You probably know that a fresh packet of milk left alone on your kitchen counter for a while turns sour because of the temperatures in tropical countries. What if we told you that, in the same way, skincare products left outside in the heat can also curdle? Pretty gross, right? In addition, make-up and skincare products are breeding grounds for bacteria, so it’s absolutely essential that you store them appropriately. Enter: skincare refrigeration, a beauty trend that’s here to stay.
While displaying your colourful lipsticks, fancy creams and shiny serums on a pretty vanity shelf is alright if you live somewhere cold, in countries like India it can prove quite detrimental. So move them to your fridge! There are also dermat-approved mini-fridges that have been specially designed to cool your beauty products—without the lingering food smell.
We chatted with Dr. Geetika Mittal Gupta, Founder & Medical Director at ISAAC Luxe about the importance of refrigerating your beauty products and here’s what she said:
ELLE: What is your opinion on skincare being kept in the fridge?
Dr. Geetika Mittal Gupta: Cold skincare helps stabilise the actives, soothes and calms irritated skin. It causes vasoconstriction and helps tighten the skin, while refreshing it as well. Personally, I love putting my sheet masks in the beauty fridge, then using it on a clean face and rolling a cool jade roller on top for added skin comfort and lymphatic drainage. Secondly, exposing the skin to cooler temperatures increases exfoliation and the removal of dead skin cells. Keeping your products separately in the beauty fridge not only makes them more efficient but also makes usage compliance better, and prevents the odours from mixing up.
ELLE: Does keeping skincare at cooler, fridge-like temperatures have any real benefits to the skin?
GMG: Storing products that have retinols, vitamin C and other active ingredients like benzoyl peroxide in the fridge may help stabilise these formulas.
ELLE: What kind of beauty products should and should not be stored in the fridge?
GMG: Creamy lipsticks, sheet masks, jade rollers, and face mists are summer essentials and have an added cooling effect when applied straight from the fridge. Anti-ageing creams, under eye creams work better if applied cold by closing down the pores to make your skin look tighter. Toner or thermal spa water should also be kept in fridge and applied directly—this constricts the blood vessels and de-puffs the face.
Avoid putting any oil-based products as they can freeze and clog up pores on application. Even makeup doesn’t need to be refrigerated as it won’t make any usage difference.
Doctor’s tip: One can also freeze beauty ice cubes for quick red carpet glow. Make small ice cubes with cucumber juice, aloe vera and rose water (you can even freeze your used green tea bags) to beat puffiness. You can also put a metal spoon in fridge and use it to compress the under-eye bags.
