You know why cosmetic CC cream matters if you’ve struggled with dark spots, facial scars, and acne marks. It’s a holy grail for hiding skin imperfections. More importantly, unlike most foundations, it’s easier on the skin and has a more natural finish.
What sets CC creams apart from other color correction products is its hoard of add-on skin care benefits ranging from hydration and oil control to anti-aging properties. It can even help eliminate hyperpigmentation and reduce inflammation in acne-prone skin.
Of course, not all CC creams are packed with these beauty essentials, and most times, you’ll need to swatch more than one brand to find that perfect match. Hence, this article. Use this list to skip the guesswork and focus on products that deliver results!
At a Glance
- IT Cosmetics CC Cream SPF 50
– Best All-Rounder - Neutrogena Clear Coverage Flawless Matte CC Cream – Best Swatch Collection
- PÜR Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 – Best for Hydration
- Supergoop! CC Screen SPF 50 PA+++ – Best Sun Damage Protection
- e.l.f. Cosmetics Camo CC Cream – Best Value
- Dermablend Continuous Correction Tone-Evening CC Cream SPF 50+ – Best Long-lasting Coverage
- Olay Total Effects Tone Correcting Face Moisturizer – Best for Dry Skin
- The Lip Bar Tinted Skin Conditioner – Best for Deep Skin Tones
- Honest Beauty CCC Clean Corrective with Vitamin C Tinted Moisturizer – Best for Sensitive Skin
Top 9 Best CC Creams to Check Out this 2023
The quest for achieving that flawless, radiant glow on our skin has always been the talk of the town. It’s why we invest time and money in finding the best skincare products and tools. With the vast range of cosmetics in the market, there’s a lot of room to play around to find our perfect skincare must-haves.
However, not all options fit every skin type. And when it comes to finding the best CC cream, the rules go beyond finding the right color.
We’ve tried the most in-demand brands and rounded up the top 9 best CC creams for all types and occasions.
Ready your checklist, and let’s dive in!
1. IT Cosmetics CC Cream SPF 50 – Best All-Rounder
“Your skin but better.” True to this brand’s tagline, IT Cosmetics CC Cream SPF 50 gives you the full coverage you love on foundations while keeping it fresh and natural.
Many users rave about its lightweight feel on the face, making it perfect for oily skin types, who often have issues with powders and creams clogging on pores, eventually causing pimple breakouts.
This product is a must-have for its all-in-one functionality. It works well as a dark spot concealer and a moisturizing day cream. Top it off with its broad-spectrum mineral SPF for the best results.
If you’ve tried different sunscreens, you know they can feel heavy, especially in summer. This CC cream is an excellent alternative if you want to go light on facial creams but still protect your face from sun damage.
This product also works like a skincare makeup hybrid by combining its cosmetic features with essential ingredients like peptides and hyaluronic acid—elements that help in reducing the appearance of wrinkles and locking in facial moisture.
Although this is a great choice, its shade collection for dark skin tones is limited. Of the 25 swatches it has, only ten dark shades are available. Moreover, its $38 price tag for a 30 ml product is almost double that of some other CC cream options.
Pros:
- Lightweight feel on the skin
- SPF 50
- Buildable, full coverage with a natural finish
- Hydrating serum component
- Anti-aging ingredients
Cons:
- Pricier option
- Limited swatches for darker skin tones
Bottom Line
IT Cosmetics CC Cream SPF 50 is an impressive all-rounder that hides common skin blemishes and gives your skin its much-needed anti-aging nourishment.
2. Neutrogena Clear Coverage Flawless Matte CC Cream – Best Swatch Collection
Neutrogena’s a brand with a cult following across its various product lines, but its Clear Coverage Flawless Matte CC Cream deserves all the hype.
Aside from its wide availability in drugstores, its collection of 34 swatches is downright impressive. Few CC creams could match such variety spread across all skin tones. It also offers a matte finish, ideal if you have a greasy complexion.
Another thing to love is its oil-free formulation, which is a real winner for anyone with naturally oily skin. It doesn’t give that pore-clogging feel, even though it has a thick texture. The key is to use a little bit of the product and spread it evenly on your face.
It’s infused with niacinamide, which is known to help reduce inflammation and dark spots. It’s also a key ingredient for minimizing the appearance of large pores, giving you that flawless, even skin tone.
A major drawback that could be a deal-breaker for many is its lack of an SPF component. While you can always use a separate sunscreen, it might not be an ideal match considering this product’s already thick texture. Adding more cream may feel heavy on the face, especially for dry skin.
Pros:
- Affordable and widely available
- Impressive swatch collection
- Full coverage, matte finish
- Niacinamide component for acne-prone skin
- Fragrance and Oil-free formulation
Cons:
- No SPF
- Can feel heavy on dry skin types
Bottom Line
Neutrogena Clear Coverage Flawless Matte CC cream is a lovely go-to drugstore brand that offers many swatches and gives you that blemish-free, matte finish fit for daily use.
3. PÜR Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 – Best for Hydration
People with dry skin are not the only ones who love this product. PÜR Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 is compatible with different skin types and gives you that fresh, dewy finish that looks so natural you’d think it’s a second skin.
While it’s primarily a tinted moisturizer, it’s more like a cosmetics CC cream that works as a primer, foundation, SPF, and hydrating cream. Applying it gives you that shiny natural glow, which makes your skin look healthier.
This product is also infused with the brand’s Ceretin Complex, a combination of retinol and retinyl palmitate. This increases cell turnover so your face removes its old skin cells and creates a smoother, healthier texture.
If you have issues with dark circles, this product’s shea butter and aloe vera components will be a lovely long-term skincare companion. The same can be said with its Vitamin E ingredient, an anti-inflammatory agent, perfect for sensitive skin.
This product is incredible at hiding minor blemishes and providing long-lasting hydration, but its SPF component is minimal. Thankfully, its lightweight formula gives you more room to double up on sunscreens. You can apply this separately before heading outdoors.
Pros:
- Dewy finish
- Vitamin E component
- 4-in-1 skin benefit
- Shea butter and aloe vera combo
- Ceretin Complex
Cons:
- Can be too shiny for oily skin
- Minimal SPF component
Bottom Line
PÜR Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 is a perfect corrective tinted moisturizer for anyone with dry skin eyeing a more hydrated look. It has buildable coverage, great for blending with other cosmetics like sunscreen and foundation.
4. Supergoop! CC Screen SPF 50 PA+++ – Best Sun Damage Protection
Any CC cream with SPF is a must-have, and Supergoop! exceeds expectations with this product. It has SPF 50 with PA+++, the highest PA grading system indicating a product’s efficiency in protecting your skin against tanning caused by UVB and UVA lights.
It has a medium coverage with a breathable feel, making this an easy favorite for anyone with minimal skin blemish issues and who spends most time outdoors. Despite its lightweight formulation, it does well at covering redness and hyperpigmentation. Its light formulation also fits different seasons, which makes it extremely handy.
Another factor worth mentioning is the product’s unique infusion of botanical extracts. It has Irish moss and red seaweed extracts, which have excellent hydration properties. These ingredients help keep the supple look on your skin and prevent itchiness and irritation as side effects of too much skin dryness.
It’s also infused with an apple extract, an essential antioxidant for keeping your facial skin’s youthful elasticity. You’d also want to have this ingredient on board if you’re often exposed to free radicals.
While its impressive features can compensate for its high price point ($44 per 47 ml), it might not be ideal for beginners or someone with no plans to use the product often. If you’re only testing a CC cream to see how it works, there are more affordable options that can give you similar results.
Pros:
- Best UVB and UVA protection level (PA+++)
- Medium coverage with a natural finish
- Wearable across different seasons
- Hydrating botanical ingredients
- Apple extract
Cons:
- Can be cakey when you apply too much
- Pricey option for everyday use
Bottom Line
Supergoop! CC Screen SPF 50 PA+++ is the best CC cream for sun protection, and it’s a great go-to pick for a quick touchup. Just don’t count on it to provide full coverage.
5. e.l.f. Cosmetics Camo CC Cream – Best Value
If you can get most CC cream benefits at a lower price, why look elsewhere? e.l.f. Cosmetics Camo CC Cream is the best-value pick for its fine color-correcting capability with buildable coverage, all for $13.
It glides through the skin like a moisturizer and offers medium to full coverage. One notable thing about this product is its inclusion of elements that you usually find on more expensive options. It’s got niacinamide to soothe and brighten the skin and collagen for smoothing out wrinkles.
Its shade range suitability across most undertones is also commendable. While other brands lean towards either warmer or cooler tones for their swatches, e.l.f’s CC cream plays around pink, red, blue, olive, and peach undertones, making finding the perfect shade for your natural skin tone easier.
Still, this product isn’t for everyone. Its thick consistency is a big no for people with dry skin, as it can stick to dry patches, causing an uneven skin texture and defeating the purpose of using the product in the first place.
Pros:
- Affordable price
- Niacinamide to brighten skin
- Collagen and peptides component
- SPF 30
- Suitable for most undertones
Cons:
- Thick product consistency, which can be too drying
- Not suitable for dry skin
Bottom Line
e.l.f. Cosmetics Camo CC Cream is a great choice if you are on a budget and don’t have dry skin. It corrects imperfections like most expensive brands, plus a few skincare extras.
6. Dermablend Continuous Correction Tone-Evening CC Cream SPF 50+ – Best Long-lasting Coverage
It’s easy to find a CC cream with SPF, but not one that lasts all day. More often than not, you end up reapplying or layering it with a tinted moisturizer or foundation. Not in the case of Dermablend Continuous Correction CC cream.
A single application of this product can last a whole day, even while spending most of it outdoors. And because it has a broad-spectrum SPF 50+, you won’t have to worry about frequently reapplying it or putting on additional sunscreens.
One thing to be mindful of when using this product is its color payoff. It’s highly pigmented, which means a small amount can go a long way. Getting the right amount can take some trial and error, especially if you’re accustomed to products with a light texture. But when you get it right, you’re guaranteed the best coverage that hides any redness, veins, and dark spots.
While its matte finish gives off that smooth, natural look, applying too much can easily make your skin look dry and mask-like. It can take time to get yourself used to applying it evenly, which might be a slight turnoff for anyone who doesn’t want to spend so much time blending.
Pros:
- Natural matte finish
- Highly pigmented and dries quickly on the skin
- Breathable, full coverage
- Can last a whole day
- Great for sensitive skin
Cons:
- Not suitable for dry skin
- Tends to feel heavy when you apply too much
Bottom Line
Dermablend Continuous Correction Tone-Evening CC Cream is the top choice when covering up noticeable marks and red spots. It makes blemishes disappear in a single swipe and keeps it that way the entire day. Still, it might not be everyone’s daily CC cream choice because it’s completely matte. It’s best to use it alternately with a sheer finish or a dewy consistency product.
7. Olay Total Effects Tone Correcting Face Moisturizer – Best for Dry Skin
Olay’s a famous brand promoting its 7-in-1 skin benefits that range from moisturizing and brightening features to restoring your skin’s natural firmness. This SPF-infused tinted moisturizer carries those benefits, plus its light coverage, which is perfect for most skin types.
Hydrating dry skin is its primary function, but its tint element also does a great job hiding brown spots and smoothening your face’s surface to achieve that poreless look. It also evens out the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines in one swipe, which is great if you’re layering foundation on top of it.
It’s perfect if you’re only concerned about some minor blemish. However, since it’s technically still a moisturizer, it lacked the concentration and coverage element of most CC creams.
Pros:
- Has subtle or light coverage
- Excellent hydration feature
- Great for masking fine lines and wrinkles
- Broad spectrum SPF 15
- Helps minimize the appearance of pores
Cons:
- Not the best CC cream for dark, noticeable spots
- Limited shade range
Bottom Line
Olay Total Effects Tone Correcting Face Moisturizer works well at hiding simple blemishes. It also blends well with foundation, which makes it a great primer. Unfortunately, it’s not a heavy-duty corrective tint. You’ll be better off with a full-on CC cream if you’re correcting deep, visible skin imperfections.
8. The Lip Bar Tinted Skin Conditioner – Best for Deep Skin Tones
The Lip Bar Tinted Skin Conditioner is an excellent pick for users with darker skin types. While it’s only available in 12 shades, they’re all spread across different tones, making it easy to mix and blend to match your perfect shade.
It’s a 3-in-1 corrective tinted moisturizer that evens out your complexion and provides sun protection and skin hydration benefit. Its combined rosewater, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and cucumber extract give your skin that healthy, radiant glow.
While this product’s blendable with other color-correcting cosmetics, it’s underwhelming as a standalone CC cream and sunscreen. You’ll need more coverage for hiding visible spots and extra sun defense.
Pros:
- More shade range for darker tones
- Hydrating ingredients
- Buildable coverage
- Vegan and cruelty-free
- Oil-free
Cons:
- Not widely available
- Low SPF component
Bottom Line
The Lip Bar Tinted Skin Conditioner has an excellent deep-colored swatch selection, which you won’t always find in most CC creams. However, you’ll likely need to pair this up with a more concentrated color-correcting product to cover dark blemishes fully.
9. Honest Beauty CCC Clean Corrective with Vitamin C Tinted Moisturizer – Best for Sensitive Skin
If you dread wearing so much product on your face during summer, you’re not alone. Many foundation brands and CC creams can weigh heavily on the face under the sun’s intense heat. This gives off a sticky and greasy feel which is a big no if you have sensitive skin, as this tends to clog your pores.
Honest Beauty’s tinted moisturizer offers a welcome alternative with its medium coverage color-correcting feature that sports a creamy to watery texture, which you can easily blend using your fingers. This is great if you’re on the go and want a lightweight makeup touch without going full glam.
Its Vitamin C ingredient is a plus, especially if you have minor hyperpigmentation. This element helps blur and erase those spots as you apply the product over time. As for its sun defense feature, SPF 30’s decent enough for daily use.
Additionally, it’s a mineral SPF, which is dermatologically preferred by sensitive skin types as it works as an outer shield protecting the face from UV rays instead of being absorbed by the skin, as in the case of chemical SPFs.
Although it’s a great tube to add to your pack, the swatches could be a challenge. Its lighter shades are limited, requiring you to mix and match one or two swatches to achieve your desired tone. Doing this, unfortunately, could result in a cakey look.
Pros:
- Creamy to a watery texture
- Medium coverage
- Mineral SPF 30
- Vitamin C component
- Great for sensitive skin
Cons:
- Can look cakey when applied too much
- Minimal shade range
Bottom Line
Honest Beauty CCC Clean Corrective with Vitamin C Tinted Moisturizer is a handy color corrector for casual days out. It’s buildable, light on the face, and has a decent SPF component. But it would be better if they could provide more shades on their product line.
Factors to Consider When Choosing CC Creams
It’s easy to gravitate to various CC creams with their promise of a flawless complexion. Still, as with all cosmetic products, they’re not made equal. Here are factors to consider when choosing the right one.
Skin Type
Knowing your skin type comes first on our list since this can dictate the formulation that works for you. Here’s a quick look at ideal CC cream formulations that fit each type:
- Oily Skin: Oil-free, lightweight formula
- Dry Skin: CC cream with hydrating ingredients to help achieve that dewy finish
- Sensitive Skin: Soothing and moisturizing formulation
- Acne Prone Skin: Aloe vera and tea tree extract ingredients
- Mature Skin: Hyaluronic acid or sodium hyaluronate for repairing and protecting the skin barrier
Coverage and Finish
Do you want a matte or natural finish? This one depends on how you plan to use the CC cream. If it’s only to hide minor dark sports, then products with lightweight coverage are excellent picks.
If you’re prepping yourself for a full-on glam by achieving that matte finish, then a full, buildable coverage CC cream can get the job done.
Ingredients
You’d want to go for CC creams with skin-loving ingredients, so it’s essential to identify what skincare benefits you want to get. Vitamin E, for instance, is excellent for preventing skin damage caused by free radicals.
Hyaluronic acid is perfect for its skin-brightening effect, while niacinamide’s a top choice for those looking to minimize the appearance of pores and wrinkles. If you want a color-correcting cream with a sun damage protection formula, go for SPF-equipped products.
Sun Protection
Most CC cream with SPF offers decent cosmetic and protective coverage, but if you want excellent UV protection, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends a broad-spectrum SPF product of 30+.
Alternatively, you can apply a separate sunscreen before putting on your CC cream to boost its sun protection effect.
Shade Range
One of the great things about the CC cream formula is it’s blendable, which makes it ideal for correcting skin imperfections across different skin tones.
But some brands offer more shades than others, and if you’re using sunblock or foundation on your face, you’d need to find a CC cream that blends well with these products.
FAQs
How to Choose the Right CC Cream for Your Skin Tone?
Finding the best CC cream takes trial and error, but an effective starting point is to identify your skin tone and undertone. The former refers to your natural skin color: fair, light, medium, and dark. The latter is the color beneath your skin surface: cool, warm, and neutral.
Here’s a standard guide when looking for your skin tone match:
Fair Skin Tone
- Cool undertone: Find products with ‘fair’ or ‘fair light’ on their labels.
- Warm undertone: Select a ‘fair’ shade with yellow undertones. Avoid pinkish shades.
Light Skin Tone
- Cool undertone: Go for ‘light’ or ‘medium light’ shades
- Warm undertone: Choose a ‘light’ shade with yellow undertones
Medium Skin Tone
- Cool undertone: Choose shades labeled ‘medium,’ ‘medium beige,’ or ‘medium tan.’
- Warm undertone: ‘Medium’ shades match well with this skin tone.
Dark Skin Tone
- Choose shades labeled ‘deep’ match well with dark or olive skin tones.
How Do You Properly Apply CC Cream?
CC creams can be applied using a brush, sponge, or fingertips. It boils down to preference. Using a foundation brush is better if you want full coverage. A damp sponge is often used to correct uneven skin tone with lighter coverage.
Using your fingertips will help you spread the product evenly on your face. You can apply a pea-sized amount on your face and blend it outward using your fingertip. This is an excellent method if you’re using a CC cream with a thick consistency.
What is the Difference Between a BB Cream and CC Cream?
The main difference between BB creams (beauty balm) and CC creams (color correction) is their result.
BB creams offer light coverage, which makes them ideal for covering up minor imperfections like skin redness. They can act as a primer and have excellent hydrating ingredients.
CC creams, on the other hand, can give you that foundation-like coverage while keeping that solid moisturizing effect. It’s made to cover more visible skin issues like dark spots and blemishes.
BB creams give your skin a more radiant look, while CC creams are best for achieving a more even skin tone. Both are blendable and can be used under your foundation.
Here’s a Maybelline BB cream review you might want to check.
Wrapping Up
CC creams are legit powerhouses for hiding skin imperfections while nourishing your skin. IT Cosmetics CC Cream SPF 50 is a crowd favorite, as it gives excellent coverage and a bunch of extra skin benefits you won’t find in other options. Yes, it’s pricey, but a small amount goes a long way for this product, so it’s worth it.
e.l.f. Cosmetics Camo CC Cream comes a close second. It’s a great go-to product when your first choice runs out of stock.
Know what works for your skin, grab a tube of your best picks, and say goodbye to those blemishes!
