CC creams are said to improve your skin while improving its appearance (skin care and makeup in one!). These products provide sun protection, hydration, and anti-aging effects, in addition to providing a natural-looking coverage and evening skin tone (the “CC” stands for “color correcting,” after all). CC creams are made to be lightweight, unlike BB creams, which act more as a foundation with added skin care benefits.
To find the best drugstore CC creams, the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab rounded up 26 CC creams and narrowed down the field to the top performers. These budget-friendly CC creams picks impressed the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab — some are even Good Housekeeping Seal stars!
How we test CC creams
Each year in the Beauty Lab, we put thousands of beauty products to the test to see which skin care, makeup, and hair products are actually worth your money. To test CC creams, we vet products for skin care benefits like moisturization and anti-aging properties, as well as cosmetic benefits like skin tone-evening. After a pre-screening moisturization trial, only five top performing CC creams were moved to the final round of clinical testing.
We also recruited real women to test the products at home, and we analyzed the results using the Visia machine to measure each product’s ability to even out and match skin tone. We also measured our testers’ skin after four weeks of use to see the anti-aging effects (including reduction of fine lines, skin tone improvement, brown spot fading, as well as pore and texture changes). Lastly, we monitored any changes in firmness of their skin. We also, of course, factored in whether our testers’ experience using the products with detailed consumer evaluations.
Based on our testing results and our expert picks, these are the best CC creams you can buy at the drugstore. You may even find that you don’t need your full-coverage foundations or tinted moisturizers anymore: These CC creams can provide the coverage you need, while also smoothing out wrinkles and correcting skin discoloration. Here are our favorites:
1. Olay Total Effects
This drugstore all-star was a 2017 Beauty Award winner. GH Lab tests found that the gentle foundation improved testers’ skin tone and texture after just four weeks. This lightweight formula balances the appearance of imperfections, dull skin, and discoloration on skin types including combination dry and oily. It also ranked highly for not irritating skin and absorbing quickly.
Shades: 3
SPF: 35
3. Physicians Formula Super
4. Covergirl Queen Cover + Care Cream
Most CC creams only offer one or two shades, but this best-selling line boasts five options from amber to espresso, perfect for darker skin tones. The oil-free formula won’t clog pores, and will leave your skin feeling hydrated and fresh.
Shades: 5
SPF: 0
5. Lumene Color Correcting Cream
6. L’Oreal Paris Visible Lift CC Cream
For sheer, weightless coverage, look no further than this formula made with complexion brightening and protecting vitamin C. This CC gives skin “a natural look that makes your face look healthy, hydrated, and glowing without the heavy feeling of foundation,” one reviewer reported.
Shades: 2
SPF: 20
7. Pacifica Ultra CC Cream
Pacifica’s CC cream is packed with nourishing ingredients like fatty acids, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid to plump dehydrated skin and fine lines. The base also contains the mineral mica, which boosts glow and blurs imperfections by reflecting light. “It doesn’t cake up or settle into fine lines” and leaves skin with a “natural, dewy glow,” two reviewers reported. Bonus: The formula is also 100% vegan and cruelty-free.
Shades: 2
SPF: 17
8. La Roche-Posay CC Creme
$38.99
She Who Dares 