Storing cosmetics in the fridge

As the well-known saying goes, natural beauty comes from within. But if you still like to use a little support to make the areas around your eyes, skin, mouth or nails look even better “on the outside” or you want to care for yourself and give yourself a treat, a great option is to use cosmetics, i.e. creams, fluids, lipstick, lotions, etc. But this then begs the question: how should you store cosmetics? In the bathroom? Or maybe even in the fridge?

We already know that food will last for much longer in the fridge than if it’s stored elsewhere. That’s because chemical processes take place much more slowly in a cold environment. So the question is: do cosmetics also keep for longer in the fridge?

Well, most industrially manufactured products are now developed so that they no longer require any special cooling and can withstand storage temperatures of around +40 °C. Many manufacturers are also quite willing to go to the effort of testing the temperature stability of their products in advance. This includes freezing and defrosting cosmetic products. Despite their temperature stability, lipsticks will sometimes go soft and melt in high ambient temperatures. This is another reason why many people like to cool down their cosmetic products. So if you’re asking yourself how you should store your cosmetics, you can store cosmetics in the fridge, but you don’t have to.

In the case of homemade organic or natural cosmetics, which often don’t have any added preservatives, it’s a good idea to keep them cool to give the products the longest possible shelf life. Many people also like to keep perfumes or deodorants in the fridge. The advantage of doing this is obvious because the cooling effect when they’re applied is refreshing, especially in summer.

Kajal and eyeliner also benefit from being stored in the fridge for a little while. That’s because it makes the sticks more stable and easier to apply. However, all you need to do here is cool the kajal or eyeliner for a few minutes just before you’re planning to use them.

Conventional make-up and lipsticks shouldn’t be kept permanently in the fridge as this will change the consistency of the cosmetics and their desired effect may be lost. Lipsticks may even lose their colour if they’re stored in the fridge. All you need to do here is store the products away from sunlight, heat and moisture. The best place to store your cosmetics, including brushes, is a drawer in the bathroom or your bedroom. Small organisers will also help you keep track of what you have and allow you to find the perfect lipstick colour to match your outfit in no time!

If we put beautifying cosmetics to one side and move on to focus just on care products, storage in the fridge seems to make much more sense. Although most of these products also don’t necessarily have to be stored in the fridge, creams, masks, toners, eye pads and other beauty tools such as the jade roller will have an extremely invigorating effect on the skin if they’ve been cooled beforehand. The cooling can stimulate the skin, making your face feel particularly fresh and firm. Here’s a little tip: chilled after-sun products are particularly soothing on sunburn. Give it a try!

If you’re using care products containing vitamin C, cooling is definitely recommended as vitamin C is very unstable and oxidises quickly. Although there are now more stable vitamin C products for the skin, they’re usually also less effective.

Care products that you should never store in your fridge are oils or oil-based products. That’s because, if they’re stored in the fridge, this will make them go cloudy and flocculate quickly. But very high temperatures are also not good for these products. So the best place to choose to store your cosmetics is once again a dark drawer.

It’s a common problem that nail polish will leave unsightly streaks on the nails when it’s applied. This problem is often caused by viscous nail polish that has dried on. But can you prevent this by storing it in the fridge?

The answer is: no! The notion that nail polish will last longer if you store it in the fridge is a widespread myth. The low temperatures tend to make the product even lumpier than it was anyway. So simply make sure that your nail polish is stored in a dark place where it’s protected from moisture, and ideally don’t open up too many colours all at once if you’re not a regular user of nail polish. Also make sure that you always seal the nail polish bottle tightly because it will dry out even faster if it’s exposed to oxygen on a regular basis. Here’s a little tip: regularly remove any dried-on nail polish residues from the cap. That’s because this often causes the product not to be sealed shut properly.

If it’s already too late and the nail polish has already dried, we’ve got another tip for you: simply place the dried and closed bottle in a bath of hot water for about an hour. With a bit of luck, you’ll then be able to use the nail polish again as normal.