What Is Banana Extract And Why Is It Popping Up In Skin Care?

Move over, avocado — there's a new fruit taking the skincare world by storm. Banana extract is the latest ingredient to capture the attention of beauty enthusiasts, thanks to its purported benefits for the skin. Fruit extracts are concentrated juice or powder forms of nutrients extracted from a fruit. The nutrients are extracted through various methods, such as soaking the fruit in a solvent like alcohol or glycerin to extract the needed compounds.

Fruit extracts can also be made by extracting the liquid from the fruit and boiling it to evaporate the water, leaving the nutrients. Another popular method is dry-freezing, essentially freezing the banana to get rid of the water and grinding the remains into a powder." One of the significant reasons banana extract is growing in popularity is that almost every part of the banana plant is packed with nutrients — from the fruits to the peel, stalk, stem, and even the roots!

Bananas are no newbie to the medical world and have been used to treat various skin conditions for centuries. A 2009 research paper published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine notes that parts of bananas were used by Ayurvedic herbalists, who existed thousands of years ago. In our present day, bananas receive a lot of praise for their brightening benefits due to the carotenoids they contain. However, a high-quality banana extract can do much more for your skin.

Banana is a fantastic skincare ingredient because it contains nutrients that boost the skin's appearance. These include organic acids like citric and malic acids, which exfoliate and brighten the skin. Malic acid, in particular, is a gem for dry skin, as it hydrates while fighting fine lines. Bananas also contain fatty acids like linoleic, oleic, palmitic, and stearic acids. These acids moisturize, protect the skin's barrier, soothe inflamed skin, prevent skin moisture loss, and fight wrinkles.

In addition to fatty acids, bananas contain amino acids like aspartic and glutamic acids, which stimulate collagen production. Collagen improves skin strength, elasticity, and structure, making it a fantastic anti-aging ingredient. Bananas also contain Vitamin C, an antioxidant that encourages the skin to produce collagen and fades dark spots. This means you can pair banana extract with other skincare ingredients that can treat stubborn acne scars.

Bananas are particularly rich in potassium, which enhances skin moisture, hydration, and fades eye circles and puffiness. What's more? They contain vitamin A, which improves texture, as well as vitamin B6, which can reduce skin inflammation. This nutrient-packed plant contains magnesium, which polishes the skin and reduces inflammation. As a result, banana extract can polish the skin by boosting hydration, refining appearance, improving elasticity, and preventing wrinkles and fine lines.

One of the best ways for all skin types to benefit from banana extract is to use serums with high concentrations of it. Serums come after the toner or facial cleanser, enabling them to seep into and nourish the skin. In addition, a banana extract serum can deeply hydrate and brighten the skin. We love Ole Henriksen's Banana Bright Vitamin C Serum, which contains hyaluronic acid.

You can also use eye creams containing banana extract because they can fade eye circles and puffiness. Ole Henriksen also carries a Banana Bright Eye Crème, which attacks fine lines, wrinkles, dark circles, and dryness around the eyes. Another way to use banana extract in your skincare routine is through a banana sheet mask. If you're choosing this route, don't forget the relaxing step you shouldn't skip after applying a sheet mask. You can even mix homemade banana extract with a tomato for a DIY banana face mask.

Banana extract products can be deeply nourishing, but it's important to remember that the benefits will differ based on the extraction methods, the parts of the banana plant that were used, as well as the concentration of the extract in the entire serum. A word of caution about banana extract is to take care when using it with other actives and fruit extracts. Bananas are slightly acidic, so using them with basic products (products with a PH above 7) may cause skin reactions.