Marcelle and Garnier bring elusive BB creams to Canada

I hadn’t heard of BB cream up until about a month ago, but apparently, it’s been one of the most popular beauty products in Asia for nearly a decade.

BB cream (also known as “Blemish Balm”, “Blemish Base”, or “Beauty Balm”) is basically as close to a “miracle” lotion one can get at the local drug store—unless you believe that anti-aging ointments really do “erase” wrinkles. The first BB cream was invented in Germany in the 1960s for patients post-surgery. The creams contained a special elixir to help soothe and refine sensitive skin, protect skin from UV rays, and provide light coverage over scars. Then, in the early 2000s, BB creams were picked up in South Korea and basically became the must-have beauty product after several South Korean TV stars (with seemingly flawless, camera-ready skin) blabbed about their beauty secrets. BB creams are popular today because this single product replaces the use of multiple products (moisturizer, sunscreen, primer, foundation, etc.).

This year, two cosmetics companies—Marcelle and Garnier—have brought the BB cream to Canada.

Marcelle, which is a Canadian company based out of Montreal, calls its BB cream “Beauty Balm” ($22.95 for 45 millilitres at London Drugs [various locations]). This cream is hypo-allergenic, fragrance-free, and comes in two shades, while providing light coverage and soothing properties to help even out skin tone. The key ingredients include vitamin E, aloe vera, green tea and chamomile, Aquaxyl, and hyaluronic acid. The only thing that Marcelle’s BB cream is missing is UV protection, which I’m not too sure why they left out (as other Marcelle products contain built-in SPF). Perhaps users of the Marcelle BB cream will see the addition of SPF as the product becomes more popular.

The other company bringing BB cream to Canada is Garnier, which is a subdivision of French cosmetics brand L’Oreal. Its BB cream, which Garnier calls “Blemish Balm” ($15.99 for 50 millilitres at Shoppers Drug Mart [various locations]), is also available in two shades and contains ingredients like vitamin C, caffeine, and hyaluronic acid. In addition, Garnier’s product has a built-in SPF 15.

Considering the prices and availability of both these products, they’re worth trying out if you regularly wear foundation, concealer, or moisturizer.

You can follow Michelle da Silva on Twitter at twitter.com/michdas.