Would you feel better if I said that dry skin is a very common condition? Many women and men have to deal with dry skin because of factors like genetics, an underlying skin condition, using too many exfoliating creams or peels, cold weather, etc. Irrespective of their age! If you find yourself having to constantly tackle dry skin, then maybe it's time to find the best BB cream for dry skin.
You need to add a super-hydrating moisturizer i.e. BB cream to your daily skincare routine. A moisturizer that also works as a makeup so you don’t have to apply two different products. The best BB cream for dry skin contains all the beneficial ingredients your type of skin demands.
The ingredients of the best BB creams for dry skin are antioxidants and even SPF. And the great news here is that BB creams are lighter in terms of consistency and feel than heavy foundations. But they’re certainly heavier in comparison to tinted moisturizers. So those with dry skin, worry not because I have the best BB creams for dry skin for you.
12 Best BB Creams for Dry Skin
#1 Garnier SkinActive BB Cream
Anti-Aging Face Moisturizer. That’s the true beauty of Garnier SkinActive. This BB cream for dry skin is loaded with apricot antioxidants as well as tinted mineral pigments to make your daily skincare routine a simple, effortless task.
It’s an anti-aging formulation that minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It even balances out your skin complexion and promotes skin firmness. As for those with dry skin, you might like to know that the cream deeply hydrates. In fact, it’s got broad-spectrum SPF 15 to prevent sunburn and excessive dryness as well.
The hydration boost of this BB formula has a 24-hour staying power. The radiance the cream provides looks very natural and not made up. It’s a very lightweight moisturizer to correct, prime, and hydrate your dry skin.
So what are the thirst-quenching ingredients added here? There’s hyaluronic acid; the king or queen of skin hydration. Additionally, there’s also Vitamin C for skin brightening and retinol for anti-aging benefits. You get instant coverage and an improvement in the overall health and condition of your skin.
#2 L’Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Magic BB Cream
It’s not surprising to review a beauty product by L’Oreal Paris. What’s surprising is how remarkable the Studio Secrets Magic BB Cream really is. In the case of dry skin, exfoliation to get rid of dead skin cells at least 2-3 times per week is necessary. Now imagine hydrating your fresh skin with an ultra-moisturizing formula like this one.
This BB cream for dry skin performs the task of boosting the natural process of skin regeneration very well. It’s a versatile product, no doubt, that adds moisture to your skin along with correcting and balancing out your complexion.
The beauty balm consists of pigment-encapsulated beads that are a part of a super-lightweight lotion infused with Vitamins E and C and antioxidants.
With this product, you don’t need to pick a shade to match your particular skin tone, unlike foundations. It’s because what the formula does is transform itself in order to match your skin complexion the most flawlessly and with a radiant-looking bare finish.
Needless to say, the product corrects, hydrates, perfects and evens out skin tone. But it’s the inclusion of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and antioxidants that matters a lot. And that’s because they promote skin hydration so your dry skin receives all the attention it demands.
#3 Juice Beauty BB Cream Tinted Mineral Moisturizer
When dealing with dry skin, just hearing the words Juice Beauty makes your skin feel hydrated. This is an organic BB cream for dry skin that contains powerful natural ingredients. Such as the botanical juices of aloe, grape, and apple. They promote skin protection, radiance, and an even skin tone.
In fact, the ingredients also prevent premature aging normally caused by unprotected sun exposure. This means the beauty balm is equipped with sunscreen (SPF 30).
It’s a very beneficial cream for dry skin because of the presence of the botanical juices of course. Not many BB creams out there have the capacity to moisturize so deeply and thoroughly, let alone contain ingredients like apple, grape, and aloe.
Moreover, a large part of the thirst-quenching action is performed by hyaluronic acid. It’s the ultimate ingredient added to BB creams, face serums, etc. for boosting skin hydration. So you can look forward to moisture replenishment with this plant-derived substance.
And if you think that’s it in terms of ingredients, you’re wrong. It also has organic plant-based oils like jojoba oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil. These further promote skin hydration. Many BB creams for dry skin come with antioxidants too, so does this one and it’s derived from pomegranate.
So many skin-nourishing and moisturizing natural ingredients are bound to make your skin feel oily and cause breakouts, right? Nope, that’s not right. The Juice Beauty BB Cream corrects dry or dehydrated skin without giving rise to acne. That’s the beauty of all-natural, organic ingredients just by the way.
#4 Beauty by Earth Tinted Facial Sunscreen
Now let me introduce you to the one of the best BB creams for dry skin in the form of a good tinted sunscreen. This Beauty by Earth creation is a lightweight, all-natural formula suitable for dry skin, sensitive skin, and acne-prone skin. It’s not like those cheap-quality, chalky-looking sunscreens, not at all.
The tinted sunscreen formulation contains zero amount of artificial fragrances, parabens, mineral oil. What it’s infused with instead is the organic version of argan oil, coconut oil, and aloe. It’s a mineral-based sunscreen that does more than just deliver sun protection. It also nourishes and firms your skin. The latter implies anti-aging benefits just so you know.
After all, when your skin is protected against sun damage, you can prevent the onset of premature aging-related signs. And there’s no visible sun damage either. This means a drastic improvement in the lack of elasticity, pigmentation, wrinkling, and the like.
As for moisturizing your skin, coconut oil, aloe, and argan oil do that to a great extent. So you don’t have to worry about skin dryness or common issues like sun damage and premature aging.
#5 Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream
The best Korean-made BB cream for dry skin goes to none other than Missha. The M Perfect Cover formulation under the current spotlight is a great choice for excellent coverage. It has the ability to cover your dark spots to reveal clean, smooth skin like no other BB cream so far. Your blemishes will be nowhere to be found.
But what about it makes the Korean-made beauty balm such a great choice for dry skin? It’s the inclusion of hyaluronic acid what else! After all, many BB creams on this list are equipped with the same ingredient. And that’s why they’re all suitable for dry skin because hyaluronic acid delivers deep and thorough hydration.
So what’s so different about this one? The fact that hyaluronic acid is combined with ceramides. Together, they moisturize and improve skin elasticity. Along with that, the cream contains chamomile flower and rosemary leaf extracts as well. These two natural elements are good for skin healing, which is necessary in the case of excessively dry, dull, or dehydrated skin.
The texture is very creamy, which works when you don’t want your dry skin to look extremely matte. Instead, the rich, creamy consistency leaves your skin feeling super smooth and soft. So if you want to cover your blemishes, protect your skin from UV rays, infuse moisture, and enjoy lightweight high coverage, this is exactly where you should be.
#6 Olay Total Effects CC Cream
The 3 main functions of the Olay Total Effects CC Cream; to revive, to defend, and to nourish. But let me tell you that these 3 functions come in the form of as many as 7 different benefits. To be honest, this is the best CC cream for dry skin. And maybe that’s why I have included it in my list. You’ll come to know why pretty soon, so just keep reading.
The first benefit is replenishing your dry skin with tons of moisture. The second is balancing out your skin complexion. The third is enhancing brightness. Then visibly smoothing wrinkles and fine lines, minimizing the appearance of pores, reducing dark spots, and restoring firmness. Those are 7 in total.
The CC cream is a deeply moisturizing formula, no doubt, with broad-spectrum SPF 15. So no premature aging caused due to exposure to UVB and UVA rays. On top of that, the formula itself is infused with vitamins and other powerful ingredients for activating younger-looking, healthy skin.
So all that’s left to do is massage the cream onto you freshly exfoliated and cleansed face every morning to make it look radiant and smooth all day long. And to make the most of the 7 unique benefits Total Effects has been proven to deliver with daily application.
#7 bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream
So I have reviewed the best BB cream for sensitive skin and combination skin as well. And both times bareMinerals has come up. So this would be the third time I’m talking about Complexion Rescue by bareMinerals. And I don’t mind doing that because this is one beauty balm cream that every woman with a healthy skincare routine should know about.
The tinted hydrating gel cream makes your skin look not only smooth and flawless but also healthy. It has no harsh or harmful substances like parabens, SLS, mineral oil, phthalates, artificial fragrances, etc. This is yet another very compelling reason to opt for bareMinerals.
The coverage you get is between light and medium. But the appearance, every single time, is dewy and naturally radiant.
Even those with excessively dry skin or dealing with skin conditions like eczema have praised Complexion Rescue. The formulation, after all, is ultra-hydrating with SPF and smooth, sheer coverage. So the chances are this product might not work for you if your skin type is oily.
#8 The Balm SPF 18 Balmshelter Tinted Moisturizer
What you’re reading about is a tinted moisturizer equipped with SPF 18. The texture is silky-smooth and weightless, no doubt. But what matters the most is the foolproof sun protection the tinted moisturizer has the ability to provide.
Needless to say, the formulation improves the way your skin texture and tone look. So after application, your complexion gets to enjoy a polished and smooth appearance.
Balmshelter is a very suitable choice for fair-skinned women as well. The coverage it offers is simply perfect. Even though this coverage doesn’t make freckles disappear but it still balances out your skin tone.
On top of that, you don’t even have to worry about moisturizing your dry skin. No matter how dry your skin is, the beauty balm hydrates exceptionally well. There’s no chance I wouldn’t highly recommend this tinted moisturizer to those constantly battling with dry skin issues.
#9 Jane Iredale Dream Tint Moisturizer
Let me tell you why this Jane Iredale formulation ranks as the best BB cream for oily skin and dry skin. The Dream Tint Moisturizer consists of lightweight minerals that hydrate and deliver buildable, sheer to medium coverage. But, more importantly, the beauty balm prevents the loss of trans-epidermal water.
The cream soothes and calms the skin. The broad-spectrum SPF 15 sun protection is water-resistant. As for the effectiveness of this cream, it delivers softness to your skin to help reduce the visibility of enlarged pores and fine lines.
The ingredients used are vegan and reef-safe. Some of them include titanium oxide, jojoba seed oil, sunflower seed oil, shea butter, white tea leaf extract, pomegranate extract, and lots more.
But the most important thing to remember is that the formula is generously hydrating for dry skin. And it’s the oil-free nature of this cream that makes it suitable for oily and acne-prone skin. Jane Iredale here has managed to strike the perfect balance between hydrating your dry areas without making the oily zones too shiny.
#10 La Roche-Posay Anthelios 50 Mineral Sunscreen Fluid
The best part about beauty and skincare brands like La Roche-Posay is that they develop formulations based on the different types of skin. As for Anthelios 50 Mineral Sunscreen Fluid, it’s the most suitable choice for dry skin and sensitive skin.
The mineral-based sunscreen is equipped with special Cell-Ox Shield technology. What this does is deliver improved sun protection. The combination of physical filters and powerful antioxidants sets the stage. The former offers sun protection at various particle sizes while the latter keeps free radicals from damaging your skin.
The truth about every single La Roche-Posay product is that it’s formulated for the perfect level of skin tolerance. So no oxybenzone, no parabens, and no artificial fragrances. On the contrary, the tinted sunscreen is dermatologist-tested and allergy-tested. It’s also non-comedogenic, which not such a bad choice for oily and acne-prone skin too.
#11 Marcelle BB Cream Illuminator
This isn’t like the best BB cream for dry skin drugstore quality, like Garnier or Olay maybe. Marcelle is always one step ahead. All thanks to the inclusion of self-adjusting pigments in this BB cream illuminator. These pigments reflect the natural complexion of your skin. So you don’t have to worry about picking the right shade as in the case of foundations.
The thing that makes is so great for dry skin is the presence of aloe vera. This particular ingredient has the capacity to moisturize and even soothe your skin. Speaking of soothing the skin, there’s chamomile too, which is good for skin susceptible to inflammation. In short, the BB cream by Marcelle here is a suitable choice for dry and sensitive skin.
And you know it’s the best beauty balm cream when the formulation contains antioxidants to provide anti-aging benefits too. But to be completely honest with you, the current option is the best of the lot in the hypoallergenic sub-category.
The lightweight moisturizer, makeup base, and tinted corrector (3-in-1) is the best single step in every woman’s daily skincare routine. The minimal coverage, dewy appearance, and moisturizing properties stand out the most, no doubt about that.
#12 Jolie Mineral Sheer SPF 20 Tinted Moisturizer
The last on the list is yet another 3-in-1 beauty/skincare product. But this one’s developed by the brand Jolie. The tinted formula consists of sunscreen, foundation, and lotion.
The sunscreen is mineral-based, SPF 20 for offering sun protection to keep your skin looking younger, radiant, and healthy. The foundation provides a natural-looking, oil-free smooth glow. And the lotion contains powerful moisturizing and antioxidant properties coming from Vitamins E and A, Ginkgo Biloba, and ginseng.
The beauty of mineral makeup is that it doesn’t bother the skin. And this is very useful when your skin type is dry or sensitive, no matter how severe.
The cream glides on very smoothly to provide the perfect coverage. It has the ability to cover the redness of rosacea as well. In my opinion, even though last, this Jolie creation is the best multitasking, multi-purpose tinted moisturizer.
Choosing the Best BB Cream for Dry Skin
When you have to constantly struggle with dry skin, it’s best to buy makeup that contains ingredients to boost moisture and hydration. So what are those ingredients in BB creams that perform the job of keeping your skin well-moisturized?
To boost hydration, BB creams for dry skin specifically are created with hyaluronic acid. This is a very common skincare ingredient added to face creams and serums. Hyaluronic acid helps in retaining moisture and reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
To lock in hydration, the BB cream should have skin-friendly, natural emollients like ceramides, coconut oil, shea butter, etc. These emollients prevent all the moisture from leaving your skin, thus preventing the onset of dryness.
To bring about a dewy appearance, ditch matte-effect BB creams. This type of consistency tends to absorb all the natural oils present in your skin, which is not good in the case of dry skin. That means choose creamy BB formulations that create a natural-looking dewy and glowy finish.
Benefits of Using a BB Cream for Dry Skin
The first reason that comes to mind when talking about why to use BB creams is the multi-tasking capacity of these beauty-cum-skincare formulations. They, more often than not, are a combination of sunscreen, moisturizer, and foundation. So it’s only natural to assume they are a great choice for dry skin.
When your skin is dry, you have to infuse nothing but moisturizing and hydrating ingredients into it. On top of that, you need SPF to protect dry skin against sun exposure and damage as well. BB creams have all of that. Otherwise, the harmful rays of the sun cause more dryness, discoloration, and even premature aging.
As for the foundation part, BB creams consist of sheer to medium coverage, which is something I’m certain dry skin appreciates. What beauty balms for dry skin do is create smooth, well-moisturized coverage to keep your skin looking dewy, radiant, and hydrated all day long.
Many of these formulations come with moisturizing ingredients like aloe vera, coconut oil, jojoba oil, shea butter, Vitamin E, etc. that illuminate as well as moisturize your dry skin.
Moreover, BB creams have a lightweight consistency and buildable coverage. So you can achieve a no-makeup look. And the fact that they’re multi-taskers means getting ready in the morning is not going to be a time-consuming undertaking anymore. Even when you have to deal with dry skin!
For Dry Skin, Are BB Creams or CC Creams Better?
CC creams are for color-correction. What they do is deliver more coverage. So if you’re not satisfied with the lightweight, sheer coverage of BB creams, then you can opt for a CC cream. But then don’t expect the latter to include more intensive skin benefits like anti-aging, hydration, sun protection, antioxidants, etc. CC creams don’t do that.
Now let’s look at it from the perspective of dry skin. When the skin is dry, dehydrated, or dull, it requires a formula to boost hydration and provide sun protection. And BB creams know how to do that best. They’re good to go for providing both luminous coverage and moisturization.
At the same time, BB creams are lightweight, which bodes well for dry skin. And most of them, at least the ones I’ve reviewed in this post, help in covering scars and lines while also making your dry skin look dewy and well-moisturized, unlike CC creams.
How to Use BB Cream on Dry Skin
Now let me make one thing very clear here. If your skin type is dry, then you have to make it a point to buy a BB cream loaded with hydrating and moisturizing ingredients. Along with SPF of course. Even so, if you think the cream is not moisturizing enough, then feel free to apply your own dry-skin-specific face moisturizer under the layer of BB cream.
Likewise, if you think the BB cream SPF is not high enough, then you can always add another layer of sunscreen before applying the cream.
Now it’s time to discuss how to use BB cream properly…
Use Your Fingers for Application
The easiest way to apply BB cream is by using your fingers. Your skin generates heat and that makes it easier for the formulation to blend into your skin. The application turns out to be smoother in comparison to using a brush or sponge. And this is very important in the case of dry skin, which demands more attention.
Cover Your Skin with the Dot Method
You start by applying five dots; one on the forehead, one on the nose, two on your cheeks, and last one on your chin. Make sure these five dots are not large splotches. They should be of the same limited amount.
Time for Blending
Now you can gently blend the cream using the patting technique. Apply mild pressure with the middle and index fingertips to massage the beauty balm into your skin. Use gentle outward strokes, starting from the forehead and then moving down to your nose, chin, and finally your cheeks.
Pat Around the Eyes
Using the same gentle pressure, blend the cream around your eyes to reduce the appearance of fine lines. Just be sure to not let the cream enter your eyes as that might cause some irritation.
Dab Extra for Covering Imperfections
After all this, wait for a couple of minutes for the BB cream to work its magic on your dry skin. Once the formulation dries up completely, look for any uncovered, less covered, dry, or vulnerable patches. If you do, then feel free to apply a little bit more over these areas.
How About those that Want to Use a Makeup Sponge for Application?
In that case, just follow all the instructions as is, only replace your fingertips with the makeup brush. And instead of applying the cream directly onto your skin, add it to the sponge and then, using the rolling and dabbing technique, uniformly blend it into your skin.
The EndNote
The whole idea here is to combine the 3 steps of using a sunscreen, moisturizer, and foundation into one. But does this work for dry skin? I don’t see why not as long as your BB cream for dry skin is specifically crafted with hydrating ingredients.
Hyaluronic acid, shea butter, coconut oil, jojoba oil, aloe vera; these are all-natural ingredients that boost skin moisture. The texture of the BB cream should not be matte completely, rather dewy. And as long as the cream delivers sheer coverage, you have nothing to worry about. Even in the case of excessively dry skin!
