Banana peel skincare routine: Dermatologists skeptical of viral TikTok claim
By Ryan General
A years-old video featuring a 72-year-old mother using banana peels as part of her skincare routine has recently been blowing up again on TikTok.
Dermatologist Mamina Turegano uploaded the original video back in 2020 of her mother Michiko rubbing banana peels on her face to her TikTok page @dr.mamina.
In the video, Mamina claims the nutrients found in banana peels, such as potassium, zinc, amino acids and vitamins A, B, C and E have anti-aging properties that can help with skin hydration, exfoliation, antioxidant effects and wrinkle reduction.
“Bananas actually have a lot of properties that are beneficial for the skin, which is why they are popular in at-home DIY facial masks,” Mamina narrates, as her mom shows how to use the peels.
The clip, which ignited a series of skincare tips featuring the mom and daughter tandem, has so far been viewed over 758,000 times and generated over 127,000 likes.
Washington Square Dermatology’s Dr. Samer Jaber pointed out that there is no actual research that currently supports Mamina’s mom’s method.
“There is no science that rubbing banana peels on your skin can benefit your skin,” Jaber explained to USA Today. “That being said, bananas contain antioxidants and rubbing bananas are unlikely to cause any harm to your skin.”
Tone Dermatology’s Dr. Caroline Robinson echoed the same point that the use of banana peels as a skin treatment has not been scientifically researched.
“It’s important to remember that many of our current skincare practices were born out of traditions that were ultimately tested under the scientific method,” she noted to USA Today.
“What we as dermatologists educate our patients about are the ingredients and techniques that have withstood that rigorous test but that does not mean that there is not a place in each person’s individual skincare routine for traditions.”
Still, specialists attempted to explain to Today why some may claim to see positive results after adding bananas in their raw form to their skincare routines.
Chicago-based Dr. Jordan Carqueville believes using banana peels as masks can potentially seal the skin’s moisture in, generally making “skin look better.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Adeline Kikam told Today that the tannins found in the fruit may be the reason why people say they observe an anti-aging effect.
“Tannins are like natural astringents that are used in skincare to help with tightening and toning of the skin,” she was quoted as saying. “Banana peels are rich in the compound, so they could be responsible for any reduction in under-eye bags or boost in brightness.”
While Kikam shared that some commercial skincare products actually do list bananas as ingredients, she explained that the lab-formulated banana extracts they use are likely more effective than bananas in their raw form.
Featured Image via @dr.mamina
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