skin.
What do they do?
You'll be disappointed if you expect all your skin woes to disappear in an instant. Having said this, the unique BB formulation does contain anti-aging components such as:
• Peptides and antioxidants such as vitamins A, E, and C;
• Moisturizing ingredients such as Hyaluronic Acid and Glycerin to plump up skin;
• Soothing Licorice and Arbutin that even out skin tone;
• Light-reflecting Mica to give skin a dewy, glowing finish; and
• Silicone-based ingredients such as Dimethicone to smooth the skin and creating a base much like a foundation primer.
• Moisturizing ingredients such as Hyaluronic Acid and Glycerin to plump up skin;
• Soothing Licorice and Arbutin that even out skin tone;
• Light-reflecting Mica to give skin a dewy, glowing finish; and
• Silicone-based ingredients such as Dimethicone to smooth the skin and creating a base much like a foundation primer.
CC Creams or Complexion Correctors
The perfect product for the woman who wants her skin cream to multi-task; to make skin instantly beautiful and improve skin texture over time. So while BB creams provide instant sheer coverage along with SPF, CC creams rectify redness, reduce acne and dark spots and diminish early signs of wrinkles.
What do they do?
Also called the Color Control Cream, CC Cream like Lakme Complexion Care Cream and Olay Regenerist CC Complexion Corrector are a refined version of their older skincare sister the BB Cream. Packed with vitamins like their BB counterparts, CC creams primarily focus on color correction and evening out skin tone. Think daily anti-ageing moisturizer, sunscreen and sheer tint for younger looking skin. Some of the key benefits include:
• Better coverage than BB Creams;
• Higher broad spectrum SPFs and active ingredients that reduce the appearance of fine lines and pigmentation;
• Hyaluronic Acid that plumps up skin;
• Niacinamide that evens out skin tone and complexion, minimizing dark spots and wrinkles over time;
• Multiple shades to suit a wider spectrum of skin tones;
• Panthenol (vitamin B), Hyaluronic Acid and Tocopheryl Acetate (vitamin E) to plump up skin, reduce the appearance of pores and improve skin texture;
• Color-correcting technology that reflects light off the face, transforming sallowness to a peachy glow;
• Higher broad spectrum SPFs and active ingredients that reduce the appearance of fine lines and pigmentation;
• Hyaluronic Acid that plumps up skin;
• Niacinamide that evens out skin tone and complexion, minimizing dark spots and wrinkles over time;
• Multiple shades to suit a wider spectrum of skin tones;
• Panthenol (vitamin B), Hyaluronic Acid and Tocopheryl Acetate (vitamin E) to plump up skin, reduce the appearance of pores and improve skin texture;
• Color-correcting technology that reflects light off the face, transforming sallowness to a peachy glow;
DD Creams or Daily Defense Creams
These sturdy ‘Dynamic Do-Alls’ as they’ve been christened go beyond being BB/CC hybrids. Packed with superpowers, they’re not heavy duty body and foot creams as was originally believed
What do they do?
The primary focus of DD Creams is anti-aging; actively working to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, sagging skin and balancing out blotchy skin tone, a common complaint of mature skin. The benefits of these new entrants such as Julep DD Cream include
• Complete anti-ageing solution packed with a host of age-defying ingredients;
• Moisturizing formula to soothe dry, rough, and cracked skin;
• A one-stop product that promises to moisturize, prime, perfect, and protect;
• Active ingredients such as BHA, Urea, Vitamin E, B3 and Aloe Vera that soothe and protect;
• Reducing the appearance of dark spots, pigmentation, stretch marks and balance out the skin tone; and
• Mega doses of Niacin to increase hydration and encourage skin regeneration.
• Moisturizing formula to soothe dry, rough, and cracked skin;
• A one-stop product that promises to moisturize, prime, perfect, and protect;
• Active ingredients such as BHA, Urea, Vitamin E, B3 and Aloe Vera that soothe and protect;
• Reducing the appearance of dark spots, pigmentation, stretch marks and balance out the skin tone; and
• Mega doses of Niacin to increase hydration and encourage skin regeneration.
