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How Long Does BB Cream Last: BB Cream Wear and Expiration

Published Categorized as Makeup Tips

Have you recently discovered how wonderful BB creams are? They moisturize your skin, offer SPF protection, and can even sometimes take the place of foundation. However, you may be asking, “how long does BB cream last” if you’ve been noticing that your coverage is starting to fade before your day is through. In this article, we’ll share how to make your BB cream last as long as possible as well as important information about how long BB cream is good for.

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smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 35 Medium

BB Cream: Length of Wear

BB cream, or beauty balm, is designed to improve the skin.  It works to moisturize skin, protect it from the sun with SPF protection, and often mattifies skin.

Beauty balm cream can also offer a natural, sheer coverage similar to foundation, which makes it an appealing addition to a makeup bag.

Many users choose to use BB cream instead of foundation for days where they’re looking for sheerer coverage or will be spending more time outside and want to take advantage of the SPF protection that BB cream offers.

However, if you’ve used BB cream, you may have noticed that it doesn’t always stay on your face and offer the long-lasting coverage the many foundations do.  We’ll go into more details below about how long BB cream typically lasts and what you can do to help extend the length of wear for your BB cream.

How Long Does BB Cream Last on Face?

The amount of time BB cream can last on the face can vary based on different factors.  These can include the specific brand of BB cream you’re using, how dry your skin is, and the environment you’re in.  BB cream is not foundation; it is not designed to provide all-day coverage.

The primary purpose of BB cream is to protect the skin.  Because of this purpose, BB cream is formulated with skin nourishing ingredients which are slowly absorbed by the skin as you wear it.  After some time, as they are absorbed, the pigment will also be absorbed, removing the coverage you have.

Try choosing a BB cream that is described as long-lasting by the manufacturer to extend how long it stays on your face.  Some possible options for you to consider include the Bellaterra Cosmetics BB Cream and the Purlisse Perfect Glow BB Cream.

Bellaterra Cosmetics BB Cream Tinted Moisturizer, Mineral Foundation, Concealer, Anti-Aging, Natural Sun Protection, All Shades 1.69oz - Medium Tan 105
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purlisse Perfect Glow BB Cream SPF 30: Cruelty-Free & Clean, Paraben & Sulfate-Free, Medium Coverage, Hydrates with Jasmine | Medium Tan 1.4oz
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How Can I Make BB Cream Last Longer?

One of the most important things to do to extend how long your BB cream lasts is to make sure you pick one that is designed for your skin type.  Individuals with oily skin should consider a BB cream such as the Maybelline Dream Pure Skin Clearing BB Cream, while those with dry or mature skin should look for a BB cream like Garnier’s SkinActive BB Cream.

Maybelline Dream Pure Skin Clearing BB Cream, 8-in-1 Skin Perfecting Beauty Balm With 2% Salicylic Acid, Sheer Tint Coverage, Oil-Free, Light/Medium, 1 Fl Oz
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One other thing you can try to make BB cream last longer is to try putting primer on before applying your BB cream.  This may help extend how long it provides coverage for.

Garnier SkinActive BB Cream Anti-Aging Face Moisturizer, Light/Medium, 2.5 Ounce
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BB Cream Expiration

Does it matter if you use expired BB cream?  Will it affect its performance or cause any other potential concerns?  Let’s explore these topics in the next few sections.

Is It Ok to Use Expired BB Cream?

No, it is not a good idea to use expired BB cream.  BB creams are a water-based makeup product.  If you use them past their expiration date, it is more likely that they’ll introduce new bacteria to your skin, which could cause your skin to break out.

What Happens if You Use Old BB Cream?

Old BB cream may irritate your skin or cause it to break out.  This is because BB creams are water-based and attract bacteria.  Using them past their expiration date exposes your skin to these bacteria, which isn’t good.

How to Know if BB Cream is Expired

How do I know when BB cream expires is a popular question.  Just as makeup expires, so do BB creams.  Most BB creams should have an expiration date printed on the packaging to let you know how long they’re good for.  If you can’t find an expiration date, you should stop using your BB cream no longer than one year after you purchased it.  Most BB creams are only good for six months to one year.

What to Do With Expired BB Cream

What do you do with expired BB cream?  If you have BB cream that has expired, you should not use it on your skin.  Since BB cream is a water-based makeup product, it will likely attract bacteria, and putting it on your skin could lead to irritation or break outs.

While you shouldn’t use the BB cream itself, you may be able to think of some creative ways to reuse the BB cream’s tube, though.  For example, you could use it to make a small flower pot or pen holder for your desk.

When Should You Throw Out BB Cream?

You should throw out your BB cream after it has expired.  For most BB creams on the market, this will generally be after six months to one year.  If you’re using BB cream on a regular basis, you should have no problem going through the tube in this amount of time, but if you find you still have some cream left after it expires, it is safest to throw it out.

Use and Wear It for a Long Time

BB creams can offer an ideal solution for those looking for something to protect and moisturize their skin while still offering sheer coverage like a foundation.  However, using the right beauty balm cream for your skin and having realistic expectations about how long it will last is important.  It is also important not to use expired BB creams or other expired makeup products!

Check out these related posts on our blog:

FAQs

How long does BB cream last on face?

BB cream is not foundation; it is not designed to provide all-day coverage. The amount of time BB cream can last on the face can vary based on different factors. Try choosing a BB cream that is described as long-lasting by the manufacturer to extend how long it stays on your face.

How can I make BB cream last longer?

One of the most important things to do to extend how long your BB cream lasts is to make sure you pick one that is designed for your skin type. One other thing you can try to make BB cream last longer is to try putting primer on before applying your BB cream.

Is it OK to use expired BB cream?

No, it is not a good idea to use expired BB cream.

What happens if you use old BB cream?

Old BB cream may irritate your skin or cause it to break out.

When should you throw out BB cream?

You should throw out your BB cream after it has expired. For most BB creams on the market, this will generally be after six months to one year.

By Ellis James

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8 comments

  1. I loved the post, very informative. I didn’t know about the duration of bb cream, and it’s always good to keep retouching.
    xo

  2. Do you touch up or apply moisturizer over products so they’re not so dried on your skin?

  3. I never have issues with base products lasting because my skin is so dry they tend to hang around for the long haul. I can’t use base products with SPF though due to sensitivities so that rules out the vast majority of BB creams x

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