What is the banana peel skincare trend - and is it a 'natural Botox'? As skin expert warns about risks

• The Banana peel trend is a beauty hack that has taken off on social media.
• Influencers claim that rubbing a banana peel on your face gives a ‘natural Botox effect’.
• However, skincare experts are warning people to think twice before trying this ‘far from ideal’ trend.

Banana peels are the latest skincare hack that is trending on social media. Influencers claim that rubbing a banana peel on your face gives a ‘natural Botox effect’, with videos on TikTok wracking up thousands of views.

After eating a banana our peels go in the compost bin, but many are choosing to use this by-product as a part of their skincare routine, claiming it can exfoliate and tighten your skin.

However, skin experts are warning people to think twice about using banana peels on their skin, with Dr Dave Reilly, Head Scientist at Absolute Collagen, explaining that using banana peel as an exfoliant is “far from ideal”. Here’s everything you need to know about the banana peel hack.

What is the banana peel skincare trend?

The banana peel skincare trend has gone viral on social media, with many influencers claiming it can help tighten and exfoliate your skin and that it has a “natural Botox effect”.

The trend involves rubbing the inside of a banana peel over your face and neck, leaving the white fibres from the inside of the banana peel on your face for ten to fifteen minutes, before washing it off.

Despite its popularity on social media and the claims it works just as well as “Botox”, there is no scientific evidence that rubbing banana peels on your face will improve your skin.

Is it good for your skin?

Experts are questioning the skincare hack and have even revealed it could could cause harm to your skin. Dr Dave Reilly, Head Scientist at Absolute Collagen explained that whilst eating bananas may be good for your skin, using the peel as an exfoliant for your face is “far from ideal” and could “irritate your skin”.

Dr Reilly explains: “Exfoliation is an essential step in a skincare routine, however, using a banana peel to do so is far from ideal. Not only is its effectiveness as an exfoliant limited but rubbing banana peel against your face could actually irritate your skin.”

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Whilst banana peels may contain some beneficial nutrients, our skin cannot successfully absorb these through direct application, with Dr Reilly advising that a better alternative is acid-based products such as AHAs and BHAs which gently and effectively exfoliate the skin and are only needed two to three times a week.

Have you tried the banana peel skincare hack, or are there any other skincare trends you think we should cover? We’d love to hear from you, share your thoughts in the comments.