While it’s pretty commonly understood that delicate cargo like fruits and vegetables need to be kept at stable temperatures, the same applies to make up! Everybody knows that fruit or vegetables exposed to high temperatures can prematurely ripen and rot. And of course, food that is frozen and thawed can also experience a dip in quality and even safety. But why are cosmetics vulnerable?
Heat Is A Reaction
One of the biggest issues with cosmetics, and proper active or passive temperature control, is that these are essentially chemical compounds. And the addition of heat or cold to these compounds can cause them to react. So if cosmetics such as skin moisturizers get too cold, they can thicken and congeal. This, however, might be reversed by simply letting the substances naturally return to their normal temperature, though the consistency may be permanently affected even upon return.
On the other hand, some cosmetics, when they are exposed to heat may simply melt, as can happen with lipstick, or, in the case of some compounds, actually separate from their mix into their distinct ingredients, never to combine again, and essentially defective for the business that was supposed to receive and sell them.
Always Take Precautions
This is why it is important to understand exactly which areas of the world cosmetics are going to travel through, what climate changes they may experience during the journey, and whether any precautions are necessary. If you know that your cosmetics are bound for the tropics, do you have systems in place to ensure that they are properly insulated from the heat, such as ocean container liners?
Remember, when cargo “goes bad,” everyone loses. The shippers get a poor reputation, the business relying on the product get less usable product than they were expecting, and the people manufacturing the products also suffer.
