Madison Yauger is commerce writer at PEOPLE, covering beauty, home, travel, and other lifestyle topics. Her background includes news, lifestyle, and commerce journalism for publications like Food & Wine, Real Simple, Health, Martha Stewart, and more. Prior to writing for Dotdash Meredith, she worked for a human rights news agency in Cape Town, South Africa, reporting action around the city as it unfolded. When not working, Madison enjoys spending time with family and friends, voraciously reading thrillers, and befriending every dog in Manhattan.
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Skincare products are designed to make your skin feel and look its best, but sometimes temperature can add an extra sense of relief and relaxation, especially when it comes to facial areas. A skincare fridge allows you to keep beauty products like moisturizers, face masks, and tools at a cool temperature so they feel even more amazing when applied to your face. And some even have heating capabilities, but we’ll get to that!
“Cold temperatures can help preserve products like antioxidants longer, as can proper packaging, and often dark packaging that does not let light in,” NYU Langone dermatological surgeon Mary L. Stevenson, MD tells PEOPLE. Though Dr. Stevenson doesn’t personally use a skincare fridge, she’s familiar with these products, and says, “Cold creams and products often can be soothing to the skin and gently massaging under the eyes with a cold roller or cold cream can help with puffiness under the eyes.”
After speaking to several experts and researching the market, we’ve rounded up the best skincare fridges. Read on for our picks as well as tips on what and what not to store in them.
This skincare fridge is perfect for those who want to keep a variety of beauty products chilled and ready to use, with a stunning design, spacious interior, and multiple shelves.
It might not be ideal for those on a budget or people who don’t want any condensation in the fridge.
“The Cooluli Mini Fridge is my go-to skin fridge,” esthetician and founder of SB Skin Shamara Bondaroff tells PEOPLE. Bondaroff is known for performing microcurrent facials and uses this skincare fridge to store tools and products. “The design is simple and chic, and it looks great in my microcurrent studio!” With multiple removable shelves, it can function to fit many different skincare products, and you can organize it any way you like — that’s what The Home Edit team did in a recent instagram post.
“It’s also nicely sized — it features three shelves and holds all of my products, but it’s still compact enough to fit on a counter,” Bondaroff says. “My favorite feature about this fridge is that it has a wide temperature range so you can really dial in how cold you prefer your products.” Some users did critique mild condensation toward the back of the unit, but temperature naturally fluctuates, so it’s not unreasonable that this would be the case. With warming and cooling capabilities, this fridge is versatile for many types of products and tools, and it won’t soon break — forged by aluminum, plastic, and tempered glass. For good measure, there’s also a spring lock on the door handle for extra security in case you bring this fridge on the go, since the handle makes it quite portable.
Price at the time of publish: $79.99
Capacity: 10 liters | Colors: 5 | Dimensions: 10 x 11.4 x 13.4 inches | Storage: Two shelves, door bin
This mini fridge is compact, affordable, and energy efficient, so it’s ideal for anyone who wants a reliable skincare fridge without all the frills.
There are fancier models that have smart tech, more storage/shelving, and locks, so if you want those features this might be too simple.
With three sections to store skincare and beauty tools, this whimsical little fridge is a fun addition to any beauty space. While it may not have fancy technology, this Crownful skincare fridge is efficient in its simplicity. With six bright colors like a retro mint green, calming sky blue, and Barbiecore pink, this fridge will fit into any aesthetic and preserve your products for longer than they would last sitting in the back of your dresser drawer.
Though minimalistic, this fridge is both energy-efficient and 100 percent freon-free, meaning no questionable gas near all your beauty essentials (we love an unproblematic fridge!). It has cooling and warming capabilities, though we caution against using the warming feature unless you’re sure the products you’re storing are intended to be stored and used hot. The best part is its portability — with an AC power cord, car charger, and handle, you can bring this fridge with you to cool your skincare supply on the go.
Price at the time of publish: $49.99
Capacity: 4 liters | Colors: 6 | Dimensions: 5.32 x 5.52 x 7.88 inches | Storage: One shelf, door bin
This fridge is meant for those who love well-designed appliances that look and function beautifully.
It’s not for someone who doesn’t want to spend a lot of money on a skincare fridge, or who wants many color options.
This cosmetics fridge from Qubi is an absolute beauty. With a sleek design and incredible organization and storage options within, this fridge can hold a wealth of makeup and skincare. It has a small half shelf which creates three zones in the main chamber for different sized products, and two small bins attached to the door for smaller items and sheet masks.
This model is climate controlled, so it removes any excess water and condensation from the back of the fridge, and it’s extremely quiet. There are two temperature switches to account for seasonal changes — one for 50 degrees (use in spring and summer) and one for 65 degrees (use in fall and winter). The vegan leather handle on top also allows for portability so you can take this gem on the road.
Price at the time of publish: $129 to $149.95, depending on color
Capacity: 5 liters | Colors: 2 | Dimensions: 14.7 x 14.5 x 10 inches | Storage: Two door bins, plus a layered half shelf
This cosmetics fridge is perfect for someone who likes the latest in tech, and wants more control over the features like temperature, shelf-life reminders, and frost prevention.
Since you’re paying for smart technology, this fridge isn’t necessary for someone who has a tighter budget, wants a more standard fridge, or needs something portable.
This fridge has all the components of smart tech with a contemporary design. You can use an app on your phone (via wifi!) to control the temperature, noise level, and modes, as well as be reminded when certain products expire. With nine liters of space, this is a roomy fridge with plenty of storage for tall, medium, and smaller products, and even has a sleeve attached to the lid to store sheet masks.
You can either use the standard mode, the smart mode (lets you schedule sleep times and adjust the noise level during that period), or night mode (a lower decibel noise level). Due to the size, this fridge isn’t portable, but would fit perfectly on a makeup desk or vanity. And with three stunning colors to choose from — emerald green, blush pink, and a muted white, it’ll be a statement piece wherever it lives in your home.
Price at the time of publish: $199.99
Capacity: 9 liters | Colors: 3 | Dimensions: 12.6 x 5.9 x 5.3 inches | Storage: Two vertical sections
Who it’s Good For: This fridge would be great for a makeup desk because it has an LED light mirror on the front so you can pull out your makeup and skincare and apply it using the mirror.
Who it’s Not Good For: Since there’s only one shelf (two divided sections), it may not serve someone well who needs ample storage.
A mirrored door is the perfect accessory for a skincare fridge because it allows you to see the makeup or skincare that you’re applying (and storing, when not!). And this white mini fridge from Cooseon has LED lights to illuminate the mirror for better viewing. It has a removable shelf, dividing the main chamber into two horizontal compartments. There’s also a small sleeve attached to the door that can hold sheet masks, and other flat beauty items. You don’t have to worry about freon with this fridge (it’s freon-free!), and it comes with adapters and portable chargers so you can pack it when you travel.
Price at the time of publish: $70.59 to $94.98
Capacity: 6 liters | Colors: 1 | Dimensions: 13 x 11 x 8 inches | Storage: One shelf, door sleeve
This retro cosmetics fridge is ideal for anyone who loves a vintage design, and needs a compact appliance to hold their beauty supplies.
This is a very simple model, so if you want more features, you should look at other options on our list.
For lovers of all things retro, this Frigidaire mini beauty fridge serves major throwback vibes. While simple in design — one shelf, two sections for storage — this fridge is super compact, making it ideal for placement on a vanity or even bathroom counter so it’s close by when you’re applying skincare and makeup. It comes in five unique colors that all tie into the vintage theme, and maintains a steady temperature with a thermoelectric cooling system. There’s also a lock on the door to keep your items secure so they don’t fall out, should you take this fridge on a trip — the handle and included adapters makes it portable.
Price at the time of publish: $29.99 to $51.10, depending on color
Capacity: 4 liters | Colors: 5 | Dimensions: 10 x 10 x 7 inches | Storage: One shelf
This fridge is perfect for someone who doesn’t want to spend too much money, but wants a reliable and well-designed fridge to keep their beauty products cool and well-organized for long-term use.
It only comes in one color, so if you want more personalization, this might not be the best choice for you.
Finishing Touch knows all about good skincare with celebrity ambassadors like Emma Roberts praising the brand. And now they have a skincare fridge to store all your favorite tools and products. This cosmetics fridge has a removable shelf and a door bin, providing plenty of space to store and separate products based on your own method of organization.
For instance, moisturizers and face masks on top of the shelf, and taller serums beneath. Plus the bin on the door can be used to store face rollers, gua shas, and dermaplaning tools upright. No matter how you organize this fridge, the four liters of space provides room to keep your essentials while not taking up too much space in your home.
Editor's note: The new model of this fridge looks slightly more contemporary via customer reviews, but product images at retailers have not yet been updated.
Price at the time of publish: $59.99
Capacity: 4 liters | Colors: 1 | Dimensions: 8 x 11.25 x 11.56 inches | Storage: One shelf, door bin
This fridge would be perfect for makeup artists because it’s completely portable so you can take it with you wherever and ensure your beauty products will stay fresh and cool.
It’s not super deep, so for those who need to store a bunch of products, you might want a bigger fridge.
Built for the road or wherever you go, this compact fridge is perfect for traveling with your beauty essentials. It has a handle for carrying on top, and comes with plugs for standard outlets and car chargers so you can use it on the go. The thermoelectric system allows for cooling temperatures of 40 to 45 degrees below the temperature of the room it’s stored in, and warming temps of 122 to 144 degrees. You can change settings by simply flipping a switch, and the insulated interior can hold the temperature even after the fridge is unplugged. This fridge is highly energy efficient, freon-free, and super quiet.
Price at the time of publish: $49.99
Capacity: 4 liters | Colors: 7 | Dimensions: 7.2 x 9.95 x 10.83 inches | Storage: One shelf, door bin
This is a great portable mini fridge for storing your beauty products, and with a temperature range that goes up to 150 degrees, it’s ideal for those who want to heat products and tools as well.
Since it’s designed to be compact with only 4 Liters of space, it might not work for someone who needs to store a larger quantity of products.
Obviously, most beauty fridges are intended to cool products and tools, but this one has a capability to heat up to 150 degrees, meaning you can utilize the hot mode too. While there are many products that should not be heated, we have a few suggestions. You could use this feature to warm up damp wash clothes to steam your face prior to applying a face mask. And while you shouldn’t store oils or clay products when the fridge is cold because it can affect the consistency, the hot mode (used responsibly!) can be a good way to warm up hair oils and clay masks, for instance. This fridge is quiet, portable, freon-free, and under $50, so if you’re looking for a compact and versatile fridge, this one’s your guy.
Price at the time of publish: $48.99
Capacity: 4 liters | Colors: 6 | Dimensions: 6.9 x 9.45 x 10 inches | Storage: One removable shelf
With 10 liters to work with, this fridge is good for someone who wants to store tall products and big beauty tools.
There is one removable shelf so if you need to store many small beauty products, this may not be as ideal as something with more shelves.
While this skincare fridge is still relatively small, it’s quite spacious for storage with 10 liters of space to work with. It comes with one shelf which you can place toward the top to store small jars of moisturizers and sheet masks, while placing tall products beneath such as facial mists, serums, and face rollers. With a temperature ranging around 41 to 48 degrees (the lowest setting at 32 degrees), this fridge is ideal for storing beauty and skincare products to treat your face to a cool refresh.
Price at the time of publish: $99.95
Capacity: 10 liters | Colors: 2 | Dimensions: 24.5 x 29 x 34 centimeters | Storage: One removable shelf, door bin
The most important consideration of a fridge is the temperature. “More than looking cute on a counter, finding a fridge with a reliable temperature setting is key,” says Bondaroff. “Having the ability to adjust the temperature function in order to preserve the efficacy of your products is the number one thing to consider when purchasing a skincare fridge. Controlling the temperature of your fridge also lends itself to easier product application and absorption as it not only preserves the formulation, but keeps the texture of your product intact.” Smart fridges like our Lvara pick even allow you to control the temperature when you’re not home.
You should consider the overall size of the fridge, especially depth and height so you can determine which products will fit. For storing taller items like serums, cleansers, or beauty tools like a jade roller, you’ll want a taller skincare fridge or one with a removable shelf to give you more space (such as the FaceTory fridge). For shorter wide items like tubs of moisturizer, flat sheet masks, or eye treatments, having a fridge with more depth and multiple shelves will help you fit more products.
The type of skincare fridge you buy should obviously take into account what you’re planning to store and how you want to use the fridge. If you use a lot of skincare products and tools, you should look for features that will aid the longevity and efficacy of each product (bearing in mind ingredients and consistency). If you travel with your makeup, then a portable skincare fridge will allow you to keep products fresh and nearby regardless of where you are. And for products that need warming, you can look for fridges with heating capabilities (we recommend the AstroAl mini fridge) — just make sure to follow instructions closely to avoid heating products that are not intended to be used warm.
Per our expert, it’s less about the product type, and more about the ingredients and consistency. “Zooming out a bit, if you tend to gravitate towards cleaner products formulated without preservatives, a skincare fridge is for you,” says Bondaroff. “Other products like vitamin C for example — that tend to oxidize when exposed to light, warmth, and moisture — also sit well in skincare fridges. You should always consider the formula and the product’s consistency before storing it in the fridge (or not). Products that have lighter consistencies like water and gel-based moisturizers or serums usually live happily in a fridge. Similarly, products with “active” levels of skincare ingredients or botanicals do well in the fridge, too.”
Both experts agree that oils are a no-go. “Extremely thick creams, facial oils that have the potential to separate, and clay-based products are not best suited for a skincare fridge as it can alter the consistency of the product,” Bondaroff says. Dr. Stevenson echoes this sentiment — “Oils [...], should not be refrigerated,” she adds.
Yes and no. “I love storing my beauty tools in the fridge,” Bondaroff shares. “I keep my gua sha, jade roller, and any other lymph-moving, de-puffing tools on my fridge shelves. Chilling your tools doesn’t necessarily make them any more or less effective; however, a colder temperature can aid in extra de-puffing and soothing.” It’s sort of a placebo effect because cooler tools feel better on your face, which can give you a sense of refreshment no matter what’s happening at the cellular level. “I like to keep my tools in the fridge simply because it makes for the most relaxing experience,” she says.
Yes! “I recommend keeping water-based or gel-based moisturizers in the fridge,” says Bondaroff. “Products that feature a jelly-like or watery consistency do well there as it helps to preserve texture, efficacy, and consistency. They also feel like an extra cooling and soothing treat after sitting in the fridge!”
Madison Yauger is a seasoned writer who’s tested hundreds of lifestyle products across all categories. With a background in news and lifestyle journalism, she has a wide network of expert sources and a penchant for accuracy. For this story, she spoke to an esthetician and a dermatologist, as well as heavily researching the market of skincare fridges to determine the best picks for different needs.