Is Cold Weather Bad for Your Beauty Products?
Photo: Trunk Archive
Whether it’s boiling hot out or way below freezing, you’d be hard pressed to find any beauty lover without some sort of lip product on her person at all times. Sure, in the summer, she might cut down on her stash for the sake of avoiding a makeup meltdown (seriously, is anything worse than discovering a puddle of bright red lipstick in your purse?), but all bets are off come wintertime. When chilly temps abound, it’s practically mandatory to carry around at least one lip balm…or two…
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It got me to thinking—in the same way we guard our makeup bag in crazy-hot temps, should we also be extra-careful when the mercury drops? To gather some answers, I turned to Nicole Masson, vice president of global product development for MAC Cosmetics. Her professional take put my fears at ease—let’s just say my on-the-go lip balm collection is still going strong.
Dianna Mazzone: From a product performance standpoint, is there any reason not to bring beauty products out with you in the cold?
Nicole Masson: There’s no reason not to—they will not be harmed by the cold. Anything you can withstand, your makeup can, too. The waxes will get a little firmer though, so lip products will feel a little thicker, almost draggy going on skin.
DM: During the development process, are most beauty products tested to determine if they can withstand a variety of temperatures?
NM: Most products go through cycle testing which means the product is frozen then heated multiple times. This simulates the harshest shipping conditions—like a truck driving through a desert that’s hot during the day and cold at night—and would apply to you walking to work in the freezing cold then going into your warm office.
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DM: Some people store products in their refrigerator year ‘round to extend their shelf life—is there any truth to this?
NM: It may extend the efficacy of products that contain actives like vitamin C, so it’s useful for skincare. But like wine, anytime you can maintain a constant temperature—whether room temp or the fridge—that will always extend the shelf life.
DM: Is there a benefit to “warming up” a lip product with your hands or by any other method?
NM: When a product gets too cold, it can apply too stiffly and drag and pull the lip. To fix this, hold the lipstick to your lip for a few seconds to let your skin’s natural temperature warm it up a bit. It should then it should apply normally.
