Published: October 15, 2025
While many are shocked when they first learn that, yes, skincare fridges really are a thing, what initially seems like a kooky gimmick starts to make sense once they learn a little more. Turns out, using a skincare fridge can actually provide some distinct perks…but are these benefits really enough to warrant splashing out on one for yourself?
Read on as Bionyx explores why skincare fridges have become so popular, and whether or not you need one!
What is a Skincare Fridge?
A skincare fridge is, essentially, a mini fridge, but one that’s designed for skincare instead of food. When we say ‘mini’, we really mean it – skincare fridges usually only have a capacity for a few liters. This means that they can easily be stored in your bedroom or wherever you carry out your skincare routine.
Skincare fridges have been in the spotlight lately, and not just because of their cute aesthetics. Instead, proponents of this trend rave about how using a skincare fridge has given their entire skincare routine a big boost in many ways…
Why Refrigerate Your Skincare Products?
Strictly speaking, skincare products don’t need to be refrigerated. They go through vigorous testing to ensure that they’re stable and safe at room temperature.
With that said, going the extra mile and refrigerating your skincare products could provide some distinct benefits:
Keeps Certain Skincare Ingredients More Stable
While all skincare products can be safely stored at room temperature, it’s difficult to avoid temperature fluctuations. Chances are that your home is warmer during the day and cooler at night. The changing seasons likely affect what room temperature is for you too. Although small temperature swings aren’t the end of the world for your skincare, the way in which a skincare fridge provides complete consistency in terms of temperature can help to keep certain skincare ingredients more stable.
From vitamins to antioxidants, these ingredients tend to be highly sensitive, not only to temperature changes but also to light. The cool and dark environment provided by a skincare fridge really caters to the delicate nature of these ingredients.
Extends the Shelf Life of Certain Skincare Products
One of the knock-on effects of using a skincare fridge to provide stable conditions for your skincare products is that this can help to extend the shelf life of certain products. By preventing ingredients from deteriorating quite so quickly, a skincare fridge will help to maintain the potency of your products for longer.
This can be particularly beneficial when it comes to natural products that don’t contain any (or many) preservatives. These products tend to be more susceptible to bacterial growth and contamination, which a skincare fridge will help to prevent.
Chilled Skincare Can Reduce the Feeling of Inflammation in the Skin
If you follow skincare trends on social media, you’ve probably come across skin icing. It’s a technique that involves applying ice cubes or a cold skincare tool to the skin. The purpose of this is to harness how cold temperatures quickly reduce the feeling of inflammation in the skin, and it works very well.
Refrigerating your skincare products has the same effect. The chilled temperature of those products has a soothing effect on the complexion. Not only does it calm the feeling of inflammation, but it will also diminish the look of puffiness and redness. It can be particularly useful for those who suffer from an inflammatory skin condition, such as acne or psoriasis.
Which Skincare Products Can Be Stored in a Fridge?
Where things get a little tricky is when it comes to knowing which of your skincare products can be refrigerated and which should never be stored in a fridge. Refrigerate the wrong product, and you could end up damaging it to the point where it can’t be properly used anymore.
If you’re thinking about refrigerating some of your skincare, these are the best products to do so with:
- Antioxidant serums – while serums are known for being potent products, the antioxidants within them can degrade quickly if stored incorrectly. Retinol and vitamin C serums are particularly susceptible to this. Refrigerating these serums will help to maintain the efficacy of the antioxidants within.
- Eye serums and eye creams – puffiness is a very common issue experienced around the eyes. With cold temperatures capable of quickly de-puffing the complexion, storing your eye serum and eye cream in a skincare fridge can make these products feel even more effective.
- Sheet masks – sheet masks already feel very soothing and refreshing when applied to the skin. Refrigerating them first enhances this in a big way.
- Face mists and toners – face mists and toners are usually designed to hydrate and soothe the complexion. Again, refrigerating them so that they’re cold when they’re applied to the skin makes them feel even more calming. This also makes them useful for providing the skin with relief on a hot day.
- Water-based moisturizers – is the first ingredient in your face cream water (or aqua)? This means that it can be safely stored in a fridge.
- Skincare tools – from jade rollers to gua sha tools, skincare tools are becoming increasingly popular. Refrigerating them before use makes them even more effective at soothing and de-puffing the complexion.
Which Skincare Products Should Never Be Stored in a Fridge?
You may have noticed certain product types missing from the list above, and this is because not all skincare products can be refrigerated.
Clay-based products, such as clay face masks, should never be refrigerated. Clay hardens in cold temperatures, which will make the mask unusable. Even once it warms up again, its consistency may have been affected to the point where it would need to be thrown out.
Oil-based products and balms should also be kept at room temperature. Oil turns thick and clumpy when refrigerated, which would make those products difficult to apply. Some oil-based products could also separate when they fall below a certain temperature.
Your sunscreen should also never see the inside of a fridge. UV filters can break down in these conditions, which would prevent your sunscreen from properly protecting your skin.
Can’t You Just Use the Fridge in Your Kitchen?
Wondering if you can store some of your skincare products in the fridge in your kitchen, rather than having to invest in a dedicated skincare fridge?
Technically, yes. However, a skincare fridge does offer some key benefits when compared to a kitchen fridge. For starters, they aren’t quite so cold. Kitchen fridges usually maintain a temperature of around 35-38°F, whereas a skincare fridge is most commonly set at 40-60°F. Why? Although chilling your skincare can be advantageous, you don’t want your products to get too cold. This would not only make them harder to apply, but it can also inhibit absorption.
Cross-contamination is another problem that comes from using your kitchen fridge for your skincare. The last thing that you want is for your skincare products to be anywhere near a fruit or vegetable that has started to turn. A skincare fridge that doesn’t contain any food solves that issue.
Of course, convenience is also a big part of it. Chances are that you don’t carry out your skincare routine in your kitchen. Having to go back and forth between the products in your bedroom to the products in your kitchen can be annoying and time-consuming. Thanks to how compact skincare fridges are, you could place one near your other skincare products so that everything is in one area.
Is a Skincare Fridge Worth Buying?
There’s no denying the fact that a skincare fridge can be beneficial. However, is this a product that’s really worth buying?
When it comes down to it, it all depends on your circumstances. If you’re on a tight budget and are happy with how your skincare routine is working, a skincare fridge wouldn’t be worth the investment.
On the other hand, if you’re able to splash out on your routine and you also happen to frequently deal with the appearance of inflammation or puffiness, a skincare fridge would be worth buying.
How to Choose a Skincare Fridge
If you’ve decided that a skincare fridge is the next thing that you need in your life, here are some points to consider to ensure that you choose the right one:
- Size – measure the space that you’ve designated for your skincare fridge to ensure that your chosen model will fit properly, even with the door open. If you plan on moving your fridge around, a handle is a must.
- Volume – some skincare fridges are much smaller in volume than others. Think about how many skincare products you’re going to be storing in there to ensure that there’s enough space.
- Types of products – make sure that the fridge you choose is suitable for the types of products you use. For example, if your skincare routine consists of any tall bottles, you’ll need a skincare fridge with removable or adjustable shelves.
- Noise level – this is particularly important if your skincare fridge is going to be living in or near your bedroom. Make sure that it isn’t too noisy!
- Energy efficiency – while some skincare fridges may seem like a bargain, they could end up costing you a fortune in electricity bills. Pay attention to energy efficiency. You may have to pay more for it now, but it could end up saving you in the long run. It will also reduce your environmental impact.
Summary
It’s easy to understand why skincare fridges are trending. Not only do they check all of the boxes in an aesthetic sense, but they also provide some very real benefits. With that said, they’re not a necessity. Your skincare products will work just fine when they haven’t been refrigerated, so do what’s best for your situation.
Looking for another way to elevate your skincare routine? Click here to browse the bestselling skincare products from Bionyx.