What Skincare Products Should Be Refrigerated – If you love to keep up with the trends, you’ve probably seen the mini skincare fridge restock videos on TikTok. Rows of pastel serums, sheet masks, and eye creams neatly arranged in a tiny fridge can be oddly satisfying. But you may be wondering if refrigerating skincare has any actual benefits, or if it’s just another aesthetic trend.
The truth is, while refrigerating skincare may have some benefits, it’s not completely necessary to refrigerate skincare. But, if you want to explore the world of refrigerating skincare, here are some products that can be refrigerated.
Why Refrigerate Skincare?
A lot of skincare products advise that you keep them in a cool, dark place. And the fridge ticks both of those boxes. The idea of refrigerating skincare is to help keep unstable ingredients that are sensitive to light or heat such as retinol, benzoyl peroxide and vitamins as cool and stable as possible. Some natural products with little preservatives can also benefit from refrigeration. The cold helps ingredients stay potent for longer, as well as extending their shelf life.
However, the research on refrigerating skincare is limited. Therefore, it can’t be proven if this method is actually beneficial. In fact, some dermatologists even said that it could potentially be harmful to both your skin, and the product itself.
Prolonged exposure to cold temperatures have been linked to damaged skin barrier, characterized by redness, tightness, itchiness, flakiness and dryness. On the other hand, most skincare products are formulated to work best and stay stable at room temperature. Keeping them refrigerated for too long can ruin the formula, and even cause texture or color changes.
What Skincare Should Be Refrigerated?
Refrigerating skincare still has its benefits, though. Just make sure you don’t overdo it, or keep it in the fridge for too long to avoid damaging the formula or texture. Here are some skincare products you can refrigerate.
1. Sunscreen
Physical sunscreens are actually the one skincare product that should be refrigerated, especially when it’s really hot outside. Keeping it in the fridge keeps the formula from any heat damage. When exposed to heat for too long, sunscreens may become less effective when applied to the skin.
2. Eye Creams
You can also benefit from chilling eye creams. A chilled eye cream gives a depuffing effect that can improve the look of eye bags and dark circles. It also feels cooling on the eyes, and refreshes tired eyes.
3. Sheet Masks
Chilling sheet masks or eye masks in the fridge can give a refreshing sensation when applied. You may want to chill masks that are especially formulated for cooling and calming the skin.
Chilled soothing, gel-based masks can help calm irritated skin, as well as offer a burst of cooling hydration. Just make sure not to put the masks in the fridge for too long.
Refrigerating skincare is not always necessary, but it does offer some benefits. But that doesn’t mean every skincare product belongs in the fridge. Avoid putting clay masks, oil based products, and moisturizers in the fridge as it can change the consistency.
Bottom line is, some skincare products do benefit from a little refrigeration. However, just remember to not chill it too much. Besides potentially damaging your skin if used too often, it can also make the product difficult to use. Always do your research before putting your skincare in the fridge.
Sources:
- https://www.paulaschoice.com/expert-advice/skincare-advice/skin-care-myths/should-you-refrigerate-skin-care-products.html?srsltid=AfmBOooFfSKvr26fANn7no39WVK77r4c0bnyexdz1Io7iTI8wBaZwoj_.
- https://www.nbcnews.com/select/shopping/skin-care-fridges-rcna146363.
- https://www.cutislaserclinics.com/blog/skincare-storage-should-you-refrigerate-your-products.
- https://www.vogue.com/article/skincare-fridge-do-you-need-one.
- https://health.clevelandclinic.org/skin-care-fridge.
