One of the more intriguing skincare trends of the past year has been the refrigeration of products in mini minifridges commonly referred to as Skin-Care Mini Fridges (SCMF). Mostly emerging from the Instagram beauty influencer scene, the amount of well curated posts featuring skincare products neatly stored in a SCMF from popular influencers have people wondering if they should be refrigerating their skincare products and what the benefits are. As it turns out, there are really no reasons to incorporate a SCMF into your skincare routine and the benefits of the trend are purely aesthetic – a SCMF won’t work any better than your normal fridge, nor will it make the products any more powerful.
The Benefits of Refrigerated Skincare
A chilled product may feel more refreshing on your skin or help wake you up in the morning and if your skin is itchy or in some kind of discomfort a cold product can bring down swelling but beyond that there is little in the form of benefits. As with most skincare and beauty trends that gain popularity or originate on Instagram, this is more about aesthetics than function. And remember – many of these influencers are getting products for free and are being paid to post about them and advertise them to their followers. The various ingredients in skincare products are tested in different environments and refrigeration is not required to make them last, nor will it make them more effective. Because skincare products include a variety of ingredients that react differently to humidity, UV light, temperature, and other things, they must be tested to verify that the formula is stable and safe in all conditions. These tests are commonly referred to as stability tests, or stability testing. The tests ensure that a cosmetic product maintains its functionality, physical aspects, and chemical makeup and won’t become unsafe for consumers when an environment changes. Thus, a product will usually work the same regardless of if it’s stored at room temperature, chilled, or right next to a space heater.
Do I Need to Refrigerate Skincare Products?
Some ingredients like retinol or benzoyl peroxide may have a slightly longer shelf life when kept cold but the overall benefits are miniscule and certainly don’t justify purchasing a $100 SCMF when your kitchen fridge works just fine. You can even buy a regular minifridge with a freezer for the same price if not less. It makes sense for successful beauty influencers with money to burn to own one – it’s aesthetically pleasing, they can use it for pictures and other content, and they’re often given them for free and paid to post about them – but for you and I there really isn’t a need. There really won’t be much difference between a room temperature product and a chilled one but if you are curious about refrigerating a certain product be sure to check the ingredients to make sure they can be chilled. Sunscreen and silicone-based products will harden up when exposed to cold temperatures for an extended amount of time, creams with high concentrations of oil or wax can solidify, and formulas with unusual consistencies or ingredients you don’t normally find in skincare and beauty products have a good chance of being negatively affected by the cold change in temperature.
Glowbiotics Skincare Products
At GLOWBIOTICS, we use specialized Probiotic Derived Bioactives PBDs) that are clean, safe, effective, and don’t need to be refrigerated. These PBDs stimulate an array of beneficial skin health pathways, increasing skin barrier integrity while also optimizing collagen and elastin levels. Our products are made for all different types of skin and are rigorously tested to deliver proven results. Shop our unique selection of cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more today to see the difference GLOWBIOTICS can make for your skin!