Most of us keep our skincare products close to hand in our bathrooms – but did you know, there are actually some benefits to storing your beauty products in colder temperatures? You may have noticed skincare fridges popping up amongst the shelfies and selfies on your Insta feed, but the rise of the skincare fridge is more than just a fad… Fluctuating temperatures in your bathroom when you shower actually wreaks havoc on your skincare, and long-term exposure to heat or direct sunlight can cause changes in texture or separation which will impact a products efficacy.
Whether you invest in a skincare-only mini fridge or clear out a shelf in your kitchen fridge and store your masks with your milk, here are a few things to consider.
Why store your skincare in a fridge?
To prolong shelf life – Natural skincare products are typically free from preservatives, so they don’t last as long as their synthetic counterparts. You can ward off bacteria growth and keep natural products fresher for longer by storing them in the fridge.
Cold constricts and heat expands – There’s a reason why we’d apply ice to a swollen ankle… chilled skincare products will always be more effective at depuffing than room temperature ones. Storing eye creams, serums, and masks in the fridge will boost their ability to reduce under-eye puffiness.
Cold reduces inflammation – Chilling your moisturisers and masks means they’ll soothe the skin instantly when applied, acting like a cold compress to calm redness, swelling, and angry blemishes.
Extra refreshment – Chilled face mists and toners will provide a powerful hit of refreshment alongside hydration (especially welcome in summer months and on hangover days).
Preserving active ingredients – Ingredients like vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide, and retinol are typically unstable and easily ruin if exposed to heat or light (which speeds up the expiration and weakens the ingredient, reducing the efficacy of the formulas). Refrigerating serums will help to prevent the actives from breaking down and oxygenating.
Which products you should keep in the fridge?
As a general rule, if it’s gel-textured and/or water-based then a product will benefit from refrigeration, so you’re gonna want to stock your fridge with sheet masks, eye gels, face mists, toners, and gel-cream textured moisturisers and masks. Likewise, natural skincare products with short expiration dates, retinol and vitamin C serums, and benzoyl peroxide-based blemish treatments should be added.
You might also want to keep any face tools you own in your fridge – crystal rollers and gua sha tools which stimulate lymphatic drainage and boost circulation are even more beneficial when chilled.
Which products should you not keep in the fridge
Balms and oils need to be kept at room temperature as exposing them to extremely low (or high) temperatures can cause them to split, separate, and even solidify. Similarly, cleansers or masks with clay formulas will solidify if kept at cold temperatures, so leave these on your bathroom shelf.
Fragrances should also never be stored in the fridge (although they should be kept somewhere cool and dark, away from direct sunlight, and experts generally agree that makeup products won’t be affected by being stored in a fridge but won’t benefit from it either – save the space for your essentials.
