As a longtime beauty editor with an ever-growing product stash, I’d love nothing more than a dedicated glam room. In reality, though, I do everything in my regular bathroom: skincare, hair, makeup, you name it. (Shoutout to my husband, who graciously survives with minimal counter space.) Without medicine cabinets, most of my products end up in category-labeled bins under the sink, while makeup lives in pouches tucked into a basket by the tub, with a few hair tools scattered throughout. Sounds like a pretty normal setup, right?
Turns out, this seemingly harmless situation may have been shortening the lifespan—and even ruining—some of my most-loved products. Ahead, dermatologist Mona Gohara explains which beauty products you should move out of your bathroom ASAP, plus where to store them instead.
Mona Gohara, MD, associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine
Storing beauty products in the bathroom may seem like a no-brainer, but as Gohara puts it, “If heat, steam, or moisture can mess with it, the bathroom isn’t its home.”
9 Beauty Products to Move Out of Your Bathroom ASAP
Perfume
“Warm air messes with the scent story before you even spray it,” Gohara says. Heat and humidity can actually break down fragrance molecules, changing and even spoiling the scent. This means keeping your favorite bottle in your car’s center console or displaying it on your vanity are also no-gos. A better option: keep the outer box and store it in a cool, dark spot (think: a closet or dresser drawer) to keep it smelling good as new for longer.
Nail Polish
“The humidity in your bathroom will thicken the polish up faster than you can say ‘top coat,’” Gohara jokes. But in all seriousness, the change in temperature can trigger the polish to get clumpy, while light exposure can lead to fading (I swear I’ve experienced this at the salon—the shade in the book never looks exactly like the polish that’s been sitting out on the wall) and even evaporation. So even though the bottles look cute, it’s best to tuck them away in a dark, cool spot in an upright position.
Vitamin C Serum
“This one hurts,” Gohara admits, adding, “It’s the reason I asked Santa for a skincare fridge!” The truth is that “bathroom heat turns your glow juice into expired orange juice,” she says. Vitamin C is already tricky to stabilize. Add light, heat, and humidity to the mix, and oxidation is bound to occur. This means that the pricy serum you splurged on will most likely break down and not be as effective. Gohara advises storing it in a drawer, the original box, or a skincare fridge.
Medicine and Supplements
Hear me out: I thought by putting my supplements near my skincare, I would remember to use them. But, Gohara says, “A steamy bathroom quietly turns reliable meds and supplements into question marks.” They, of course, also do best in a cool, dark environment.
SPF (Especially Chemical Sunscreens)
“Sun protection doesn’t love sauna conditions,” says Gohara. “Heat breaks down sunscreen filters.” Instead, she prefers to stash them in her entryway drawer. Doing so “keeps it effective and easy to remember—it’s the last step before I leave.”
Face Masks
“Bathrooms make sheet and hydrogel masks ‘ewww’ and goo, stealing their intended freshness,” she says. “Storing them in the fridge is ideal since cool storage helps preserve ingredients and, bonus, makes them feel amazing on inflamed or puffy skin.”
Makeup Brushes & Sponges
“Bathrooms turn brushes into bacteria hotels,” Gohara warns. After washing, “let them dry outside of the bathroom. Store them in a breathable cup or drawer, because damp sponges are bacteria magnets.”
Pressed Makeup
“When it comes to powders, blush, bronzer, and eyeshadow, humidity sneaks into the compact, breaking down binders so powders crack, hardpan, and crumble. Bathrooms turn powders into crumble chaos,” she says. Instead, “a cool, dry vanity drawer keeps them smooth and usable for longer.”
Hair Tools
“Moist air forces hot tools—blow-dryers, curling irons, and flat irons—to work harder, stresses the heating elements, and invites risky plug-ins with wet hands.” And because these tools aren’t cheap, it’s important to note that moist air can also shorten their lifespans. Store cooled tools in a bedroom drawer with a heat sleeve or silicone mat, Gohara recommends.
