10 best BB creams with SPF that give glowy, lightweight coverage

While the past few years have forced us to change some of our beauty habits that we’ve long since been able to ditch – think DIY manicures and, dare we say it, colouring our own hair – there’s one beauty trend from the lockdowns that’s had a lasting effect.

Swapping heavier foundations for more natural, lighter coverages, such as that which you get with a BB cream, is a beauty switch we’ve been happy to adopt.

According to research, one in five people have started using a tinted moisturiser, BB or CC cream since the start of the pandemic. And with more and more of us working from home again, this natural trend is going nowhere.

A BB cream is a skincare and make-up hybrid with added sun protection. Typically, BB creams provide skincare nourishment, and that sheer barely-there natural coverage so many of us have turned to. A true multitasking product for a speedy morning routine that can benefit all ages and skin types, and have you camera-ready should an unexpected Zoom meeting be put in the diary.

One of the major beauty trends set to explode this year is “skinimalism” – simply taking a minimal approach to our skincare and make-up routines, stripping back the number of products we use and asking more of the ones we do – just like a BB cream. There’s really no better time to add the hard-working product into your routine.

How we tested

We tested the latest BB creams, as well as those with the same attributes (skincare, coverage and SPF sun protection) that are marketed as sheer foundations, skin tints or similar. We marked them on how natural the coverage looked, how they felt on the skin and how long they lasted, plus any additional skincare benefits they provided. These glow-getters are the ones worth spending your money on…

The best BB creams for 2022 are:

• Best BB cream overall – Nude by Nature sheer glow BB cream: £22, Boots.com

• Best BB cream for dry skin – Clinique moisture surge sheer tint hydrator SPF25: £27, Boots.com

• Best vegan BB cream formula – Milk sunshine skin tint: £39, Cultbeauty.co.uk

• Best BB cream for mature skin – Clarins BB skin detox fluid: £34.50, Escentual.com

• Best BB cream from the high-street – Garnier classic perfecting care all in one BB cream: £9.99, Boots.com

• Best BB cream for a matte finish – Erborian BB crème: £39.50, Spacenk.com

• Best BB cream for sun protection – No7 protect and perfect intense advanced BB facial sun protection: £13.45, Boots.com

• Best BB cream for complexion warming – Guerlain terracotta joli teint: £42, Feelunique.com

• Best shade range – BareMinerals complexion rescue: £15, Feelunique.com

• Best foundation alternative – Max Factor miracle second skin hybrid foundation: £12.99, Lookfantastic.com

Nude by Nature sheer glow BB cream

Just as its name suggests, this truly is a glow-boosting formula that leaves skin with a healthy luminous finish. The Australian beauty brand uses native Kakadu plum in the formulation and is packed with skincare superstar vitamin C, as well as nourishing and moisturising ingredients such as shea butter and avocado oil. Expect the formula to come out as two textures, a milky oil and a foundation-like coverage, but they blend together seamlessly to provide skin with a light, barely-there coverage that doesn’t sit in lines or pores. There are five shades to choose from, which very naturally even out skin tone and leave your complexion oozing radiance. The only disappointment is the low level of sun protection.

Buy now £22.00, Boots.com

Clinique moisture surge sheer tint hydrator SPF25

It may not be a BB by name, but it certainly is by nature and is now a firm favourite with our tester. Just like Clinique’s best-selling moisture surge moisturiser, this nourishing formulation leaves even dry skin types well-hydrated all day and is powered by moisturising hyaluronic acid and aloe water.

With a high SPF25 for UV protection, and a high-tech formulation that promises to be sweat and humidity-resistant too, this makes a great option for summer, holidays and gym sessions – we can confirm it doesn’t budge no matter what you put it through. The five shades use new tech that adapts to skin tones, so they actually cover a wide range of tones flawlessly. Expect smooth, plump skin teamed with a natural, dewy finish.

Buy now £27.00, Boots.com

Milk sunshine skin tint

Packed with nourishing skin oils, including squalane, avocado and jojoba, this sheer coverage leaves skin feeling comfortable and well hydrated throughout the day. It delivers a super light, natural-looking dewiness to the skin, while still being able to see freckles and your natural skin underneath for the no make-up, make-up look.

There’s a broad range of shades to choose from – 14 in total – and it comes in a handy rollerball pen for easy application. And don’t worry, as this doesn’t go to waste – when you run out you simply buy refill cartridges with £10 off the price. The high SPF30 is coral-reef friendly too, as you’d expect from the cruelty-free and eco-conscious brand.

Buy now £39.00, Cultbeauty.co.uk

Clarins BB skin detox fluid

This is a brilliant option for those looking for a skincare and base hybrid with a medium coverage. There’s 4 shades to choose from, though we found they come up on the warm side, and as our tester has light skin we preferred to go down a shade opting for the 00 fair option. Skincare benefits include soothing aloe vera extract to balance the skin, hyaluronic acid for its moisturising abilities and a high mineral sunscreen for UVA/B protection. Coupled with a semi-matte, lightweight finish that glides on like silk, you’ll find this covers imperfections and evens skin tone but still appears super natural.

Buy now £34.50, Escentual.com

Garnier classic perfecting care all in one BB cream

One of the first beauty brands to popularise the use of BB creams here in the UK, Garnier have recently launched their new and improved range of formulations with one to suit every skin type. Improvements include adding hyaluronic acid to the already much-loved formula, for better skin hydration that makes skin appear smooth and plumped, as well as comforting aloe vera to soothe and calm. Plus, for bonus green points it now uses 49 per cent less plastic with a cardboard integrated tube.

The classic is available in light, medium and dark, and while you might find the light too dark on the first squeeze, it fuses and adapts to your natural skin tone instantly. The new skincare benefits, teamed with the your-skin-but-better coverage and SPF15 protection prove this formula has become even harder to beat.

Buy now £9.99, Boots.com

Erborian BB crème

Turn to this Korean-French beauty brand for a true BB cream that’s become a cult classic. It evens skin tone, hydrates and protects with SPF20, leaving skin with a beautifully velvety-soft, matte finish. Drawing on herbs used in traditional Korean medicine for their anti-inflammatory, moisturising and all-round skin-loving benefits, you’ll find the likes of ginseng for its firming abilities and liquorice and ginger to help protect the skin from free radicals.

It comes in four shades that adapt to your skin tone, and you’ll find this one easy to build if you want a little more coverage on certain days. Plus, we love that it comes in a travel-friendly 15ml size so you can try it out before committing to the full size.

Buy now £39.50, Spacenk.com

No7 protect and perfect intense advanced BB facial sun protection

If you’re looking for a BB cream to take away with you for some winter sun, this is a top choice. The high SPF30 will protect your complexion from those skin-burning UVB rays and, crucially, the 5-star UVA rating (which not all sun creams have) provides high protection from the rays that penetrate deeper and cause ageing in the form of lines, wrinkles, and pigmentation.

Like the brilliant No7 serum of the same name, it offers skincare benefits including standout skin-firming and wrinkle reducing potent peptide matrixyl 3000. Our only bugbear is there’s just two shades to choose from, and the fair shade is too dark for most pale complexions so stay clear if you’re on the porcelain side.

Buy now £13.45, Boots.com

Guerlain terracotta joli teint

Just like Guerlain’s iconic bronzer this coverage, which sits somewhere between a tinted moisturiser and a foundation, warms up a winter complexion with a beautiful, subtle and healthy glow. This is a must-have for dull, lacklustre winter skin that needs a little pick-me-up, with added ingredients that boost radiance, nourish the skin and SPF20 to protect it.

Pick from five shades that glide on and blend so seamlessly, you don’t even need a mirror to apply. Think of this as your summer skin all year round, and if you shut your eyes the dreamy floral fragrance will even transport you there.

Buy now £42.00, Feelunique.com

BareMinerals complexion rescue

This modern classic is another “tinted moisturiser” that acts just like a BB cream, as it’s skincare, tint and mineral-based sun protection with SPF30 all in one. There’s a sizeable 18 shades to pick from, and a pearl sized drop will leave a light and radiant finish, but you can layer easily to build it up to a medium coverage. Infused with power moisturisers squalane and hyaluronic acid, expect all-day hydration paired with fresh and glowing skin.

Buy now £15.00, Feelunique.com

Max Factor miracle second skin hybrid foundation

This lightweight and sheer coverage acts more like a BB cream than a foundation, with nourishing skincare benefits to keep skin feeling comfortable and well moisturised all day, thanks to superstar skincare ingredient niacinamide. It leaves you with an even complexion that looks naturally dewy, and delivers SPF20 too to protect from premature signs of ageing. This is a great option no matter what your age, as it doesn’t sit noticeably in pores or lines. And all this comes at a purse-friendly price.

Buy now £9.74, Lookfantastic.com

BB Creams FAQs

What is BB cream used for?

The BB stands for beauty or blemish balm. While a foundation essentially does one thing, and that’s covering up the skin, a BB cream does three. Firstly, it offers skincare benefits. Usually, they are enriched with antioxidants to protect the skin from the day’s aggressors, and contain moisturising ingredients like hyaluronic acid, and/or skin brighteners.

Secondly, they even out the skin tone with a natural coverage that’s usually very light, enhancing your skin rather than camouflaging it. And lastly, they provide sun protection, which is key step in all good skincare routines.

You’ll find the shade ranges of BB cream tend to be smaller that those for foundation, but as they offer a more sheer, transparent coverage, one shade can often suit multiple skin tones.

What is the difference between CC and BB cream?

CC creams are “colour correctors”, and are very similar to BB creams in that they offer additional skincare benefits and a lighter coverage than a foundation. However, they also target discolouration and balance skin tone to reduce sallowness, redness or hyperpigmentation, so they would be better suited to you if your skin needs a little complexion correction.

Is BB cream better than foundation?

BB creams are more lightweight and fluid than foundation and can easily be applied with just your fingers, as you would your usual moisturiser. They provide much less coverage than a foundation but are more hydrating.

BB creams are speedier to apply, and are often popular in the summer months, when you may wish to switch from a heavier foundation to a more lightweight product that still offers some coverage.

The verdict: BB creams

Our best buy goes to the Nude by Nature sheer glow BB cream for the sheer but dewy finish it provides, making our tester’s complexion ooze radiance. If you’re on a tighter budget, the Garnier classic perfecting care all in one BB cream is also a top choice.

For more skin perfecting formulas, try the best liquid foundations for every skin type