13 Best CC Creams That Correct and Cover for a Flawless Complexion
When product names like “BB cream” and “CC cream” are tossed around, it can sound like dermatologists and estheticians are going alphabet crazy. We promise there is a method to the acronym madness. The “BB” in BB cream refers to “beauty balm,” thanks to the light coverage and soothing skin effects. But if you’re looking to crank up the benefits of your skincare products, skip the BB cream and head straight to CC cream, aka the ultimate overachiever.
Like BB cream and tinted moisturizer, CC cream offers SPF coverage and smooths fine lines, but extra coverage takes things to another level. The “color correcting” nature of this beauty essential also delivers an even skin tone and natural complexion, whether or not you’re layering on foundation and blush. If you’ve got tricky skincare woes like dry skin, dark spots, or discoloration, then CC cream is an easy way to nix them. This medium-coverage beauty essential is perfect for days when you’re looking to brighten your skin and lighten your makeup coverage load. It’s also a great way to lend extra support for your full glam days and nights.
Ready to find the best CC cream for you? Continue reading below for our picks for the best color-correcting, brightening, and uneven skin tone-busting CC creams out there.
1. Best for Dewy, Glowing Skin: PACIFICA BEAUTY Ultra CC Cream Radiant Foundation
Rather than committing to a hermit lifestyle to protect your skin, reach for products that have SPF in them, like this PACIFICA BEAUTY Ultra CC Cream Radiant Foundation. It’s an SPF 17 vegan product that pairs a reliable skincare ingredient (coconut oil) with some not-so-typical companions: kelp and ginseng. If the ingredient list has you saying, “Huh?” just trust us. This is the best CC cream for achieving dewy and glowing skin, and even better, the natural mineral elements adjust to any skin tone and skin type.
2. Best for Correcting Skin Tone: ANDALOU NATURALS 1000 Roses® CC Color + Correct Sheer Nude SPF 30
Whether you’re recovering from a sunburn, cursing winter’s wrath, or dueling with blemishes, you’ll be grateful for the soothing and hydrating ANDALOU NATURALS 1000 Roses® CC Color + Correct Sheer Nude SPF 30. What’s the secret behind this powerful CC cream? Roses. Guess it turns out these flowers aren’t just for The Bachelor and Valentine’s Day.
Isolated alpine rose stem cells promote major skin healing. You can find this essential ingredient in face masks, moisturizers, and now, CC cream. With SPF 30 and sheer coverage that corrects uneven complexions, there’s no question that this CC cream will quickly become a staple among your favorite sensitive skin-friendly beauty products.
3. Best Skin-Adjusting Shade Options: JUICE BEAUTY Stem Cellular CC Cream
This formula is the sweet spot where natural beauty lovers and eco-friendly shoppers can party together. It’s hard to pick a favorite feature of this mega-power CC cream. After all, it’s pretty incredible that the SPF 30 formula comes in five shades that easily adjust to your skin tone. And we love that JUICE BEAUTY is committed to saying no to animal testing, parabens, and sulfates. But what we like best about the Stem Cellular CC Cream is how environmentally conscious the product is. All of JUICE BEAUTY’s sunscreens are reef safe, so you can go scuba diving (or let’s be real, wash off your makeup) and breathe a sigh of relief that your beauty products aren’t harming a major ecosystem.
4. Best Buildable Formula: THRIVE CAUSEMETICS Buildable Blur CC Cream™ Broad Spectrum SPF 35
This CC cream goes beyond medium coverage by evening your skin’s complexion and masking any pesky acne blemishes. When worn alone, you’ll get great color-correcting coverage and SPF 35 protection from this full-coverage concealer. This formula is totally buildable, so whether you want a quick sun-protecting layer to grab your groceries or a foundation-like finish for a night out, you can play around with it so it works for you.
5. Best With Moisturizer: HEY HONEY TRICK & TREAT CC² Cream Active Moisturizing Color Correcting Cream With Honey and Propolis
Stop dreaming of moisturized skin and a blemish-free face, and make it your sweet reality with HEY HONEY’s answer to the color-correcting conundrum. Specially formulated for those with dry skin, this product relies on the antioxidants naturally found in honey to create a hyper-moisturizing formula that adds extra coverage to your eye circles and any uneven dark spots. Since this product doesn’t include broad spectrum SPF coverage, sneak some in through a moisturizer instead, or top off with a foundation that packs in SPF.
6. Best Anti-Aging: IT COSMETICS IT Cosmetics - Your Skin But Better® CC+® Cream with SPF 50+ (Medium)
Did we mention we like to protect our skin from the sun? Get the SPF party started with this formula. You’ll come for the insane sun coverage and stay for how smooth and bright your skin looks with just a few drops. Loaded with dermatologist faves like hyaluronic acid and vitamins A, B, C, and E, Your Skin But Better™ CC+™ Cream with SPF 50 is a major skin corrector that also does double duty as a subtle moisturizer.
7. Best All-In-One: HONEST BEAUTY CCC Clean Corrective With Vitamin C Tinted Moisturizer
This CC cream is such a game changer, it might change how you feel about the beach entirely. Instead of going bare-faced with a thin smear of pearlescent white sunscreen over your face, treat a beach day more like a catwalk—or at least get the picture-perfect skin of a model with this formula that corrects uneven skin tone and is made with clean, natural ingredients. With a whopping UVA/UVB protection of SPF 50, you’ll be good to go all day long under the sun and can even easily reapply if you get wet or take a dip in the ocean.
9. Best Non-Greasy Formula: ERBORIAN CC Creme High Definition Radiance Cream Skin Perfector
ERBORIAN is reportedly a product-favorite of the first lady of France—and trust us, she knows what she’s talking about. This formula provides non-greasy, lightweight coverage that color-corrects and gives skin a hydrated finish. The secret ingredient is centella asiatica, which helps to protect and hydrate skin and boost radiance.
10. Best to Correct Redness: PHYSICIANS FORMULA Super CC Color-Correction + Care CC Cream + SPF 30
This makeup and skincare hybrid works overtime to gradually improve skin’s appearance while immediately covering and color-correcting. It has SPF 30, so it’s perfect for everyday wear or even just a quick SPF application if you’re running out in the a.m. for coffee or breakfast. Plus, it’s pigmented with three color-correcting shades: yellow corrects blue imperfections and warms skin tone; green tones down redness; and pink brightens and illuminates.
11. Best Medium Coverage: CLINIQUE Moisture Surge™ CC Cream Hydrating Colour Corrector Broad Spectrum SPF 30
When you want the effects of foundation without being able to tell you’re wearing anything at all, reach for a CC cream with moderate coverage. This lightweight formula is oil-free and ultra-hydrating, and it blends so easily on any skin texture that it’s perfect for men who want color-correcting coverage as well.
12. Best Luxury: LANCÔME UV Expert Mineral CC Cream SPF 50
For those who suffer from dry skin, LANCOME provides 24 hours of hydration for skin in one simple step. Have oily skin? No worries—this formula works for all skin types and comes in five self-adjusting shades that are designed to match your exact skin tone.
13. Best Scented: CLĒ COSMETICS CCC Cream
CLĒ COSMETICS is a K-Beauty brand known for incorporating the latest technology into its products. This CC cream uses micro capsule technology to smoothly transition the cream’s initial color to blend in with your skin tone. Plus, it’s lightly scented using essential oils like ylang ylang, bergamot, and orange.
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