Summer is approaching, and that means long, hot days. But there’s a great tool to keep your skincare cool and fresh — beauty fridges. These mini-fridges are specifically designed to keep your favorite skincare products at an optimal temperature (via The Klog). Beauty Spy co-founder, Ryan Sullivan told Today, “If you keep some products on your bathroom counter, for example, they may be exposed to the sun, left open or cross-contaminated.” Keeping your skincare in a beauty fridge can counteract the degradation process. Dermatologist Ife Rodney told Real Simple that while you don’t have to keep all your skincare products in a fridge, some products can have an extended shelf life, if refrigerated.
The end result is that your products stay fresh longer in the fridge than at room temperature and that they feel soothing to the skin after a day out in the sun. Rodney added, “The cold temperature dulls any sensations of pain, itching, or tenderness.” Dermatologist Christine C. Kim agreed and told Real Simple, “Applying cold skincare can help to vasoconstrict blood vessels and can minimize swelling of inflamed skin, especially for people who are sensitive, dry, or rosacea-prone.” Most of your products from eye creams to sheet masks can benefit from being kept in a fridge, but there are a few products that should never be kept in a skincare fridge.
Products that can be ruined in a skincare fridge
According to Daily Mail, oils or oil-based products should never be stored in a skincare fridge as the cooler temperatures can thicken the oil’s consistency and spoil the product. Dermatologist Stuart Kaplan told Real Simple, “If your fridge is too cold, certain oils like vitamin C can solidify in the fridge, preventing you from using them altogether.” Keeping oil-based serums in a skincare fridge can cause the product to become cloudy and can cause the oils to separate from any water that might be in the product (via The Klog). It’s also recommended to keep clay masks out of your fridge. Sullivan told Today that clay masks can change in color or consistency if kept in a fridge.
Cosmetic chemist Donald Frey told BirchBox that certain emollient products like lotions and conditioners can be destabilized if kept in a fridge and thawed later. The Good Housekeeping Research Institute (GHRI) was generally skeptical of beauty fridges, especially regarding nail polish and perfumes. Dr. Birnur K. Aral, GHRI director of Health, Beauty, and Environmental Sciences said, “With cold temperatures in the fridge, the viscosity of the polish will increase, which might prolong the stability of the polish over time so it doesn’t phase-separate.” So while you can extend the life on your nail polish, it will thicken and not apply as smoothly.
Products that can benefit from a skincare fridge
According to Today, eye creams, water-based serums, gel moisturizers, sheet masks, mists and acne treatments are products you should keep in a beauty fridge. Eucerin recommends keeping skin creams in the fridge to help soothe skin affected by atopic dermatitis or eczema. Rodney also recommended keeping your skin rollers in a beauty fridge. Products that deteriorate in the heat like lipstick and SPF could benefit from being kept in the fridge as well according to the Daily Mail.
If you want to keep your products cool, it’s recommended to invest in a beauty fridge instead of using your kitchen fridge because of the more-stabilized temperature settings (via The Klog). And you should not put any of your cosmetics in the freezer because that can destroy the active ingredients in the products. If you are still on the fence about buying a skincare fridge, keep in mind that products are typically designed to be kept at room temperature (via Good Housekeeping). So if you keep your products away from direct sunlight and damp environments, like your bathroom, your cosmetics should still have a long shelf life.
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