The Regimen

Should You Be Refrigerating Your Products?

Dark serum bottle with ice around it 

For years, we’ve been advocating putting certain products in the refrigerator. Some for increased shelf-life, some for added benefits, and some just because it’s darn refreshing. So we feel a bit of smug gratification at the fact that housing your eye cream next to your eggplant is becoming a bit of a trend. So much so that some people go so far as keeping somewhat adorable mini-fridges near their vanity area so their cooled product will be close at hand. Is it worth the effort? That depends on the item and your personal preferences.

 

What’s better chilled?

Toner has always been on our fridge list because it’s delightfully refreshing when chilled. Will it make your product work better? Actually, yes. The cold constricts blood vessels to reduce redness and inflammation. It also enhances product absorption into the skin. Since the major benefits of a toner are to clear the skin of debris and enhance absorption of follow-on products like corrective serums, a drop in temperature ups the ante.

Eye creams are another great candidate for refrigeration. The vasoconstricting properties of the cold help reduce puffiness and increase circulation making the eye area appear firmer and brighter. Our Wink Eye Rejuvenation Cream is formulated with caffeine, which is also a vasoconstrictor. Keeping it in the fridge allows you to double-down on the benefit.

Vitamin C serums. Some ingredients are sensitive to light and air and tend to oxidize from exposure over time. Vitamin C is one of those. It’s the reason we package our Pure C + E in black apothecary bottles. Once opened, we recommend using Spin Trap within thirty days for maximum potency. To extend your serum’s shelf-life, find some room on your refrigerator shelf.  

Masks can benefit from a little chill time. The cooler temperature reduces inflammation in the skin. It also creates a mild astringent effect, constricting the skin and enhancing the mask’s ability to draw impurities to the surface. Masks prime and prep the skin to pull all your corrective products deep into the dermis. The cooled mask will kick that up a notch. Try it with Vivant’s Algae Soft Mask or Sulfur Clay Mask.  

Gel moisturizers become extra soothing for irritated skin when refrigerated. Vivant’s Totaloe Calming and Hydrating Gel already has a firming effect from the aloe, but the constricting properties of the cold will give it a little more edge.

The bottom line: All your Vivant products will work fabulously without refrigeration. For a few of them, cold storage can bring some enhancement. Is it required? Definitely not. But if you’re looking for a way to push your payoff, a little product chill-down session might be just the boost you’re looking for.

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