Does Your Beauty Routine Need to Chill? Here's What Skincare To Keep in the Fridge

A skincare fridge is one of the coolest ways to keep your beauty productsfresh, potent and free of bacteria. They add a fun touch to your dailyregimen — but do they offer real skin benefits as well?

For instance, does a cooler temperature actually extend the life of yourproducts?

Turns out, not everything benefits from a cooldown. Getting the most out ofyour tiny refrigerator typically comes down to knowing what skincare to keepin the fridge and what's best kept out of the cold.

Are Skincare Fridges Worth It?

Most people don't need a skincare fridge. If you live in an ultra-hotclimate, a skincare fridge's icy touch can definitely stop beauty productsfrom breaking down quickly in the heat. Otherwise, most skincare productsundergo rigorous testing and certification processes to ensure they remainstable and bacteria-free at room temperature.

Still, this small investment can elevate your skincare routine. A skincarefridge is perfect for ingredients with unstable molecules, such as vitaminC, which break down much faster when exposed to sunlight and temperature variations. Plus, having a cold and humidity-controlledenvironment adds a layer of protection against the growth of yeast, bacteriaor mold in case a heat wave or humid storm comes along.

And as anyone who's ever enjoyed a chilled sheet mask or a cold eye creamknows, applying a product straight from the fridge is just reallyrefreshing. Cold products can also help bring down puffiness, inflammation, redness and irritation.

Will a regular fridge do the job? If you're serious about reaping thebenefits, a skincare fridge does come out ahead. That's because regularfridges typically operate at 35-38°F — which is the optimal temperature tostore food, not beauty products. A skincare fridge normally falls within therange of 45-60°F. Keeping your skincare too cold may make the productsthicker and more difficult to spread.

If you prefer to store your skincare in a regular fridge, physicallyseparate them from food items. Since food products have a much shorter shelflife and are more prone to germs, you want to prevent any drips or othercross-contamination. An empty butter tray or vegetable drawer can be aconvenient stocking place.

What You Should Put in a Skincare Fridge

The benefits of refrigerating your beauty goodies aren't universal. Here's amaster list of what parts of your routine are best served cold.

• **Products with sensitive active ingredients:**Certainactive ingredients, such as vitamin C and retinol, are extremelysensitive to light and heat — when exposed, they decompose more quicklyand become less effective. So, tucking the Neutrogena^® Rapid Tone Repair Retinol + Vitamin C Dark SpotCorrector in the dark and cool interiors of a skincare fridge can help keep it atoptimum potency.

• Probiotic-infused skincare: These "good bacteria" areas beneficial for your complexion as they are for your gut, which is whythey're becoming increasingly common in skincare. However, products withlive bacteria should have a home in the refrigerator.

• Organic skincare: Products labeled as preservative-freetypically require refrigeration. At normal room temperatures, there areno preservatives to stop them from breaking down or promoting the growthof germs.

• Toners and essences: Water-based toners and essenceswith alcohol-free formulations are particularly vulnerable to bacteriagrowth. Secondly, when applied cold, a toner like the Neutrogena^® Pore Refining Face Toner can be even more effective at reducing puffiness and the appearance ofenlarged pores.

• Eye creams: A chilled eye cream can constrict the bloodvessels, reducing puffiness and erasing dark circles from under theeyes. Popping the Neutrogena^® Healthy Skin Anti-Aging Eye Cream into the fridge would be perfect for a morning pick-me-up.

• **Oil-free moisturizers:**A gel or water-based moisturizerwill preserve its consistency for longer when stored at a constanttemperature. It will also be more effective at bringing downinflammation and redness when cold. Try it with the Neutrogena^® Hydro Boost Gel-Cream, which comes with a dose of hyaluronic acid to soothe and hydrate skin.

• **Mists:**A chilled facial mist can be the ultimate sliceof paradise for skin that's overheated — for example, after a workout oran afternoon in the sun.Spray on some refrigerated Neutrogena^® Sun Rescue After Sun Rehydrating Spray for Sensitive Skinfor instant relief.

What You Should Not Put in a Skincare Fridge

Some skincare that should never go in the fridge. Clay-based face masks topthis list: They may harden and dry out faster at a cooler temperature,making them lumpy and difficult to use. Facial oils or oil-basedmoisturizers can separate, change consistency or even turn solid when keptin a fridge.

Skincare fridges may not be a necessity for everyone, but providing acontrolled atmosphere for your products has real perks. If you know how tonavigate what skincare to keep in the fridge environments, they can keepyour beauty routine cool on even the hottest days.