BEAUTY PRODUCTS THAT SHOULD BE STORED IN THE FRIDGE

Just like with certain foods, there are a lot of cosmetic products that do best when stored in the fridge. That’s right, the fridge! Depending on their ingredients or how they need to perform, chilling them ensures that you get the optimum payoff from them. And given how much money and time we spend on, and how much we expect from, them, giving them a little boost by way of refrigeration isn’t a tall order. However, there are certain cosmetics that should not be kept in the fridge because that will compromise their performance. To eliminate the confusion, I’m listing the main beauty and skincare items that you should make room for in your fridge below.

EYE TREATMENTS

If you are using any kind of eye care product, be it a cream, serum or gel, then you know that one of the things they work on is puffiness. When these products are stored in a cool place like a fridge, they’re able to better reduce under-eye puffiness caused by water pooling there overnight. The coldness works by constricting the blood vessels there to minimize swelling. The chilled treatments also helps wake you up! So it’s a double win.

 

FACIAL MISTS & SPRAYS

Nothing feels quite as good as that of a face spray on your skin. Especially when it’s as intensely hot as Nairobi has been lately! Refrigerating your mists not only makes them last longer, but they also feel more refreshing when cooler. The lower temperature also helps the sprays and mists calm down any inflammation or dryness your skin may be facing. And as a bonus, the coldness helps tighten your pores that much more. It’s all like a nice cold drink of water for your face.

 

ALOE VERA PRODUCTS

This one is obvious. Because we use aloe vera products like gels and salves to soothe and relieve the skin, especially from sun burns, actual burns, and other kinds of inflammation/irritation, the more chilled, the better they help.

 

SERUMS

Serums usually have active ingredients in them that are sensitive to direct sunlight and warmer temperatures so keeping them at low temperatures in the fridge will keep them stable. Think of serums with actives like Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, Retinol etc. Refrigeration not only helps them cool and soothe the face, but also lessens the chances of the ingredients breaking down to protect the integrity of the formula.

 

NATURAL PRODUCTS

This applies to any cosmetics labelled organic or natural as well as homemade concoctions. They don’t typically contain preservatives and end up having a very short shelf-life. So they absolutely need to be stored in a fridge. The lower temperatures ensure to slow down any bacterial growth in them which helps them keep to a certain extend. With such products it’s important to pay keen attention to any indicated expiry dates even with refrigeration. And for the diy recipes, a couple of days should be the limit before you stop using them.

 

FACE CREAMS

These just feel really good when chilled, especially if they will be going on after some intense makeup removal and skincare where the skin ends up feeling sensitive or just like it’s been through a lot. It tightens pores, helps reduce redness and helps skin with circulation. This applies to sunscreen as well.

 

FACE MASKS

Lower temperatures in a fridge are ideal for face masks. And I mean most kinds not just sheet masks. Again, the cooling effect is more soothing for the skin and like with serums, it helps with the active ingredients in the masks. This also has the very same invigorating effects I’ve mentioned above on blood circulation. And there’s something really spa-like about having a cold mask smeared on or applied to your face . . . right?

 

FACE TOOLS

Sometimes we need a little extra help or just a little extra extraness in skincare, which may come in the form of face tools. If you are using skincare aides like jade rollers, eye massagers and silicon/gel eye patches you should keep them in the fridge. Using them when cold gives them the boost they need to perform even better. They are better able to help with depuffing under-eye bags, soothe skin, work in serums, and tighten pores.

Storing these beauty and skincare products in the fridge has a lot of benefits. But it doesn’t guarantee indefinite longevity. Over time, be it a couple of days or years, the working power of certain ingredients will deteriorate. So be mindful of that and use your products within good time. Always check on them, especially the natural ones, to make sure they’re not contaminated even in such conditions. I personally store mine in an air tight container then put that in the fridge just to make sure they’re all in one convenient location not all over. This also gives me the insurance that smells won;t interfere with any of my products or tools e.g. from leftover food or crushed garlic/ginger in the fridge. It’s like my own “mini cool box” inside the fridge. There have been debates on other products from lipsticks to perfume to nail polish needing refrigeration but I think those just need to be in a cool, dry (and dark for sensitive perfume) place – not necessarily the fridge. In any case, storing beauty products in the fridge isn’t compulsory, just good sense.

 

xo