Why Is Storing Your Skin Care in the Bathroom Problematic?

According to Dr. Henry, whether or not you should store your skin care in the bathroom truly depends on your bathroom. It’s true that skin care needs to be protected from certain factors that often exist in the bathroom. But as for whether or not it’s terrible to store your skin care collection in your bathroom, there’s no definitive answer because it really depends on the environment. If you have good ventilation and minimal light exposure in your bathroom and you prefer to keep your products in there for convenience, you can.

“If you have a climate-controlled bathroom and it stays pretty cool, or you have dark vanities to store your products in, then it's not a bad idea to keep your skin care there,” she says. “If you’re someone who doesn't have a well-controlled temperature in their bathroom or doesn't have dark vanities or drawers to store skin care in, then you may want to rethink it.”

According to Henry, while most products are commercially made with stable and lab-tested packaging, storing your skin care in the bathroom can decrease the shelf-life of your products due to the constant exposure to heat and humidity. Active ingredients such as vitamin C and retinoids are the ones that are going to be the most susceptible to succumbing to the humid conditions.

If you still have concerns, the best thing to do is to store your skin care in a drawer or vanity. A dark, covered space should suffice against the bathroom’s hot, steamy conditions. If you don’t have drawers or a vanity in your bathroom, you may want to invest in a skin care fridge if you have the real estate, Henry recommends. “It’s not a gimmick, it works and it can improve the longevity of your products.”

As for what products should take priority in your skin care fridge, our top picks include moisturizer and serums. 

Source: L'Oréal