A good-for-the-skin base: Purito Cica Clearing BB Cream Review + Swatches

I distinctly remember it was the year 2009 when I first learned of bb creams. Covers like foundation, nourishes like skincare, and protects like sunscreen, it sounded absolutely magical. It also came in just one shade, and after putting it on, I looked like a zombie with flawless skin lol.

The product has since evolved over the years, especially with their shade range while still keeping those skin benefits. It’s been 5+ years since I’ve last tried one and had my doubts it’d be better than my favorite cushions.

But then I saw all the 5 star reviews for the Purito Cica Clearing BB Cream, and after trying it for myself, I can see why.

Overview

What is it
Both calming and hydrating, it’s packed with skin-loving ingredients, including Centella Asiatica Extract and Panthenol, that help prep and protect the skin barrier. A hybrid skin solution with light to medium coverage, it’s blendable and buildable, leaving skin velvety smooth with a pinch of glow.

Best suited for
Light to medium toned folks with normal to oily types looking for a super affordable base that feels like a tinted moisturizer but with the coverage of a light foundation. Dark skin tones can see if #31 is a match, otherwise it’s a pass.

Things to note
Alcohol-free, fragrance-free, and cruelty-free.

Packaging
A plastic squeeze tube with a twist cap.

Texture
Creamy yet feels airy when applied on the skin.

Finish
Initially dewy but sets to a satin finish. Doesn’t get oilier throughout the day for my dry skin, if anything any areas not properly moisturized beforehand will look patchy after a few hours. Minimal oxidation with shades 13 and 15.

Price & Size
$7.69 – $10 for 30ml on Stylevana (10% off with SHOPJENNY), YesStyle (5% off with GEEKYPOSH), IHerb, Jolse, and Amazon

Product Demo

Purito BB Cream #13 #15 #21 Swatches

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This BB Cream comes in 6 shades, which is a lot more than your typical Korean brands, so props to them.

Most of the shades cater to light-medium skin tones, with the light shades leaning warm-neutral and the medium shades leaning cool. The undertones are very obvious, which can be problematic when the shade is right but the tone is off.

I’m a light and warm skin tone, am NC15 in MAC, and usually #21 in most Korean cushion shades. However the Purito #21 looked really off from official photos so I asked to try #13 and #15 as well, and you can see how they wear on my skin:

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#13 is the lightest shade but it’s actually not that different from #15, just a bit brighter and warmer. If you’re usually a warm light #21 or #15, this is probably your best match.

#15 is a slightly cool peach and should be a shade match to your typical #21, maybe just a bit darker. So if you’re usually a #21 or #23, I would give this shade a try. Both 13 and 15 work well for me.

#21 is way too cool, almost grayish, and looks terrible on my warm skin. If you lean warm you should avoid this shade

Based on my own swatches, the official photos are actually pretty accurate, which means #23 will have a similar gray cast to #21. #27 is a medium warm shade, while #31 is a significantly darker brown. 

On the plus, it’s impressive for a Korean brand to carry so many shades when most max out at 2. But with just one actual dark shade, and the rest being all over the place with their undertones, it actually makes selecting the correct shade quite difficult.

How I apply the Purito Cica Clearing BB Cream

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Materials

• Purito Cica Clearing BB Cream

Tools

• Cushion Foundation Puff
• Beauty Blender

Instructions

1. Start with a minimal morning routine, that means just a hydrating toner, serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Avoid silicone-heavy products and wait for the sunscreen to set first. This all helps prevent potential pilling.
2. Dry skin folks should definitely apply a primer, I find this can help improve wear time and avoid cakiness.
3. Squeeze out a tiny amount, like 1/2 pea size, because a little goes a long way!!
4. Dot the areas of application evenly.
5. At this point you can either blend out with your finger, or use any tool you prefer. I like quickly blending out with the finger first then switching to a cushion puff for a lighter and more natural coverage. Use a brush or just your fingers for a fuller coverage.
6. If you need more coverage, apply a second layer by repeating steps 2-4. I'll usually add a bit more where my dark spots are.
7. You can continue with the rest of your makeup routine, but I actually like to set with a setting spray first.
8. Set everything at the end using your preferred method (spray or powder).

Notes

To prevent dry patches, I would actually sheet mask beforehand or soak some pads in some hydrating toner and mask areas prone to dryness for a couple minutes.

Purito Cica Clearing BB Cream Ingredients

One of the key differences between BB Creams and traditional foundations is the inclusion of skin beneficial ingredients, though this line has gotten blurry with many of the skincare/makeup hybrids.

Obviously centella asiatica extract is the star ingredient here, and we know it’s an excellent anti-inflammatory antioxidant, but we’re also seeing its active compounds listed:

• Asiaticoside – Found to increase antioxidant activity and collagen production!^1,3
• Madecassoside – Found to inhibit melanin production from UV damage.²
• Asiatic Acid – Can also help increase collagen as well as glycosaminoglycans (another humectant found naturally on our skin) production.¹
• Madecassic Acid – Yep this one helps with collagen production as well.¹

Other soothing and anti-inflammatory ingredients include panthenol, allantoin, and adenosine.

“Sunscreen” wise, it’s a hybrid formula with zinc oxide, octisalate, and octinoxate. “Sunscreen” is in quotes because you’d look ridiculous if you tried using this as one.

Obviously don’t expect these ingredients to deliver the same results or potency as a serum, but this could be gentle base for someone who might find regular foundations irritating.

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Usage Experience & Wear

✅ A little goes a long way for flexible coverage

I was surprised by how little product I needed to achieve my desired (light) coverage! At first I started with a regular pea-sized amount and ended up with buttery medium-full coverage, which isn’t bad, but felt a little heavy for my taste.

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On the plus, this means that you can easily switch up the desired coverage based on how much product you use. That’s why I always prefer to start with less for my entire face, and then layer where more coverage is required. Just make sure you moisturize well, especially if you have dry skin. The more layers you apply, the more prone it is to creasing and caking,

✅ Covers redness and hyperpigmentation well

For me one thin layer was enough to cover minor redness, and 2-3 are enough to cover most of my dark spots. Pore coverage was decent, though you’ll want to set it with powder on top, otherwise your pores will be saying hi again in a few hours.

On the other hand if you have raised acne, dark circles, or really noticeable dark spots, you’d have better luck using a concealer instead. But this is the case with most light coverage foundation anyways.

❗ Really pretty finish with caveats

So the initial finish is just beautiful. Blends into the skin seamlessly, leaving behind a buttery smooth finish with a hint of dewiness. If I could just freeze the moment the Purito BB Cream would be a 10/10 for me.

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But if your skin has any hint of dryness, this bb cream will accentuate that with wear time. I’m talking matte-er than matte and looking cakey after a couple hours. Not cute. So make sure you exfoliate and moisturize properly, or better yet, use a moisturizing primer. 

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🤷🏻‍♀️ The SPF is negligible

As in, if you’re treating this as a true sunscreen and wearing 2 fingers worth, you will 100% look like a clown. It’d be way too thick. And it’s not specific to Purito, SPF in foundation is just useless, so you should always wear a dedicated sunscreen.

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What Others Say

Reviews from YesStyle so you can get a better idea of how this works for different skin types.

Amazing BB cream! It does not bother my oily, acne-prone skin at all either – in fact, when I take it off at the end of the day my skin usually seems a little brighter and less irritated than in the morning.

oily skin

A good product that I keep going back to. However the color could be better. Also I feel likes it makes my T-sone very shiny (depending on what products I am using under).

normal skin

First few hours looks good but later all dry spots looks bad. It covers my acne spots and left marks a bit, to cover it more you need to layer product but at the end these areas will look bad.

combination/acne prone skin

Similar Products

MISSHA M Perfect Cover BB Cream
Comes in 7 shades now that will work for warm and cool tones if you’re a light to medium shade. Missha feels heavier on the skin and has a more buttery finish, but is also more dry skin friendly.

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer
Comes in 20 shades from light to dark, and feels absolutely weightless on the skin while offering a light and dewy coverage. My dry skin also enjoys this, but it’s almost 4x the price at $37 per tube. Also comes in a matter finish version.

CLIO Kill Cover Founwear Cushion
Very similar matte finish, but in a cushion format which makes for an easy application. Comes in 6 shades of light to barely medium, so not dark skin friendly at all.

ELF Halo Glow Liquid Filter
If you’re looking for the complete opposite, aka a sheer coverage with lots of glow, this is a great option, not to mention a worth dupe of the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter. Love wearing this with the Purito to give it more glow!

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Final Verdict

Jenny Wu

Passionate about science-based skincare. Tested hundreds if not thousands of products since my 20's. Working regularly with brands like iHerb, Ulta, CurrentBody, and MedStar Health to share my knowledge and experience in all things beauty. Learn more.

Skin profile: 35+, dry/combination, focused on well-aging, hydration, and a healthy glow ✨