Improper Storage is Spoiling Your Skincare Products
…but you can easily prevent it.
Most of us are guilty of spending a small fortune on our skincare products with the hope of attaining a flawless complexion. But what if we were to tell you that how you store your cosmetics can have a huge impact on their effectiveness. That’s right. If you thought storing them neatly and orderly in a makeup bag was enough, you were wrong.
According to the experts, everything from the temperature to air exposure can accelerate the deterioration of your skincare products. That’s why it’s important to know how to store them properly so that you can reap their benefits for as long as your pots, jars, and tubes remain filled.
Luckily for you, we’re going to show you how.
WHY PROPER STORAGE MATTERS
Skincare products are similar to medication. If you don’t store them right, you could end up with a product that doesn’t work as well – or at all. Storage might seem like a tiny detail, but keeping your cosmetics in a suitable location can increase their shelf life and keep them working optimally.
“The temperature of the environment can have varied effects on beauty products, so it's important to be aware of where to store them,” explains Joanne Dodds, a company spokesperson. “Humidity is one element that can cause items in your make-up bag to expire quicker, so storing your beauty items in your bathroom, for example, might be doing more harm to your products than you realize.”
Take vitamin C. This powerful antioxidant often found in creams and serums offers brightening effects and UV protection, but if it’s not packed and stored right, it’ll quickly lose its antioxidant benefits.
Here are some guidelines for proper skincare product storage.
SKINCARE STORAGE TIPS
Keep them Cool
Each type of skincare product should have its own home – some belong in the fridge, while others belong outside but still in a cool, dark place. While it’s important that your cosmetics stay cool, keeping certain products in the fridge can ruin them. In other words, you should familiarize yourself with which belong where before you just plonk them anywhere.
Products that belong in the fridge include eye creams or gels containing vitamin C or used specifically for puffy eyes. That’s because cool temperatures reduce swelling. You should also keep your aloe vera gel for sunburn in the fridge so that it’ll cool the skin down after application.
Sun cream, on the other hand, should be stored outside of the fridge in a cool, dry place. Don’t leave it on the bathroom counter or in the windowsill either, as this can cause the formula to separate.
… But Not Too Cool
Extremely cold temperatures (like that of your freezer) are just as harmful to your products as heat. In particular, lotions, creams, and conditioners can become highly unstable when put in the freezer.
Avoid Direct Sunlight
Besides keeping your skincare goodies cool, you should also keep them in a dark place. Direct sunlight can gradually ruin your products – especially anti-aging compounds. So avoid storing them near a bathroom window or in your car.
The best place to store them: in a cabinet, drawer, or underneath your bathroom countertop. Here, they’ll be protected from the sunlight and maintain their overall quality. If you’ve ever wondered why some skincare products come in opaque containers, that’s why. It’s so that light cannot affect its quality.
Still, even if your serum comes in a dark container, you nevertheless keep it out of the sun.
Stay Dry
Sure, it’s convenient to keep our face washes, creams, and serums in the bathroom. We use them every day, after all – in the bathroom, in front of the mirror. But if you want to boost your products’ longevity, try storing them outside of this steamy environment.
The truth is, for many products and ingredients, the bathroom is the worst place to store your formulas. That’s because the steam from the shower can quickly break down active ingredients in your products, as well as breed mold and mildew.
If you absolutely must have your products in there with you, keep them in a cabinet far away from the shower to minimize the amount of steam they’re exposed to. Alternatively, just keep them in a cupboard or drawer in your bedroom and take them with you to the bathroom morning and night.
Keep them Sealed
Whether you keep your toners and lotions inside or outside of the fridge, you should always keep your containers sealed. It’s a bit like dropping your half-eaten romaine into a food bag – it keeps it fresher, longer.
From your serum to your moisturizer, face wash to your exfoliator, make sure all your products have a top. It’ll prolong their shelf life and their effectiveness. And if you’ve lost a couple of yours, try covering them with aluminum foil instead.
And Look Out for Expiry Dates
It seems pointless holding on to a load of products that are out of date now, doesn’t it? Surprisingly, not everyone’s aware that skincare products and cosmetics have an expiry date. But it’s something you should know if you want great skin.
Old products don’t just work less efficiently, they can sometimes even cause rashes and other adverse effects. That’s why we’re big believers in just buying a few good products and using them daily, rather than collecting dozens of products that you only use now and then.
Once you find the most suitable skincare products for your skin, you’ll want to be sure they stay working as effectively as possible. You can do that easily by properly storing them in a cool, dark, dry location away from sunlight.
It would be a shame for your expensive, luxury lotions and ampules to go to waste because of improper storage. Luckily, it’s something you can prevent in just a few minutes.
Oh, and be sure to spread the word by sharing this article with your besties! Poor storage of skincare products is more common than you’d think!
