The Best CC Creams for a Just-Like-Skin Finish, According to a K-Beauty Expert

We can count on one hand the number of times we’ve worn makeup since quarantine began. During the unprecedented global shutdown, many of us have taken the term self-care very seriously in one way or another. With so much time to devote to ourselves, beauty lovers around the globe are dusting off their nano-current devices and diving headfirst into the new world of virtual skin consultations. Still, we can’t deny that we love applying an occasional bold liner or bright lipstick. And for our complexions? We’re hesitant to grab a heavy-duty foundation (why cover that glass skin?) and instead are swapping out for a CC cream. To better understand this secret-weapon product, we turned to Alicia Yoon, founder of Peach & Lily and celebrity aesthetician.

For the uninitiated, CC creams first hit the Korean beauty market around 2007 with the promise to gently diminish the appearance of dark spots, acne, and any other complexion woes. Yoon explains, “By and large, CC creams were popularized in Korea because they are a little bit lighter weight than foundations.” The formulas glide onto the skin less like a foundation and more like a moisturizer, giving them a lightweight finish that allows your skin to still take center stage. Unlike their predecessor, the BB cream, CC creams work to color-correct the skin: green shades help lessen the appearance of redness, whereas lavender tones help to brighten areas of the face that may look a little sallow.

We can all agree that lighter-coverage options are great, but what about those dealing with hereditary dark circles or angry hormonal acne? Yoon states, “It’s easy to build on top of a CC cream. You can use it as a base and [apply concealer to those] areas that [need] a little extra coverage.” The trick here is not to cover the entire face from hairline to chin in heavy, masking foundations, but rather to even out the complexion with a CC cream and spot-conceal where you may feel it is necessary.

Sure, CC creams provide a solid canvas for the rest of our makeup routine through their color-correcting capabilities, but they do far more than just that. Yoon explains that CC creams gradually help to improve your complexion over time with their added ingredients that benefit the overall health of your skin. It's the poster child for a skin-care and makeup hybrid. However, be mindful: With skin-care components inside of a complexion product, you may think that you can skip out on moisturizer or sunscreen. Yoon wisely recommends only to replace your complexion products with CC creams and to keep your skin-care regimen as is.

So how do we select the best CC cream for a just-like-skin finish? By choosing one with ingredients that are best suited for our skin types, of course. Says Yoon, “Look for ingredients that are hydrating, like humectants,” that will deliver a surge of water to dehydrated skin, resulting in a dewy and plump complexion. She also recommends looking for CC creams that contain antioxidants that will work to protect the skin from free-radical damage. As for people with oily skin, look for oil-free CC creams to help prevent your skin from getting too slick.

Once you have the ingredients down, Yoon suggests reading the reviews of a product before purchasing, stating, “I think it’s important to read the reviews to see what’s really fascinating [about the product.] People will write I’ve been using it and my skin is feeling better overall. I also feel like I’m not breaking out, bless.” When enough reviews or Reddit threads are glorifying a product, it usually is for good reasons.

Here are some of Yoon’s recommendations (and our own) for the best CC creams that allow your skin to shine.