The heat is just crazy these days that not only am I worried about how it will affect my skin, but also how my beauty products would fare.

When it comes to making cosmetics and beauty products last longer, lower temperature does the trick better. For a week now, I have dumped some of my faves in a ziplock and put them in the refrigerator where cheese is supposed to be stored. I didn’t want to wait for my lipstick to melt (seriously, it was sweating already) and knew that this heat would definitely make my skin products change their consistency faster.

Lipsticks are prone to oxidation, and the little sweat beads are actually oil coming out of the wax, which would make the lipstick spread unevenly. This process of “sweating” is called syneresis. What alarmed me was when I was about to apply my foundation with SPF and noticed that its consistency had changed. I wasn’t sure if the SPF would still be effective, so I threw the product away.

Now I have three bags of ziplocks—one for products I use during the day, another for those I use at night and a third for some fave cosmetics and my MAC polish in Little Girl. Not only do I know I am prolonging the shelf life of my products, but using them has also become more pleasurable.

Many eye creams claim to reduce puffiness, but only a few really deliver this result. Surprisingly, I’ve noticed since putting my eye cream in the ref that puffiness has not been a problem. It does make sense; using cool cucumbers on the eyes, or even a cool washcloth, delivers the same result. It’s the temperature of the product that helps reduce puffiness, so the cold does give the eye cream that extra boost.

Refreshing

Also, ever since I’ve tried Kiehl’s Acai Damage-Protecting Toning Mist, I’ve been hooked. It’s 100-percent natural and clinically proven to combat skin damage from environmental aggressors, while improving skin tone, texture and elasticity.

I don’t exactly know if it has affected my skin, but it’s refreshing and makes my complexion feel clean even after I’ve been out the whole day and have become too tired to wash it. I also like spraying it on after I put on my makeup. I saw one makeup artist use it at a shoot, and he said it helps the makeup stay longer and not look like it is sitting on the skin.

Keeping the toning mist in the refrigerator makes it just more refreshing and perfect for this summer’s heat. In fact, if you’re not really into using too many products, I suggest keeping a spritzer with water and leaving it in the ref for you to spray on your face. If you want to pamper yourself more, add a lemon wedge. That should make it extremely refreshing.

For all those who use anti-aging products that contain vitamin C or vitamin serums (which I use), these products are really best kept in the refrigerator, because it keeps the vitamin C from breaking down, and makes applying the product more soothing.

I even put my cologne Hierbas de Ibiza and my kids’ baby cologne Royale Ambree in the ref. I think I’ve become quite obsessed. I transferred their cologne to little containers that I got from Muji. Yes, it keeps the smell longer.

Over the weekend, I will try and surf the Internet for an inexpensive small refrigerator made to store beauty products. I’m sure I’ll be able to find one that I can share with you. In the meantime, my three ziplocks will have to stay in the ref.

Once you’ve tried it, the experience of spraying chilled cologne is a whole new thing. I doubt I will ever tire of it, even after the summer. Remember, the sun is bad not only for our skin, but also for the beauty products we love.