Caution: Retinol can cause irritation, redness, and peeling, especially around the eyes and mouth, in the early stages of use while skin builds tolerance. Refrigerate after opening.
Retinol and vitamin C products
Make sure to leave some space in your fridge for your retinol and vitamin C skincare, as these antioxidants can degrade much quicker and become unstable when exposed to heat and sunlight. Storing these products in the fridge keeps the formulas stable and helps with preservation.
Anti-aging products with ingredients like retinol, glycolic acid and vitamin C can break down quickly and typically last nine months to one year, depending on how they're dispensed.
Dr Dhillon reveals, “Retinol or products containing acids are important to check regularly. If they become destabilised they can be extra harsh on the skin unnecessarily.” To know whether or not your products are safe, check for musky smells and yellowing, advises Dr Dhillon.
No, you should not use retinol that is past its expiration date. Not only will not work as well as it should but also there is no telling the repercussions expired products can have on your skin.
Oil-based products, including facial oils and makeup, should never be refrigerated. The cold temperatures can cause these products to harden and make them unusable. Clay products, like clay masks, shouldn't be placed in the fridge.
The Ordinary Retinol & Retinoids should be kept in the fridge.
Vitamin C serum will benefit from being stored in the fridge to avoid oxidation and extend its shelf life. Other serums like Hyaluronic Acid can be kept chilled to amplify their soothing benefits, especially on sensitive skin.
So, which products perform best when stored in a refrigerator? Sullivan recommends stocking your mini fridge with skin care products like facial toner, eye cream, sheet masks, gels, night creams and products that contain vitamin C and SPFs.
Fridges are great for preserving hyaluronic acid, Vitamin C, and retinol, so if any of your serums are based on those ingredients, you may want to give them a trial in your fridge.
This is why most vitamin C and retinoid serums are packaged into dark bottles. To ensure longer product life, these should definitely be stored in the fridge. It won't just make them last longer, but it'll keep them effective for longer, and without a weird smell.
Store in the refrigerator.
According to the experts, the hero ingredient actually needs to be applied to damp skin in order to work. In fact, applying it to a dry face can have the opposite effect of what is intended, and actually leave skin more dehydrated. "Hyaluronic acid is a moisture magnet," says Allies of Skin founder Nicolas Travis.
Yes, you can use hyaluronic acid with retinol together and it's perfectly safe to do so. In fact, using hyaluronic acid with retinol has synergistic effect on your skin because they complement each other.
Can hyaluronic acid and retinol be used together? Unlike many other skin care ingredients out there, hyaluronic acid and retinol can be used in the same skincare routine. Not only that, but using them together can help to lessen the severity of the side effects that often come with retinol usage.
Retinol + Hyaluronic Acid = Yes!
You should always replenish moisture after applying retinol, hence why retinol and hyaluronic acid are a dynamic duo in your skincare routine.
Retinol, around six months. Mascara, around three months.
Can you put retinol in the fridge? Just like vitamin C is beneficial but temperamental, since it oxidizes faster than other ingredients, retinol is another one to store in the fridge. Cooler temperatures will preserve the shelf-life plus keep ingredients as potent as possible for as long as possible.
While you're better off not mixing retinol with AHAs and BHAs (like glycolic and salicylic acid), retinol and hyaluronic acid are a perfect match. Combining these two actives can mean less fine lines and dry skin — which is a win-win, #letsbefrank.
Use only one retinol product at a time. Use retinol every other day rather than every day. Wait 30 minutes after washing your face before applying your retinol product. Avoid retinol products if you have a sunburn, broken skin or other skin irritations.
Retinol and tretinoin are both retinoids, which means they are compounds that come from vitamin A. They're both commonly used in topical creams to treat a number of skin conditions. Though they're similar, tretinoin is more concentrated than retinol.
Products With Active Ingredients
Heat, and light can speed up the expiration by weakening the active ingredient over time. Keeping your retinol moisturizer or benzoyl peroxide acne spot treatment in a dark and cool environment like the fridge will slow down the degradation of the active ingredient.
The majority of skin care products are created to be stored at room temperature without any issues. Unless the manufacturer kept the product in a refrigerator, if it was sold at the retailer in a refrigerator or if it's a prescribed medicated cream that needs to go in the fridge, there's no real reason to do it.
The cold helps ingredients stay potent for longer—especially antioxidants, growth factors and peptides—as well as extending their shelf life.” When a skincare label instructs you to keep your product in a “cool, dark place,” a skincare fridge instantly ticks both boxes.
In short: morning or evening are both fine, but be sure that you cleanse your pores beforehand. You also only really need to use face serum once per day regardless.