Yes, you read the headline correctly. Skincare fridges are the latest beauty trend to take the industry by storm. So, forget annoying your significant other with your sheet masks stashed in the vegetable drawer and invest in the cutest mini fridge you ever did see to sit on top of your vanity. Designed to extend the shelf life of your products, reduce bacteria growth and help you keep your favourite products organised and chilled, these fridges are far more than another beauty fad–they actually work.

But are they 100 per cent necessary? And what do you even put in them? We break it down for you so you can decide whether the investment is for you. Not that we’re trying to convince you or anything but did we mention that they also come in hot pink and peach? SMEG each your heart out!

What’s The Point Of A Beauty Fridge?

A good starting point, dear reader, so thank you for asking. A beauty fridge is designed with both cold and hot settings to achieve an optimal storage temperature for your favourite skincare and beauty products. Working to extend the shelf life of your products and reducing any harmful bacteria from becoming present, the fridge will ensure that your hard earned cashola is put to good use by keeping your products fresher for longer. Plus, keeping your products on the cooler side has fantastic skin calming and puffiness-reducing properties which we all need first thing in the morning.

Which Skincare Should Be Refrigerated?

The great news is that most skincare products can be refrigerated in order to extend their shelf life. Think serums, moisturisers, face masks and face mists. Facial tools such as gua shas and jade rollers can also be stored in the beauty fridge for extra de-puffing ability as well as nail polishes and fragrances. 

Should you wish to use the fridge on the hot setting, wax strips, hair masks, wax pots, essential oils and facial oils can also be stored in the fridge. Talk about versatility!

Which Skincare Should Not Be Refrigerated?

In terms of what shouldn’t be stored in a beauty fridge, we would recommend avoiding storing any skincare products that have the chance of becoming unstable. Think retinol, harsher chemical exfoliants and cleansers. These products generally have stabilising ingredients in them to keep them performing at optimal levels so don’t need to be stored in cooler temperatures. 

While you can also definitely store makeup in the beauty fridge as well, we would recommend sticking to base products (think primer, foundation and concealer) and keeping your eyeshadows, mascaras and eyeliners in your makeup bag so they don’t dry out.

Which Cosmetic Fridge Is Best?

As with most beauty trends, once it takes off more and more product options come of the woodwork. The original Beauty Fridge retails for $129.99 and is a great investment if you’ve been eyeing one off for a while. If you’re a newcomer to the world of cosmetic fridges though, there are a few more options that fall under the $100 mark. The Target Beauty Fridge retails for $99 and is a great starting point. If you’re looking for one that also double as a mirror for your vanity (we love space saving hacks), the Kadee Botanicals Beauty Fridge comes with an LED mirror and retails for $245.

Do Beauty Fridges Use A Lot Of Electricity?

What’s the use in buying another beauty apparatus if it’s going to send your electricity bill through the roof? Luckily for us, beauty fridges typically only use 0.5/kWh of power per day. This number will obviously fluctuate slightly depending on which beauty fridge you buy but for comparison a toaster generally uses 1.37/kWh of power when in use.