What is the difference between a tinted moisturizer and a BB cream?

Difference or no difference?

Dearest readers,

I want to talk to you today about the differences between a BB cream and a tinted moisturizer. I know for me, I didn't know the difference at first and thought they did exactly the same thing, so why bother buying both? That is a BIG mistake. They are not the same thing. I think they are both very important and a must have for every girl out there. You can check out my Garnier BB Cream review here

BB Cream/Blemish Balm Creams

• Has Soothing and Healing properties. It also promotes a healthy dewy glow.
• May have whitening benefits depending on the brand you purchase.
• Is suitable for most skin types (dry, oily, combination)
•  Usually comes in only one shade of colour
• Contains SPF
• Has anti-aging ingredients.
• Works as a foundation and concealer plus a moisturizer so no other base products are needed.
• Pigmented, Thick, Creamy yet lightweight and breathable are some characters of a good BB Cream
• Tends to not oxidize or fade away quickly

Tinted Moisturizer

• Normally a thin consistency compared to a thicker, creamy formula of a BB.
• Has a range of shades to choose from
• Available to purchase in chemists to high end stores.
• No anti-aging ingredients
• No whitening benefits.
• Lightweight formula but lacks pigmentation
• Normally have short wear times, 4 hours max.
•  More expensive than BB creams (although if you buy home branded ones, it's extremely cheap)
• Low SPF (SPF 15 is considered very high for a TM)

So to cut it short: Tinted Moisturizer is like a diluted version of traditional foundation, usually added with moisturizer to make more runny and easy to apply to the face. At the same time it offers less coverage and is no good on it's own on covering blemishes. BB Creams, on the other hand, generally offer a bit more coverage and loads more skincare multitasking which is what makes it a great ALL IN ONE.


Take Care,


Alley