Yes, Skincare Fridges Are Actually Worth It—And They’re On Sale Right Now

By now, you’ve seen them all over Instagram—a mini-er mini fridge for your vanity or bathroom counter. The skincare fridge—AKA, a beauty fridge—is any skincare enthusiast’s favorite accessory, but do they actually work? Yes, as it turns out, skincare fridges can help, not only with extending the shelf life of your products but also with making products just a little more effective.

“Although most skincare products do not require refrigeration, we are seeing a slight increase in the use of ingredients and products that can benefit some temperature stability, often allowing them to extend their natural shelf life, both with regards to safety and efficacy,” says Rachel Nazarian, MD, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City. 

“They can certainly be helpful to maintain the integrity of an ingredient that needs to be kept in a ‘cool, dark place,’” adds Reid Maclellan, MD, founder and CEO of Cortina and adjunct faculty at Harvard Medical School.

What to Know About Skincare Fridges

Not all skincare fridges are alike, so before you shop for a skincare fridge, there are a few things you should take into consideration.

Temperature

While most people think of skincare fridges for their cooling benefits—chilling a face mask for an extra soothing effect or stowing those expensive serums for a longer shelf life—many skincare fridges also have a warming setting.

For many skincare products, Dr. Nazarian recommends a temperature that’s slightly cooler than ambient but not as cold as your typical kitchen fridge. “I would recommend keeping them around 45 to 55 degrees for ideal use—most food refrigerators are a bit colder,” she says.

Most skincare fridges are capable of turning down to about 40 degrees at their coldest and some can reach up to 150 degrees on warm settings.

Size and Storage

Skincare fridges are designed exactly like mini fridges, just smaller. Most have about a four-liter capacity, which should work for most people’s skincare collections; this will hold a few full-size serums, creams, and masks, along with any skincare tools you might have.

Some fridges offer a higher capacity—even going up to 12 liters—if you have a more extensive collection.

How to Use a Skincare Fridge

So, how can you actually incorporate a skincare fridge into your collection? First, you should know what should and should not go into your fridge.

Most of your skincare products probably call for storage in a cool, dark place—and like Dr. Maclellan mentioned, skincare fridges definitely meet that requirement.

What to Put in a Skincare Fridge

Generally, products like serums, sheet masks, and skin tools are prime candidates for a skincare fridge, but dermatologists have some tips for deciding what to store.

You can skip bottles already protected from warmer temperatures—and you might not even realize they are safe from hot temperatures. Dr. Nazarian mentions that products in tinted bottles are typically safe from any exposure they might get in the bathroom, which is normally an issue for vitamin C serums. 

“Some vitamin C products, like those from TruSkin, do try to protect their ingredients by using tinted light-blocking bottles; many others let in light, heat, and lots of air with each use,” she says.

If your serum bottle is untinted, it’s a prime candidate for a spot in your beauty fridge.

“Refrigeration can help stabilize certain active ingredients in your skincare products,” adds Dr. Maclellan. “Active ingredients can oxidize over time, and sometimes storing these products in a cooler environment can delay this process while also slowing down bacteria growth.” He also explains that, in addition to vitamin C serums, retinol oxidizes faster than many skincare ingredients and may be more effective if refrigerated.

Toners, facial mists, and eye creams are also great at a lower temperature, according to Cleveland Clinic.

According to Dr. Nazarian, your favorite facial tool can go in your fridge without reservations: “For tools like gua sha or facial rollers, the cooler temperature can improve puffiness and redness, [and] having a mini fridge is ideal for this.”

Eye masks, ice rollers, and warm towels can also be stored in a beauty fridge for a spa-like experience.

Medication

Dr. Nazarian mentions that you can even store some topical medications in a skincare fridge. “Other prescription products, such as acne meds like Winlevi, or lightening products such as Triluma, have specifics requiring them to be kept cooler,” she says. But if you’re thinking of keeping ointments or other medications in your fridge, be mindful of their storage requirements as some may solidify in cooler temperatures.

What Not to Put in a Skincare Fridge

While you have plenty of options for what to store in a skincare fridge, there are also some products that definitely shouldn’t be refrigerated, either because of their form or potential damage to their ingredients. Dr. Maclellan specifically calls out makeup, clay products, and oils as ones that shouldn’t go in skincare fridges.

Makeup is meant to remain at room temperature, largely because of the more solid consistency that most makeup products have. If they’re refrigerated, they can become too hard to apply.

“Oils, because they are liquid, might become too separated or solid if kept at cold temperatures,” he says. “Cold temperatures can also affect the consistency and color of clay masks, making them unusable at times.”

Some lotions may also lose efficacy if they’re moved between different temperatures frequently—such as in and out of a fridge.

Also, if you buy contact lenses, keep your supply out of the fridge. They should be stored at room temperature.

Food and Drinks

While food and drinks are fine to be around skincare products—Drs. Maclellan and Nazarian both noted that a regular kitchen refrigerator works just as well as a skincare fridge—be careful of sanitation and any potential cross contamination before putting your serum and coffee creamer side by side.

Are Skincare Fridges Worth It?

Ultimately, yes. While skincare fridges aren’t an absolute necessity, they are a great option for extending the shelf life of pricey skincare products, as both Dr. Nazarian and Dr. Maclellan pointed out—especially if you keep your skincare products in warm environments, like near your shower.

"For some ingredients, like vitamin C, which are unstable in hot temperatures, having a mini fridge can be quite useful—especially if you tend to keep your bathroom or shower area very steamy and hot and keep products on the shelf or vanity," says Dr. Nazarian.

Skincare Fridges on Sale Now

The good news is that even if skincare fridges aren’t strictly necessary, you can still score them for cheap right now. Here are a few of our favorites:

Cooluli Skincare Mini Fridge

Buy Now: Cooluli Skincare Mini Fridge, $50 (was $70); amazon.com

The Cooluli Skincare Fridge offers the best of both worlds—heating and cooling—in a four-liter capacity. Perfect for storing the essentials, the mini fridge has a removable shelf (for extra-tall beauty products) and a shelf on the door that's perfect for storing sheet masks.

While Dr. Nazarian notes that anywhere from 45 to 55 degrees is ideal for a skincare fridge, this one gets down to 40 degrees below ambient temperature. And if you need to heat your skincare implements—like keeping a hot towel handy to open up your pores—the Cooluli Skincare Fridge heats up to 149 degrees.

If you need to store your skincare on the go, this fridge comes with three cords for wall, USB, and even car charging, along with a top handle for easy carrying.

Frigidaire Portable Retro Mini Fridge

Buy Now: Frigidaire Portable Mini Fridge, $40 (was $50); amazon.com

Why stop at just a skincare fridge when you can also add a speaker into the mix? This fridge features an integrated Bluetooth speaker that connects to a wireless device, so you can jam out while getting ready for the day or listen to a guided meditation as you wind down.

At 10.5 inches tall and 10 inches deep, this is a great compact option for those with limited storage space. In addition to the speaker, this fridge has two shelves and a self-locking latch to keep your skincare items secure.

"Right now I have this in my bathroom holding some of my makeup and an ice roller," one reviewer said. "It feels wonderful putting lotion on at a cool temperature."

Homcom Portable Skincare Fridge

Buy Now: Homcom Portable Skincare Fridge, $159 (was $190), target.com

If you have a lot to store in your skincare fridge (think: gua sha, face rollers, plenty of serums, and maybe an essenced water or two for a real spa experience), the Homcom Portable Skincare Fridge boasts a 12-liter capacity—triple the size of most other beauty fridges. The good news is that even with all the extra space, it's just 17.5 inches tall and 11 inches deep, meaning it’s still small enough to fit on a vanity or bathroom counter.

This fridge has three shelves, five racks, an interior light, and a drawer for storing loose items like a gua sha stone or a lip treatment. It also comes with silicone holders that slip onto the racks to keep smaller serums and tubes in place.

If you plan to keep it on a bedroom vanity, you'll appreciate the night mute mode, which lowers the fridge's sound emissions while you sleep. Some of the modes save energy and keep the fridge's temperature constant.

Read Next: The Best Vitamin C Serums