Are skincare fridges worth the investment?

From a beauty blogger to a self-acclaimed skincare aficionado, everyone’s vanity now hosts a cute little fridge

As the lines between technology and beauty have monumentally blurred, a brand-new segment of skincare called ‘beauty-tech’ has emerged. The segment, as the name suggests, involves heavy play of technologies like AI (artificial intelligence), smart skincare tools, skin analysis, personalisation and a lot more. Speaking of smart tools, skincare fridges have been quite the boujee indulgence in recent times—from beauty editors to celebrities, the purportedly cool device can be spotted in everyone’s vanity kit. 

“I have this little beauty fridge, this mini fridge, and it's cold in the morning and I [put my] eye creams [in there] and it makes me wake up right away. I heard once that—I think it was Grace Jones or something—she used to put her face in a bowl of ice water every morning. I try—can't do that. It gives me a headache. But I do have my mini fridge and my eye cream and my roller and everything and that's cold enough for me to wake up,” actor Ana de Armas had toldByrdie in one of her interviews. That’s not all—the hashtag #skincarefridge boasts a whopping 125.1 million views on TikTok. Clearly, skincare fridges have a loyal fanbase and the love for it prevails across demographics. We speak to three skincare experts to decipher whether a skincare fridge really makes a noteworthy difference in your skincare regimen.

What does a skincare fridge do?

“Skincare fridges are small refrigerators designed specifically for storing skincare products,” says Mumbai-based celebrity dermatologist Dr Niketa Sonavane. “They are supposed to keep the products cool and extend their shelf life. They are also believed to have other benefits, such as helping to reduce inflammation, depuffing the skin, and enhancing the efficacy of certain skincare ingredients,” she furthers.

For Dr Madhuri Agarwal, celebrity dermatologist and founder, Yavana Aesthetics, skincare fridges help with storing the skincare products in a cool temperature. But why does the temperature of skincare storage even matter? “Skincare is better cold; most of the products we buy go through a stress test (the process of testing products in extreme temperatures) in a stability chamber with a maximum temperature of 40 degree Celsius. Some might go up to 50 degree Celsius, but most don’t,” says Delhi-based dermatologist Dr Kiran Sethi.

“Skincare should neither be kept in a freezer nor a heater,” Sethi adds, highlighting the importance of room temperature to preserve the quality of your skincare products. “The cool, normal temperature helps preserve the stability and activity of the actives in your skincare solutions.” Sonavane believes that you can highly benefit from cold skincare products. “They can help reduce inflammation and redness, soothe irritated skin and depuff the skin. They can also help to extend the shelf life of certain products, especially those that contain natural ingredients or have a shorter shelf life,” affirms the dermatologist.

However, Agarwal is of the opinion that there is no additional efficacy or benefits obtained by storing skincare in the fridge. “Yes, it adds coolness to the products. So at times when you feel hot or tired and want to energise your skin, they provide the cooling effect, tighten the blood vessels and reduce the redness and dullness,” she says. 

Can’t a regular fridge fill in?

Let’s address the elephant in the room: isn’t the gigantic fridge sitting in your kitchen good enough to store your skincare products? The answer is both—yes and no. The fundamental working principles of both the fridges are not very different. “Ideally you should avoid using the same fridge to store kitchen food and skincare.This is because the microorganisms from food, especially ones that drip, can contaminate the skincare products leading to infections and reactions,” says Agarwal.

Sonavane highlights the fine differences between skincare fridges and kitchen fridges. “Skincare fridges are different from kitchen fridges in several ways. For example, they are usually smaller in size, quieter and have a more stable temperature. They also typically have shelves and compartments designed specifically for skincare products.” In case you want to use the same fridge, Agarwal advises storing the products in a different compartment to avoid leaks and dripping of food on skincare. “Always clean the space before and keep the products separate from food in an organiser.”

Is it a must-have?

“It’s not a necessity,” states Agarwal. “Usually reputed and approved skincare products are tested for stability at room temperatures and you don’t need to refrigerate them to maintain the potency or stability,” she adds. Sonavane shares that some ingredients work better when stored in the fridge, such as vitamin C, retinol, and certain probiotics. “However, there are also some ingredients that should not be stored in the fridge, such as oils and certain serums. It's always best to check the label or consult with a dermatologist to determine the best storage method for each product,” suggests the expert.

Agarwal opines that if you store your products in a cool, dry place away from the sunlight and heat it works just as fine. “You can consider refrigerating products when you want to enjoy that cool sensation. Also it helps to store certain products that are sensitive to temperature in the fridge, particularly if you reside in an exceptionally hot environment.” She reels off the ingredients that work well with the cooling effect—gel-based products, face mists, sheet masks or face tools like gua sha and jade roller. “The products that should not be kept in the fridge are liquids with oil as they can separate out and butters or balms as they can solidify. Clay masks should also not be kept in the fridge as it can dry out,” says the dermatologist.

Whether or not to invest in a skincare fridge is a personal choice, believes Sonavane. “If you have a lot of products that require refrigeration or if you have sensitive skin that benefits from cooled products, it may be worth investing in one. However, if you have only a few products or if you don't notice a significant difference in your skin when using cooled products, it may not be necessary,” she concludes.

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