Sure, This Viral Magnificence Hack Will Get Your Skincare Previous TSA—however Dermatologists Say It is a Dangerous Concept

Lately, getting by way of airport safety virtually requires expert-level consideration. Ought to I take off my sneakers? Laptop computer in or out? How about these batteries? And on the subject of liquids, it’s best to know, nothing over 3.4 ounces is getting by them … or is it? Over the previous couple of months, a social media development has emerged, with vacationers boasting about how they bested the TSA brokers with their magnificence merchandise by freezing them earlier than heading to the airport.

“I actually, actually hope this works as a result of I like this cleaning balm,” TikToker Discovering Fiona shared earlier than placing her frozen Elemis balm by way of the belt. A second later, it got here by way of, with Fiona remarking, “I am unable to imagine that labored.” 

She even repeated the experiment with the identical consequence with a shampoo bottle.

And actually, social media stars like Fiona aren’t fallacious. Because the TSA’s web site explains, “Frozen liquid objects are allowed by way of the checkpoint so long as they’re frozen stable when introduced for screening.” Nonetheless, it importantly famous, “If frozen liquid objects are partially melted, slushy, or have any liquid on the backside of the container, they have to meet 3-1-1 liquids necessities.” 

So, sure, you may technically do that, however do you have to? 

“From my perspective as a dermatologist, freezing most skincare merchandise is usually a nasty thought,” Dr. Hannah Kopelman, who’s accomplished two medical fellowships in dermatology from Columbia College and pores and skin most cancers from Boston College, informed Journey + Leisure. “The lively elements in skincare—issues like retinol, vitamin C, peptides, and even sunscreens—are extremely delicate to temperature adjustments.” 

Kopelman defined that whenever you freeze them, the system can “separate or degrade, which means the product received’t be as efficient whenever you apply it later. Freezing can even alter the feel, making lotions grainy or serums watery, which might have an effect on each utility and absorption.” 

Melanie Abeyta, an aesthetic nurse practitioner and proprietor of Concord Aesthetics Heart in Los Angeles, agreed, including that “lotions, serums, and emulsions might lose their texture, efficacy, or stability after freezing … moreover, repeated freezing and thawing can compromise the packaging and trigger leakage or contamination.” 

Nonetheless, not all hope is misplaced in case you’re making an attempt to get a number of merchandise by way of TSA. In accordance with Dr. Louie Kim, a beauty chemist, sure merchandise can “typically stand up to freezing,” sometimes these which might be “principally stable or anhydrous (water-free), like sure oil balms, stable cleansers, or wax-based merchandise.” In accordance with Kim, these merchandise do not type ice crystals as a result of “there is no such thing as a water in them, and because of this they’re much much less weak to freezing and thawing.” 

Kopelman added that some merchandise, like petroleum jelly, can often stand up to a freeze-thaw cycle with out dropping their integrity. “Sheet masks, in the event that they’re simply soaked in a hydrating essence, typically do wonderful as effectively,” she famous. “That stated, I wouldn’t advocate routinely freezing skincare—it’s a lot safer to stay to travel-sized variations or switch your merchandise into TSA-approved containers so the system stays steady and efficient.” 

Kim additionally caveated the freezing recommendation by saying that “although freezing will not destroy anhydrous formulations, it’s attainable that their texture can change. Some pure oils, reminiscent of shea butter and coconut oil, can turn into barely gritty in texture when cooled. Within the means of freezing and thawing, the antioxidant properties within the oil can flip dangerous as effectively.”

The most secure method, Kim stated, is to “use minis or switch your product into TSA-approved containers as an alternative of counting on freezing.”