The Benefits Of Banana Extract In Your Skincare Routine

In recent years, skincare ingredients have gotten seemingly more and more complex. Hyaluronic acid, squalene, and beta glucan all sound like something you'd study in a science class instead of incorporate into your daily routine, but the newest trending ingredient comes from something you likely already have in your kitchen — bananas.

As consumers continue looking for more natural alternatives to their existing beauty products, harnessing the power of fruit extracts as ingredients has become more common. Blueberries have had their time to shine as an antioxidant in face masks, pineapples are used as a gentle exfoliant, and cucumber is obviously well-loved for its cooling effect and (somewhat stereotypical) use as an eye de-puffer. Bananas, however, haven't seen the same rise in popularity — until now. As it turns out, the base ingredient in your favorite smoothie bowl actually boasts quite a few benefits for external use, thanks to its antioxidant and moisturizing properties when utilized in skincare products.

Banana, in its edible form, makes a great base for a moisturizing face mask, and can easily be mashed with honey and applied at home if you're looking for a fun DIY. For more commercial applications, however, banana extract is used. This ingredient, when used in beauty products, typically comes in the form of a powder and is made from dehydrated banana peels, pulp, or skins, per Healthfully. There are also alcohol-based banana extracts that are more similar to culinary vanilla essence, but this is more common when it comes to baked goods.

In its powdered form, banana extract itself is safe for used on the skin and in your pantry, but inclusions of certain preservatives can make it dangerous if ingested (via Stylist). Because of this, it's best to keep your banana lotions and serums away from curious kids. They might smell like a delicious treat when you open the bottle, but the culinary appeal stops there.

The main benefit of banana extract is its moisturizing ability, so including this ingredient in your routine is as simple as using a new moisturizer or serum that contains the ingredient, like Provence Beauty's Banana Bliss Daily Facial Serum. It's not as harsh or active as the enzymes found in pineapple, so it's considered safe for use alongside your other ingredients throughout the day and shouldn't cause any side effects or irritation. If you're allergic to banana or have sensitive skin, however, it's a good idea to skip this ingredient or perform a patch test to see how your skin reacts.

Banana's antioxidant properties also mean that this extract could bring in some anti-aging benefits, though little research has been done to support this claim. Because of this, it's probably best to stick with your typical anti-aging routine, then add in something that includes banana extract if you're looking for an extra boost of moisture along the way.