Heat and cold affect skin care products more than you may think. Both extreme temperatures can compromise the ingredients in formulas, so it is important to pay attention to how you are storing your products. You may have already known temperature affects beauty products from a time when you reached into your purse on a hot day to find your favorite lipstick has melted, but what causes this in the first place?

How does the Cold Affect Skin Care and Beauty Products?

LovelySkin ships orders all over the world and frequently transfers products from one climate to another. When products go from hot to cold over a short period of time, it can affect the consistency of the formulas. In winter when products are shipped in colder temperatures, they can cool down which may temporarily cause them to become more viscous or thicker in consistency.

The thickness can cause issues with the pump dispenser of a product. Its best to let the product sit and rise to room temperature before using it to restore the formula to its original consistency. After the product warms up, you can easily dispense the product like usual. However, if your sunscreen takes on a strange color or consistency permanently, it may no longer be effective.

How does the Heat Affect Skin Care and Beauty Products?

As expected, extreme heat can cause formulas to melt and ingredients to separate. This causes products, especially those with active ingredients such as sunscreen, to become less effective. For this reason, always store skin care products at room temperature and out of direct sunlight.

Fortunately, for board-certified dermatologist and LovelySkin CEO Dr. Joel Schlessinger, ensuring products can travel across the nation and worldwide while retaining their efficacy is a top priority. He says:

Most of our brands have been rigorously tested to make sure they can withstand extreme temperatures. They are frozen, thawed, heated, brought back to room temperature and frozen again to make sure they can still be used and effective after travel. You would just need to let the product return to room temperature before use, and it will still work for you!

Does Keeping Skin Care in the Fridge Prolong Shelf Life?

While some believe keeping their skin care products in the fridge can prolong their shelf life, this is not necessarily true. Actually, preservatives maintain formulas, and keeping beauty products stored in cool places will not increase how long they are safe to use. 

That said, putting certain products in the fridge a few minutes before applying them can soothe puffiness, irritation and redness.

Pro Tip: Cool down your favorite eye cream or gel mask for a few minutes for an instant soothing effect! The cool temperature restricts blood vessels, minimizing inflammation while relieving irritation. 

What other burning questions do you have for board-certified dermatologist and LovelySkin CEO Dr. Joel Schlessinger? Let us know in the comments below!