Is it necessary to chill your skincare products before using them? There’s a bit of a debate about skincare storage in the refrigerator. Some believe that cool products from the fridge soak into the skin faster. Others believe that creams and other products left at room temperature work fine.
Heat and light are bad for your skincare products
First of all, it’s good to know that heat and light can damage your skincare products. Heat and light will change the chemical structure making those products less efficient. Be more careful with products that contain vitamin C, peptides or retinoids. They are even more prone to heat damage.
Don’t leave your skincare products in your car or on sunny window sills. Protect your products from the light even in your purse.
Contrary to popular belief, you shouldn’t keep your skincare products in the bathroom
Don’t look to your bathroom as a safe place for skincare storage. The heat and humidity fluctuate too much in your bathroom which can hurt your skincare products. If they aren’t tightly sealed, condensation can get in where mold and bacteria can grow.
Store all your containers somewhere other than the bathroom. Everything should also be kept airtight. Storing them in a box in your bedroom is a good place if it’s out of any direct light.
Should you store all skincare products in the fridge?
Lower temperatures are better for keeping your skincare products fresh and usable for a greater length of time. Chemical reactions happen faster when temperatures are higher.
But on the other hand, oil-based liquid formulas can turn cloudy. Oil and water separate at lower temperatures and then the product may not go back to its original state. Be sure to read the ingredients before moving your skincare products to the fridge.
Maybe you’ve heard of using a designated mini-fridge just for your skincare products. This may seem like a luxury, but it’s very useful for keeping your products free from bacteria growth. And it lengthens the shelf life of some products.
Here are the products you should keep in your fridge
Are there steadfast rules to use your fridge for skincare storage?
No. But there are some good guidelines that will help keep your products fresher and lasting longer.
As mentioned above, vitamin C and retinoids are sensitive to heat and light. They break down and oxidize in a hotter environment. Vitamin C and retinoids are usually packaged in dark bottles. This helps to ensure a longer shelf life. These types of products should definitely be stored in the fridge. They won’t last long in the fridge, but it keeps them useable and effective for a longer period of time.
If you purchased a product from a store and they kept it in the fridge, then you should do the same. Skincare products that have probiotics or live cultures contain good bacteria and should also be kept in the fridge to keep the bacteria healthy.
If you love organic products or skincare products with 100% natural ingredients, these should probably be kept in the fridge. They may still contain some preservatives, but not as much as other products. Keep them in the fridge helps them last a bit longer.
Gel-based products are good to keep in a fridge as the coolness will soothe your skin and reduce puffiness and redness.
A top spa beauty tip is to keep your toners and hydrating mists cool in a fridge. Cooling these can soothe the skin and make it feel better.
Eye cream is great to keep cool in a fridge. When applied chilled it can reduce under-eye puffiness and boost circulation.
Our favorite product for the fridge is eye cream. This hydrating gel contains peptides and tree extract, which firm and brighten your eye area. It also has the antioxidant Lipochroman which protects from environmental aging. This eye gel targets crows feet and dark circles.
If you have leftover sunscreen from the summer, you can store them in the fridge. If left out the SPF protection will lessen over time.
Using the fridge for skincare storage won’t hurt most products. Just read your labels and learn which products can be kept cool in the fridge to increase its life. And remember to keep them out of the bathroom and out of any place that is prone to get really hot, like your car. Most of your skincare products should be kept in a cool, dark place.
