Clinique Age Defense BB Cream SPF 30 Review

Back in the early 2000′s, Clinique discovered that consumers in Asia were lapping up moisturizers that doubled as foundations, so they started manufacturing Age Defense BB Cream, for release only in Asia.

Fast forward a decade, and Asian companies like Dr. Jart++ started expanding and introducing American consumers to moisturizer-foundation hybrids. This leads to our own Clinique finally giving the States access to their Age Defense BB Cream SPF 30! :-)

Ingredients Analysis

First and foremost, Clinique Age Defense BB Cream SPF 30 is certainly more of a make-up than a skin care treatment. The main ingredients are primarily silicones, though there are some beneficial skin care ingredients: sunscreen (oxybenzone, avobenzone, titanium oxide, and zinc oxide); wheat germ extract (antioxidant); barley extract (antioxidant); caffeine and glycyrrhetinic acid (may soothe skin irritation); laminaria saccharina (may reduce oil production); vitamin E (antioxidant); and sodium hyaluronate (antioxidant).

My favorite of the ingredients are the mix of physical and chemical sunscreens. Physical sunscreens, like zinc oxide and titanium oxide, prevent UV light from penetrating the skin. On the other hand, chemical sunscreens, like avobenzone and oxybenzone, take UV light and transform it into another form of energy that is not harmful to the skin. Some dermatologists like to use both, as chemical sunscreens have been shown to be unstable (Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2002), and layering a physical sunscreen over top theoretically would help the chemical sunscreen last longer.

Which is the better BB Cream: Clinique or Dr. Bart++?

Based on ingredients alone, I find Dr. Jart++ Beauty Balm SPF 45 to be a superior 2-in-1 moisturizer-foundation to Clinique Age Defense BB Cream SPF 30. Not only is Dr. Jart++ Beauty Balm SPF 45 more hydrating, it also has skin-brightening arbutin and firming peptides. I also wrote a full review on Dr. Jart++ Beauty Balm SPF 45.

Personal Use and Opinions

Clinique Age Defense BB Cream SPF 30 is a lightweight, blendable formula. It is best for those with dry or normal skin, and few blemishes, age spots, or dark circles, making it a great “training makeup” for teenagers or college undergrads. It does not control oil in the T-zone, nor does it layer particularly well. It also still only comes in two shades, light and medium, as though it is still being marketed exclusively in Asia, making me wonder what Clinique was thinking bringing it as-is to the U.S. (!)

Bottom Line

I like Clinique Age Defense BB Cream SPF 30. However, my favorite moisturizer-foundation is still Dr. Jart++ Beauty Balm SPF 45, and I’ll stick by that decision until Clinique (or another company) comes out with a formula that provides more coverage, oil control, and skin-beneficial ingredients.

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Ingredients

Water, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, ethylhexyl salicylate, dimethicone, benzophenone-3 (oxybenzone), butylene glycol, phenyl trimethicone, pentylene glycol, glyceryl stearate, behenyl alcohol, trioctyldodecyl citrate, polymethylsilsesquoxane, octyldodecyl stearoyl stearate, PEG-40 steearate, polyglyceryl-10 pentasterate, octyldodecyl neopentanoate, titanium dioxide, barley extract, wheat germ extract, aminaria triisostearate, trehalose, urea, tocopheryl acetate, sodium hyaluronate, VP copolymer, xanthan gum, stearic acid, aluminum hydroxide, silica, dihydroxyhydrocinnamate, sodium EDTA, sodium dehydroacetate, titanium oxides, zinc oxides