Should serums be refrigerated?

Author: Mr. Rex Blick  |  Last update: Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Refrigerating eye creams and serums can be a good thing for a couple of reasons. First, the cooling of the cream can help to increase the shelf life of the cream itself, which saves you money, while also enhancing the product's effect, too.

What happens if you don't refrigerate serum?

Can vitamin C serum go bad if not stored in the fridge? Yes, vitamin C serum can go bad if not stored in the fridge or in a cool, dry place. It can oxidize due to light, air, heat, and humidity. The serum should be replaced if it turns darker or orange, indicating oxidation.

How do you store serums?

The best way to store your skin care products is in a dry, room-temperature area away from direct sunlight.

Does hyaluronic acid serum need to be refrigerated?

Hyaluronic acid (HA) doesn't need to be kept in the refrigerator. But that doesn't mean it can withstand routine exposure to hot temperatures. As an antioxidant, HA experiences thermal degradation (8).

Should I put my ordinary serum in the fridge?

No. Refrigerating skincare is unnecessary unless the manufacturer says you HAVE to. You're fine keeping it at room temperature. Putting products not intended for refrigeration in the cold can alter consistency, formulation, and even the efficiency of the product. So yeah room temp is fine.

Skin care fridge: do you need?| Dr Dray

What serums should not be refrigerated?

These skincare products should never be refrigerated:
  • Exosome serums.
  • Growth factor serums.
  • Peptide serums. Extreme cold temperatures can potentially affect the stability and efficacy of growth factors and peptides in skincare products, including skin serums.

What serums to put in fridge?

Water-based serums with fragile ingredients, like vitamin C, may benefit from being stored at cooler temperatures. ⁴ Others containing antioxidants and retinol may also last longer if kept in a fridge depending on the formulation. Eye serums may also help reduce puffiness if they are chilled when you apply them.

Should I refrigerate vitamin C serum?

Store it in the fridge; just make sure you take it out a few minutes before applying to give it a chance to warm up. If you don't use the refrigerator, keep vit C in a cool, dark place. A cabinet or drawer away from windows will keep it from oxidizing. If the product's label shows it's expired, dispose of it.

Can I skip moisturizer if I use hyaluronic acid serum?

The answer is always yes, regardless of your skin type. Hyaluronic acid needs external moisture to do its best work, which is why it helps to apply it to damp skin. A moisturizer will not only seal in the hyaluronic acid, but will also provide the product with additional moisture to draw into the skin.

Should I refrigerate my retinol?

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. If irritation occurs, rinse off, cease use, and consult a physician.

Where is the best place to store serums?

Serums and Creams: These often contain active ingredients that are sensitive to light and air. Keep them in a dark, cool place and ensure they are tightly sealed after each use.

Is it better to keep serums in the fridge?

Short answer: no, not necessarily. Long answer: It may prolong the life span of some of your creams, lotions and serums. Most dermatologists recommend storing products in a cool, dry place. This is because heat and humidity can speed up the expiration date and change the active ingredients for the worse.

What is the optimum way to store serum?

Highly concentrated in active ingredients, serums must be stored in a dry and cool place far from any source of heat and humidity. However, they are usually kept in the bathroom, the most humid place in the house. The best thing to do is to keep them in the refrigerator.

When should you throw out serums?

Facial or body moisturizers and serums: 6 months to 1 year. Eye creams, gels, or treatments: 6 months to 1 year.

Can serum be stored at room temperature?

Serum samples can be stored at room temperature or refrigerated without affecting CRP concentrations. Circles represent percent differences in CRP values for samples ( n ϭ 19) stored at room temperature (RT or Room Temp.) or refrigerated compared to samples stored frozen at Ϫ 70°C for 3 weeks.

Can I leave serum without moisturizer?

Well, it depends. If you don't have dry skin and aren't in a dry environment or climate, it's easily possible to use just serum without moisturizer. However, using both may harness the most benefits for your skin. When you use a serum, it delivers active ingredients deep into the skin.

How long should you let hyaluronic acid sit before moisturizer?

Always make sure to follow with a moisturizer, this is a skincare must in general, but especially when using Hyaluronic Acid Serum because it locks the moisture in. But it's important to wait 30-60 seconds for the serum to absorb before following with other products.

What is the best face serum?

The top-rated face serums of 2025:
  • Best Face Serum for Breakouts. Sofie Pavitt Face Mandelic Acid Exfoliating & Clearing Serum. Read more.
  • Best Retinol Face Serum. La Roche Posay Retinol Face Serum with Vitamin B3. Read more.
  • Best Firming Face Serum. Caudalie Resveratrol-Lift Instant Firming Serum. Read more.

Is it okay to use 10% niacinamide serum every day?

Dr. Henry says that it's typically okay to use niacinamide twice a day (in the morning and in the evening), but advises that more than that could be excessive. As with any skincare ingredient, pay attention to its effect on your complexion to determine if you need to change its use in your regimen.

Which skincare products need to be refrigerated?

Here is a list of skincare products you may want to refrigerate:
  • Products that contain antioxidant vitamin C, retinol, or benzoyl peroxide for acne. ...
  • Facial tools. ...
  • Creams or gels for the eye area. ...
  • Water- and aloe vera-based skin care. ...
  • Moisturizers or lotions for eczema or rosacea.

What skincare should not be mixed?

Retinoids don't combine well with AHAs, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, or vitamin C due to potential stability issues and skin sensitivities, and soap-based cleansers can also reduce vitamin C's skin benefits.

Should I put my serums in the fridge?

From a chilled eye cream to a vitamin C serum, storing skincare products in a refrigerator gives them a longer shelf life, preserving their effectiveness so you can use them while they are at their best and brightest.

What is the best retinol serum?

Best retinol serums and treatments
  • The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane Serum. ...
  • PEACH & LILY Retinal For All Renewing Serum. ...
  • Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Retinol Serum. ...
  • La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Face Serum for Fine Lines & Wrinkles. ...
  • e.l.f. Cosmetics Youth Boosting Blue-ty Sleep Night Oil. ...
  • Naturium Retinol Complex Serum.

What does niacinamide do for skin?

Niacinamide helps strengthen the skin's lipid barrier, which is crucial for maintaining moisture and protecting against environmental aggressors. By supporting the skin's natural content of ceramides and fatty acids, niacinamide helps to prevent transepidermal water loss, keeping the skin hydrated and resilient.

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