There is a lot of debate over the use of a small beauty or product fridge to keep your skincare. While many say it is just for Natural Products to help lengthen their shelf life and keep bacteria at bay, they are right. There is also a reason not just Natural Products should be kept in a fridge and even your highly chemical and preservative laden products should be kept at optimal temperature. Many of the chemical ingredients added to most skincare really should come with a MSDS sheet. (Information to include in safety data sheets. SDS must provide information on the: Hazards of the chemical and how to handle it safely, including storage and disposal. Physical and chemical properties of the chemical, as well as potential health and emergency response measures.)
Realistically it wouldn't fit on the packaging and who would read it anyway.
Our skin is the largest organ of the body. It has several functions, the most important being to form a physical barrier to the environment, allowing and limiting the inward and outward passage of water, electrolytes and various substances while providing protection against microorganisms, ultraviolet radiation and toxic agents (Washington education, 2006).
However, the skin’s porous nature means what you put on it can penetrate through the superficial layer of the skin, which in turn can affect your health and sense of well-being, negatively or positively.
Let's look at sunscreen for example....
There is a warning on most sunscreen labels to keep below 30deg. In our Hot Aussie Summers that can be a tall order especially if your like people I know who keep their sunscreen as accessible as possible eg: in their cars, in their golf bags, in sports or beach bags, near the bbq, etc etc. What happens when your sunscreen overheats??? Many of the chemical ingredients change their composition and can become harmful, toxic and carcinogenic.
Chemical sunscreens use ingredients like avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene, or oxybenzone to create a chemical reaction on your skin, turning the harmful UV rays into heat.
Oxybenzone which is used in some of our most trusted brands becomes a penetration enhancer (i.e., a chemical that helps other chemicals penetrate the skin)which undergoes a chemical reaction when exposed to UV rays. When oxybenzone is absorbed by your skin, it can cause an eczema-like allergic reaction that can spread beyond the exposed area and last long after you're out of the sun. Experts also suspect that oxybenzone disrupts hormones (i.e., mimics, blocks, and alters hormone levels) which can throw off your endocrine system. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 97 percent of Americans have this chemical circulating in our bodies, as it can accumulate more quickly than our bodies can get rid of it.
Sunscreen chemicals such as benzophenone-3, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (EHMC) and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, (BMDBM) have more recently been utilised in cosmetic and personal care products to protect consumers against the adverse effects of solar radiation. However, some of these UV filters can have side effects with potential health risks to the consumer.
Laboratory studies of several sunscreen chemicals indicate that they may mimic hormones and disrupt the hormone system (Krause et al 2012; Schlumpf 2001, 2008).
In addition, two European studies have detected sunscreen chemicals in mothers’ breast milk, indicating that the developing fetus and newborns may be exposed to these substances (Schlumpf 2008; Schlumpf 2010). A 2010 study by Margaret Schlumpf of the University of Zurich found at least one sunscreen chemical in 85 percent of milk samples.
Do you really know what Chemicals are in you and your families personal products?
Do you care that they could be having an adverse effect on you and your families health?
No matter what products you use really take the time to look at the ingredients they contain and make an informed decision on what is best for your health. This includes understanding how to use and especially Store your products in the most beneficial way.
So a mini beauty fridge may seem indulgent and over the top but it could have cost saving health benefits later on.
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