Do You Need a Skincare Fridge? Here's What Experts Say (2024)

Skincare fridges are convenient for storing the heavy hitters of your skincare regimen and make a lovely addition to any vanity display, but beyond the aesthetics, chilling your skincare products can actually benefit your skin. “Cold skincare products have the most benefit when you’re looking to constrict blood vessels for a firmer, tighter appearance such as reducing dark under-eye bags or puffiness,” says Gretchen Frieling, M.D., a certified dermatopathologist at GFaceMD.

This means that eye creams, face mists and jade rollers, and products with high concentrations of vitamin C can benefit from being stored in the fridge, while water-based products like toners and sheet masks can provide a refreshing and cooling effect, especially on tired or puffy skin.

The Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty, Health & Sustainability Lab extensively reviews and tests beauty tools for efficacy, usability and more. While our Beauty Lab scientists have yet to test skincare fridges, we relied on our experience testing and reviewing beauty products to find the best skincare fridges from trusted brands with innovative features. We teamed with board-certified dermatologists to vet these picks, and had our beauty editors weigh in on their favorites and sift through reviews to ensure these picks will stand up to the task.

Cooluli specializes in mini thermoelectric fridges, and this one’s lightweight, comes with a carrying handle and claims its three-amp cooling chip saves energy. It also fits plenty: “Without the middle shelf, I’ve got more than a dozen sheet masks, three 1-2 ounce vials of serums and toner, an eye cream, and an eye serum roller,” says one Amazon reviewer. At under $50, this mini fridge is affordable for many; however, several reviewers complain that it begins to malfunction anywhere from six months to two years.

The addition of an LED light mirror door on this fridge lets you apply your skincare and makeup easily — plus, it adds a nice decorative touch to your makeup vanity. It's a little larger at six liters, so it's more accommodating for taller serums, washes and lotions. (If you want something smaller, they do offer a four-liter option.) We like that there's even a heat function in case you wanted to keep moist towels warm. This is a favorite of South Florida-based dermatologist Angelo P. Thrower, M.D, who says, "It's small but with a high capacity. Its towel warmer feature makes it, by far, the most versatile beauty fridge."

With over 38,000 reviews on Amazon and an average 4.3 star rating, reviewers love this budget-friendly pick. The brand claims it cools down to a frosty 32ºF and heats up to 150°F, making it versatile for cooling skincare or warming towels. "Works perfectly at an amazing cost," says one Amazon reviewer, though several warn that it doesn't last longer than a year, so don't expect a ton of longevity from this pick.

Headed on a road trip? This mini fridge features a secure latch to keep your items secure, plus a sleek top handle for easy portability. It also comes with a car-compatible plug so you can keep it cool on the road. That said, a few Amazon reviewers agree that the fridge hums a little too loudly. "It's fine for picnics and road trips, but some people might mind it in the bedroom," says one reviewer.

From the brand that delivers hard-to-get Korean skincare to your door, this FaceTory skincare fridge is meant to keep all your toners and serums cool. Its 10-liter capacity is more than double that of other skincare fridges, but its footprint is still compact enough to fit atop a vanity. We love that the door-side shelf rack can hold multiple sheet masks and can even be adjusted higher or lower, making it perfect for the person with various types of beauty products. The mini fridge comes in a brilliant coral or meditative mint, adding vibrancy to any room it's in. Amazon reviewers note that a little condensation forms every once in a while, which can be fixed with a gentle wipe down.

The lighting on this fridge isn't just aesthetically pleasing — it's useful for applying makeup or skincare. A Walmart customer shares, "Not only is the price affordable but it's also a LED mirror." With a six-liter capacity and adjustable shelf, you have the option to store taller items if needed. It also features an inner door rack for extra storage. The fridge comes in black and white options, but keep in mind that some users found the fridge may not last beyond the first year.

This retro-style refrigerator is from Frigidaire, a top brand for refrigerators and other home appliances. It's small with just a four-liter capacity and there's no storage space in the door, but it can keep your skincare products cool at your preferred temperature (it claims to go down to 32ºF). The best part: It features a little Bluetooth speaker to play music, perfect for listening to your favorite playlist while you get ready, plus a top handle for easier carrying.

The white glossy finish, included stickers and rose gold details definitely makes this mini fridge one of the cutest options to buy. The front door is inscribed with the word "Flawless," and is actually a dry-erase board so you can personalize your fridge or keep track of what's inside. The interior of this four-liter fridge opens to two shelves with one removable rack and a door-side basket for smaller beauty items. One Amazon reviewer says that it's a "perfect size for skincare and I've had it a couple [of] years and it still works perfect," though a few complained of condensation that collects at the bottom.

Magically multifunctional, this mini fridge can keep things cool or warm with a simple flip of a switch. It has a removable shelf and is equipped with an AC power cord and a car cigarette lighter plug, making it perfect for those on the go, no matter where you need to keep products warm or cool. Multiple Amazon reviewers say it "gets colder than you think," and that the cooling function "works great." One warns, "it does make a little noise but it’s faint enough to it won’t disturb you too much when you are sleeping."

The Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab tests thousands of beauty items every year, including beauty tools, makeup, hair products, skincare products and more. Though the Lab has not yet tested skincare fridges, Nicole Papantoniou, Director of the Kitchen Appliances and Technology Lab, regularly tests full-sized and miniature fridges throughout the year. Based on this, we gave preference to brands that performed well in past Lab tests. We also turned to board-certified dermatologists and beauty editors for their favorites. We took into account top-rated reviews and evaluated each pick for its capacity, footprint, features and extras, and considered any consumer gripes before making our selections.

"A skincare fridge is a small fridge, typically only a few liters or the size of a six-pack of soda," Dr. Moore says. Skincare fridges can help maintain the stabilization of your products, particularly beauty products that don't contain preservatives, and create a therapeutic cooling sensation on skin that can help de-puff and reduce skin inflammation. Because the fridge allows you to keep your beauty items in one place, your skincare masks and serums become easily accessible and portable.

Nope, keeping beauty products in the fridge doesn't necessarily extend their shelf life, says Dr. Moore. However, Dr. Thrower argues that cooling your products can “maintain the potency.”

This article was written by former Productds & Reviews Editor Shanon Maglente and updated by contributing writer Danielle James, who has interviewed countless beauty experts and personally tested hundreds of products during her career. For this story, Danielle gathered product picks and interviewed the founder of Dr. Thrower Skincare, Dr. Angelo P. Thrower, a dermatologist with over 25 years of experience, specializing in ethnic skin and hair conditions. Danielle also interviewed board-certified dermatologist Dr. Brian Moore, the Dermatology Advisor to Illuminate Labs.