If you wear makeup, have a skincare routine, or have a high maintenance hairstyle, you know that beauty products are not cheap! They can also be difficult to store as many of them are tiny or come in a variety of different packaging. Here we will breakdown the best ways to store your beauty products so you can focus on looking and feeling your best!

Temperature Matters

You know how sometimes your product’s packaging advises “store in a cool, dark place?” Pay attention to that! Particularly the dark part.

You know how sometimes your product’s packaging advises “store in a cool, dark place?” Pay attention to that!  Particularly the dark part. Most of your makeup and skincare items will be fine at room temperature as long as they are out of direct sunlight. Sunlight accelerates the aging of your products by heating them, breaking down the active ingredients and rendering them pretty much useless. If you have products that utilize dark packaging to block the UV rays, then countertops and vanities are fine for storage, but a majority of your products should go into a cabinet or a drawer of some type. A friend recently discovered that the formula for her favorite sea salt spray had completely changed after leaving it on her vanity in the sunlight. She had to toss it and get a new one. Lesson learned- keep it out of the sun!

Keeping you products out of the direct sunlight will also keep them cool! Colder temperatures not only extend the shelf life of your products, but the coolness makes them feel more refreshing when you apply them. This is more true of skincare products than makeup. Your mascara and milk don’t need to share a shelf but you should be designating some refrigerator space for any skincare products that contain retinol or vitamin C as the cold temperatures slow down the degradation of these sensitive ingredients. You should also store eye creams in the fridge to encourage their de-puffing powers! Cool and refreshing temperatures can also be great for after-sun care so tuck some aloe vera in there too.

Some unlikely products that will benefit from the cooler temperatures? Popping your nail polish in the fridge can help get rid of clumps, and you can reshape lipsticks that have cracked or melted by leaving them in the fridge for a couple of hours. Don’t leave them in there for too long though as the chilliness can cause the oil and wax to separate over time. Also make sure the temperature in your fridge isn’t too low as extremely cold temperatures can be just as harmful to your products as heat. Lotions, creams, and conditioners in particular become very unstable if partially frozen and later thawed. If you live somewhere that gets cold during the winter, keep your products away from window sills.

Avoid Steaming Your Products

The steam from your shower can condense on the surface of your products and cause them to generate mold!

You’re probably thinking your products will be ok in your bathroom medicine cabinet. Not so fast! The steam from your shower can condense on the surface of your products and cause them to generate mold! You should move any bath salts and scrubs, powders, and anything that doesn’t have a really strong seal (think of your compacts and eyeshadow palettes for example) someplace dry and dark. This goes for tools like beauty sponges or foundation brushes that can become breeding grounds for mold if they become damp. After you clean your tools you should let them air dry outside of your bathroom to avoid this as well.

Storing Makeup

Make sure you toss anything with an off smell or change in color as it could cause irritation and breakouts on your skin.

Not sure how to set up your vanity? Start by categorising your make-up! Separate your lipsticks, blushers and eye make-up, then group them based on color or texture (whether they are a cream, gel, or powder formulation). Their texture or formula will most likely affect their packaging so that is something to keep in mind as well. Creams and gels typically come in jar packaging while powders come in compacts. You should also purge any old or expired products and give away anything unused that you don’t plan on wearing. Make sure you toss anything with an off smell or change in color as it could cause irritation and breakouts on your skin.

Next step, divide and conquer (literally) by getting some drawer dividers! These not only make your vanity look more attractive, but it will be much easier to find things. Pixie Types Organics and Smarts need to be able to see what is in a drawer to stay organized so these types might opt for stackable acrylic drawers! That way you can scan the contents without rummaging through 101 different places to find what you’re looking for. Make-up brushes, eyelash curlers and eyeliners should be kept out of your bathroom and upright in open-top container on your vanity. You can repurpose empty candle holders, cute coffee mugs and flower pots or pour decorative beads into a glass jar and stick them in.

Want more tips on organizing your space to work for YOU? Buy our book!

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