The Single Worst Place to Stash Your Skin Care

First things first, the worst place to keep your skin care products is probably where you are currently keeping them…the bathroom. Unless it’s a half-bath, chances are your bathroom is also the room where you shower. And, unless you shower in seriously chilly temps, that room likely gets pretty warm and fills up with steam on the regular.

Why You Shouldn’t Store Your Products in the Bathroom

Unless the product box says differently, most skin care products—as well as most of your makeup—should be stored at room temperature. What’s more? They should also be stored in a dark place. “Some ingredients are inactivated by light,” explains Skincare.com consultant and board-certified dermatologist Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali. This can also be true when certain formulas are heated—caused by either a steamy shower or direct sunlight—as it can render certain ingredients within them ineffective. Chief among them? Vitamin C (or l-ascorbic acid) and retinol.

Another downside of storing your skin care products in a steamy bathroom? When your products aren’t tightly sealed, condensation can seep in, causing the perfect breeding ground for mold and bacteria to grow. This is why Dr. Bhanusali is partial to products that are packaged in pump dispensers. “I tend to like pumps the most since they minimize the contact with air,” he shares.

Where You Should Store Your Skin Care Products

Now certain products are likely going to be harder not to keep near the sink—think: cleansers. But, for others, like your serums and moisturizers—and even your body lotions—consider keeping them on a vanity in the bedroom or in your linen closet. If you don’t have a place to use your skin care products other than your bathroom, bring them in after you’re done showering and the steam has cleared the room or keep them under the sink or in a cabinet to minimize their contact with the steam.