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Skincare fridges have become one of the biggest beauty trends. It’s easy to think that they’re just for aesthetic purposes – but is there a science behind storing your skincare products in a fridge? Most of us store our skincare products at room temperature in a drawer or bathroom cabinet.
Storing your skincare products in a fridge can energize the formula to help reduce the appearance of puffiness on your face. When your products are chilled, it can help to soothe your skin – especially during the summer months. Keeping your skincare products in a fridge can also make your routine feel more luxurious and wellness focused.
Is refrigerating your skincare products just for show or can it help to expand their shelf life? Read on to find out everything you need to know about which products you can store in your fridge and which ones are better kept in your vanity drawer.
What skincare products should be refrigerated
You don’t need a cute pink mini fridge to store your skincare products. Move around your milk and snacks to make room in your kitchen fridge. Certain skincare products are perfect for refrigerating as they help you get the most out of the formula.
Using these products when they’re chilled – instead of being at room temperature – can be a gamechanger for your skincare routine. It’s not just your skincare products that can benefit. Putting your jade roller or gua sha in the fridge can help to cool and soothe your skin as well, as well as helping to prevent a buildup of bacteria.
One of the most popular products to refrigerate is overnight face masks. When these masks are chilled, they help to soothe your skin on first application before warming up as they meet your skin. If you have a refrigerated overnight face mask, you can use it as an alternative to your regular night-time moisturizer.
Sheet masks are another product you want to stick in your fridge. It’s the perfect way to wake your face up in the morning or to soothe your skin in the summer months. Refrigerating face masks is just like keeping a bottle of aloe vera in your fridge. You can store your face masks in your fridge all the time or place them inside a few hours before you intend to use them.
If you’re someone who suffers from dry or sensitive skin, refrigerating your moisturizer can help to soothe your skin and make it more comfortable. It’s best to refrigerate moisturizers that have a water-based formula for longer-lasting hydration. If inflammation is a concern for you, refrigerating your moisturizer is a must.
The product that benefits most from being refrigerated is your eye creams and serums. When the formula is chilled, it can help to diminish the appearance of dark circles and to reduce puffiness.
Chilled eye creams and serums create short-term vasoconstriction, the tightening of your blood vessels to brighten and smooth your under-eye area. You can also store your eye patches in the fridge for the same benefits.
Another product you want to store in your fridge is a face mist. Most of us use face mists to give our skin a pick-me-up and add a dewy glow. Adding a few sprays of face mist will rejuvenate your skin and boost its hydration. Refrigerating your face mist will allow it to help soothe your skin and set your makeup.
Products that shouldn’t be stored in a fridge
The best skin care products to store in a fridge are ones with a water-based formula or a gel texture. In general, if it doesn’t fall into these categories, you want to keep it in your vanity drawer. The rule of thumb is to keep only natural skin care products in your fridge.
Products that shouldn’t be stored in a fridge include balms and oils. It’s best to keep these skincare products at room temperature to prevent them from solidifying or splitting. If you store oil-based products in the fridge, you can see them start to become cloudy as the oil separates from the water in the formula.
You’ll also want to keep products, such as masks and cleansers, that have a clay-based formula at room temperature. If you refrigerate clay products, they can quickly solidify. Refrigerating clay-based masks can change their consistency and color.
Emollient products, such as lotions, can become destabilized if refrigerated. Another product that you want to keep away from the fridge is fragrances. Watch out for skincare products that include artificial fragrances as refrigerating them can cause them to split. The only beauty products you want to be refrigerated are gel-textured and water-based skincare products.
Will refrigerating skincare products extend their shelf life?
Refrigerating your skincare products can extend their shelf life as it helps to prevent bacteria growth, especially in products that have natural ingredients.
Most skincare products include active ingredients – such as benzoyl peroxide and vitamin C – that are unstable and can expire quickly when exposed to heat. Refrigerating your serums and creams can help to preserve the active ingredients in your products. With your skincare products being an investment, it’s worth looking after them to extend their shelf life however you can.
The best skin care products to refrigerate are those that have primarily natural ingredients. As these products are free of preservatives, they have a shorter shelf life than their synthetic alternatives. Not every skincare product will benefit from time in the fridge – and in some cases – it can do more harm than good.
You can use your skincare products without refrigerating them – but storing the right products in a fridge can improve their shelf life and enhance their benefits. You don’t need to splurge on a specialist skincare fridge, but some people do prefer to keep their skincare products entirely separate.
If you’re looking to get the most out of your natural or water-based skincare products, refrigerating them can help you get the most out of your favorite products.