Which Skin Care Products Should Be Refrigerated?

Make a little room in your fridge next to your milk and eggs. It can hold more than just your food. It’s time to chill some of your favorite skin care products, too. Dr. Rocio Rivera, head of scientific communications for L'Oréal Paris, explains that in certain cases, using formulas that have been stored in the refrigerator can help to temporarily reduce the appearance of puffiness. Plus, it can feel refreshing to slather on a chilled cream when it’s super-hot outside or you’ve spent all day cooped up in an environment that’s been pumping out artificial heat. Now, which skin care products should be refrigerated? Here, we’re naming five types of products—including overnight face masks, moisturizers, and eye creams—that you should consider stashing in your fridge.

5 SKIN CARE PRODUCTS YOU SHOULD REFRIGERATE

1. OVERNIGHT FACE MASK

Rivera recommends storing the L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Triple Power Anti-Aging Overnight Mask in your refrigerator to give your skin a cool treat before you go to bed. (Rivera says that when you put the chilled overnight mask on your face, it’ll start to warm up as it comes into contact with your skin.) This creamy, leave-on mask can immediately make skin feel hydrated and can diminish the look of fine lines and wrinkles with continued use over time.

After cleansing your skin, take the overnight mask out of the fridge and use it in place of your regular moisturizer. Smooth it over your face, neck, and jawline until absorbed. Leave it on overnight, then go about your regular morning skin care routine (cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer, SPF, etc.) when you wake up.

2. SHEET MASK

Sheet masks are already an amazing option for refreshing your skin. You can amplify that effect by popping them into the fridge before using. They’ll feel amazing at the end of a long summer day or to wake yourself up first thing in the morning. Pull the cold sheet mask out of its packaging and lay it over your skin. Kick back for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove the mask.

Editor’s tip: If you’re hosting a girls’ night, have a few sheet masks ready to go in the fridge and dole them out to your friends for a skin-pampering activity.

3. MOISTURIZER

Rivera says you can also stash the L'Oréal Paris Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care - Extra Dry Skin in your refrigerator for a nice refreshing feeling. As you’re well aware by now, moisturizing is one step in your skin care routine you should never skip—and that’s especially true if your complexion is super-dry. Extra dry skin has a very fragile skin moisture barrier that can be easily damaged by external factors like pollution and UV rays. Consequently, skin can then lose its ability to retain moisture, becoming easily dehydrated, feeling tight and uncomfortable. This water-based moisturizer is formulated with hyaluronic acid and aloe water to help provide long-lasting hydration and comfort to extra dry skin. Once you’ve taken the moisturizer out of the fridge, Rivera recommends you apply a thick amount onto your face and then tissue off any excess.

Editor’s tip: Apply the moisturizer to damp skin to help lock in hydration.

4. EYE CREAM

According to Rivera, you can also store an eye cream in the fridge to help temporarily reduce the look of puffiness and dark circles. Here’s why: When kept cold, eye creams can cause short-term vasoconstriction (a.k.a. tightening of blood vessels), which may make them more beneficial for those with puffy eyes or dark circles. Try storing the L'Oréal Paris Eye Defense in your refrigerator. This light, non-greasy gel-cream is specially formulated to defend against signs of premature aging around the eyes, including puffiness, fine lines, wrinkles, and dark circles. To use, take the eye cream out of the fridge, and apply it in small dots around your eye until it’s absorbed.

If you can’t keep your skin care products in the fridge, there’s another way to reap the benefits of a cool eye cream. The solution: Use the L'Oréal Paris Men Expert™ Hydra Energetic Eye Roller, which has a cool rollerball tip. The cooling, massaging effect can provide a de-puffing action to reduce the look of under-eye bags. To use, gently roll the cooling tip under your eye, starting from the bridge of your nose and going outward toward your temple to massage the entire eye area. You can use the product morning and night.

5. FACE MIST

The L’Oréal Paris True Match™ Lumi Shake and Glow Dew Mist has a formula with coconut water and vitamin C that awakens skin and revives your complexion. A quick spritz also provides skin with a boost of healthy hydration. It’s already a customer favorite, but you just might like it even more if it’s kept in the fridge. Using a chilled face mist like the hydrating Dew Mist doesn’t just feel amazing; it also benefits your skin. Close your eyes and mist it over your face. Our face spray also works to set makeup, so you can use it whether you have a full face on or are going makeup-free.

BONUS: JADE ROLLER

A jade roller may not be a skin care product—it’s a tool—but it’s worth mentioning that you can put one in the fridge. Stowing your facial massage tool somewhere cold allows you to take at-home spa sessions to the next level. Even better if you use the jade roller to apply an equally chilled moisturizer or eye cream. Slowly roll it over your skin and enjoy! 

Next: If you don’t want to mix food and beauty, you need a skin fridge. Read about how Mini Skincare Fridges Are The New Place To Store Your Products.