IT Cosmetics CC Cream

At the end of 2013, I discovered IT Cosmetics’ Your Skin But Better CC Cream and I’ve been wearing it ever since! Honestly, I have so many foundations already and I wasn’t prepared to be as impressed as I am. IT Cosmetics is known for their highly pigmented concealer (Bye Bye Under Eye) but I didn’t expect to find a foundation (CC Cream) with similar characteristics. But here it is! I loved it enough that it made my “Best Beauty Finds in 2013” list (see that post here). Read on to hear more details!

First off, this CC Cream (which, in this case, is really just another name for “foundation”) has a whopping 50 spf which I LOVE!!! To make it even better, the texture is smooth and light rather than sticky, which 50 spf sunscreens can often be. The back of the package refers to the product as a “drug” but that’s because of the sunscreen, which is referenced as the two items listed under “Active Ingredients.” Both titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are considered “physical” sunscreens rather than chemical sunscreens because they provide a barrier against the suns rays. They are very effective at this job.

There are many, many ingredients in this CC cream and I’ve listed them below:

Active Ingredients:

Titanium Dioxide 9.015%, Zinc Oxide 6.305%.

Inactive Ingredients:

Snail Secretion Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Sil, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Magnesium Sulfate, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Hexyl Laurate, Stearic Acid, Calcium Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Water, Disodium EDTA, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Pinus Sylvestris Leaf Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Niacinamide, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Water, Lactobacillus/Honeysuckle Flower/Licorice Root/Morus Alba Root/Pueraria Lobata Root/Schizandra Chinensis Fruit/Scutellaria Baicalensis Root/Sophora Japonica Flower Extract Ferment Filtrate, Perfluorohexane, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Cholesteryl Isostearate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chrysanthemum Indicum Flower Extract, Cholesteryl Nonanoate, Cholesteryl Chloride, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Perfluorodecalin, Morus Alba Fruit Extract, Magnolia Kobus Bark Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sprout Extract, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Pentafluoropropane, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Steareth-20, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Colloidal Oatmeal, Hydrolyzed Silk, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Silica, BHT, Potassium Sorbate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Tocopherol, Thiamine Hcl, Riboflavin, Retinyl Palmitate, Pantothenic Acid, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Niacin, Folic Acid, Chrysin, Carnitine Hcl, Biotin, Ascorbic Acid, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Chlorhexidine Digluconate. May Contain: Red 7 Lake (CI 15850:1), Iron Oxides (CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499).

Rather than go thru every ingredient, I’ll gather them into groups and mention any that are particularly good for aging skin. The categories are:

Humectants
Silicones
Emollients
Oils
Skin Conditioners
Solvents
Thickeners
Emulsifiers
Opacifying Agents
Preservatives
Fragrance oils
Antioxidants
Chelating Agents
Various Actives (these do specific things like reduce oil output or shine, make pores appear smaller, lighten the skin, act as an anti inflammatory, increase skin thickness, etc)
Absorbency Agents
Gelling Agents
Peptides
Pigments

There are multiple examples of each category in this formula. A note on the first ingredient---the snail “secretion” (aka snail slime). This ingredient has been making its way into cosmetics for the last ten years or so, that I could find. What I couldn’t find is any evidence that it actually does what it is touted to do---and that’s to reduce wrinkles (or at least the appearance of them). We know that very few things actually reduce wrinkles (which make their presence known based on genetics or prior sun exposure). What actually does reduce wrinkles is cosmetic surgery and retinoids (Vitamin A creams, Retin A, etc). Other things temporarily reduce the appearance of wrinkles like film forming agents (which this product does include), DMAE, silicone based primers (there’s lots of silicone in here as well), among others. I literally found no scientific studies or chemists that say this ingredient actually works. So, take it as you wish.

OK, now to the good stuff—how does IT Cosmetics CC Cream actually perform? Well, I find it absolutely magnificent! It’s highly pigmented, spreads well, provides medium + coverage and is beautiful on the skin. A little goes a long way, in fact, most of the time I use one pump to cover my entire face.

One pump of CC Cream in Light

IT Cosmetics CC Cream in Light

This product is available for $38 in the following shades:

Fair
Light
Medium
Tan
Rich

As I said, I’ve been using it for over a month now and it has become my “go to” foundation when I’m looking for a little extra coverage. In the picture below, I’m wearing CC Cream with my favorite concealer (also by It Cosmetics), Bye Bye Under Eye in Medium/Neutral.