Mar 10, 2024 By Nancy Miller
When it comes to storing skincare products, many people can keep their products in their bathroom to make it easy to reach the products. However, recently, it has been seen that bathrooms might not be the ideal place for this. Now the question comes where you should be storing your products. Certain products must be stored in the fridge, and others must be stored at room temperature.
You must store your skincare products in the right place so that the product's effectiveness does not decrease. In this article, we will see what the worst and best places are to keep your skincare. So, let's jump right into the article and look at it.
First, you should know that keeping your skincare products in your bathroom can be very problematic. Many people keep their skincare in their bathroom because it can be convenient. Washing your face and putting the products on the skin can be very convenient for people. However, it is not the ideal place for your products.
The bathroom can be very humid, making a place for the bacteria to grow and reproduce. The steam from your showers allows the bacteria to grow, which will probably be on your skincare products. Bathrooms are also a warm place, which can disturb the formulation of the products. Warm temperatures can affect the products' feel, smell, and even effectiveness.
It is also seen that bathrooms have a lot of light exposure, which can oxidize the products, curdle, or even melt them. The products are full of preservatives, and this is because the brands want to increase the shelf life so that you can use them more. However, when you keep them in your bathroom, the heat and humidity can break down the preservatives, and your product will expire much sooner. This is why, when packing these skincare products, it is always suggested to keep your products in cool, clean places and out of direct sunlight.
Now the question comes: where should you be storing skincare products? There is no steadfast rule regarding where you should keep your products. However, different products must be in different environments to ensure effectiveness.
Products with Vitamin C and creams with retinoids are usually heat and light sensitive. These products also come in dark bottles to reduce the penetration of the sunlight so that they don't oxidize quickly. This is why it is best if you store them in places where there is no direct sunlight. The best place to store them would be the fridge so they don't start to smell, and you can enhance their shelf life.
Products that have live-active cultures, which means if the skincare products have probiotics, they should be stored in the fridge. These products usually have bacteria in them that are good for your skin, and to ensure the proper growth of those bacteria, an optimal ecosystem is necessary; hence, a fridge is the best place to store them.
If you are into organic or natural skincare products, they should be kept in the fridge. This is because organic products have significantly fewer preservatives, and if you keep them out in the open where there is heat and light, they will oxidize and melt very fast. Thus, to increase their shelf life, you need to ensure that they are kept in the fridge.
Water-based products like toners, mists, and even sheet masks don't have to be stored in the fridge. You should top them outside because they can quickly freeze in the fridge, and you might have a problem using them. However, you can keep them in the fridge for a small duration to give them a cooling effect, as it can be great for de-puffing and soothing the skin.
Oil-based products such as facial oils should not be kept in the fridge and should be left out. If you keep them in the fridge, there is a high chance that they can be cloudy and cause the water and oil molecules to separate, destroying your products.
Clay masks are also best if you keep them out in the open. If you keep them in the fridge, they will become hard as a rock, and you will need to dig in the pan to get some product out.
The following are the ways how you should be storing your skincare products.
If you are into cleansers, it is suggested that once you open them, it would be best to dispose of them after one year after the opening date. After exposure to light and heat, cleansers can disintegrate quicker than they are meant to. This is why it would be best to get a new one after a year of using your old one.
Moisturizer is an integral part of the skincare routine. For these products, it is also suggested not to use them more than one year out of the packaging. Also, if you start noticing the changes in the texture and the smell, it is high time to change the product and get a new one.
The moisturizers in the airless pump can have a longer shelf life; however, the ones in the jar should not be used for more than a year.
Serums have a rigid shelf life, so you should not be using them after their expiration date. Also, you must keep the lid tight so that the efficacy of the product is not compromised.
Skincare is very expensive, and people spend hundreds of dollars on these products. This is why you must store them properly. Not many people know, but how you store your skincare products plays an important in their effectiveness. Hence, we hope this article was beneficial for you, and now you know how to store the products properly.