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Raise your hand if you grew up with a mom who insisted on keeping all sorts of beauty supplies in the fridge. Did she tell you that it would make the product last a lot longer? Yeah, us too.

Like much of our Mom’s wisdom, there’s a kernel of truth here: it can SOMETIMES be really beneficial to store your beauty products in the fridge. But there are important caveats. When it comes to putting products in the fridge, it’s all about knowing what requires chilly​ shelf space to retain optimum freshness. Think of makeup like you would your food: if it has an expiration date, keeping it in the fridge could be a serious beauty saver!​

Here’s the breakdown of what beauty products you should (and should never!) store in the fridge.

Oils.
Never, ever store your oils in the fridge. Not only will they separate and potentially congeal, the cold will change the chemical makeup and rid your oil of its ​slip and slide​, says makeup artist Annie Tevelin, of SkinOwl.

Eye creams and serums.
The cold will work especially well in the morning to de-puff the under-eye area, especially in summer, says makeup artist Jennifer Trotter of Lip Service Makeup.

Pencils.
If it’s really hot and you need a sharp point on your lip or eye pencil, a few minutes in the fridge before sharpening will do the trick, says Trotter. However, tread carefully with kohl eye pencils you use on your inner rims…you want those to be nice and soft, not hard!

Anything organic.
Organic or homemade cosmetics without preservatives must go in the fridge, but be sure to check expiration because although they will stay fresh longer, they won’t stay fresh indefinitely, says Trotter.

Lipstick. 
Don’t place lipstick in your fridge. Makeup artist Ramy Gafni of Ramy Beauty says ingredients in products like lipstick will separate if refrigerated and condensation can make them lose moisture. Once you refrigerate, you must always keep that product refrigerated or it will go bad. However, if you accidentally melt a lipstick, a few minutes in the fridge will return it to its normal shape and consistency, Trotter says.

Eye shadow.
Eye shadows, blush and face powders do better in a dry location away from sun light that can oxidise and fade pigments. The fridge would just add humidity and create problems, says Dimitri James, founder of Skinn Cosmetics. “Remember that powders, lipsticks and concealers do not contain water so they will not grow mold,” says James.

Perfume.
Don’t do it! Perfumes are intricate chemical compounds. Heat them or cool them down and you will change the makeup of those chemicals, destroying the very scent you are trying to preserve!

Nail polish.
One one hand, our moms always claimed that storing nail polish in the fridge will prevent it from discoloring and evaporating with age. On the other, nail polish is super flammable and refrigerator motors can spark. Keep your lacquers out of the fridge to avoid Wile E. Coyote-style explosions.