Storing makeup and skincare stock: temperature, light and rotation

Most beauty products fail in storage long before their expiry date. Heat splits emulsions, light fades pigments and oxidizes actives, and humidity lifts labels and softens cartons. None of that is covered by a supplier's claim window once the stock has been in your space for a month.

Temperature: the main enemy

Aim for a steady 59–77 °F (15–25 °C). The problem is rarely one hot day — it is repeated swings. A garage that reaches 95 °F in the afternoon and 60 °F at night will break down a cream faster than a room held at a constant 80 °F.

• Lipsticks and balms can deform above about 95 °F.
• Vitamin C, retinol and other actives degrade faster with heat, even sealed.
• Nail lacquer thickens in the cold and separates in the heat.

Light and humidity

Keep stock in its shipping cartons until it is picked, and keep cartons off the floor and away from windows. Clear-bottle products — toners, oils, lacquer — are the most light-sensitive. Relative humidity above 60% softens cardboard and can make labels peel, which becomes a problem the moment a marketplace asks for a photo of the barcode.

Rotation: first expiring, first out

First-in-first-out works when every delivery has the same dating. In beauty it doesn't, so use FEFO — first expiring, first out. Write the expiry or production month on the outside of each carton in marker when it arrives; it takes seconds and makes picking the right unit automatic.

Our own stock is held in climate-controlled space and packed with void fill for temperature-sensitive lines in summer. If your receiving area can't do the same, tell us — we can split an order into two shipments so less stock sits waiting.

Keep reading

• Lot codes, PAO and expiry: what to check before you list beauty stock
• Case packs, inner packs and FBA prep: a beauty seller's guide

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