Little known fact about me: I love rummaging around in my kitchen, mixing up random ingredients, and then smearing them all over my hair and face… just to see what happens. Sometimes the results are worth the enormous mess I will inevitably make. Sometimes I end up picking avocado out of my hair for two days. I enjoy these experiments almost as much, if not as much, as my food experiments. Especially when I discover a goody that I can share with you all.

This banana mask is one such goody. Although I’ve tried mashing and dabbing all kinds of food on my face – everything from papaya to avocado and even pumpkin – I have never tried banana. For some reason, I didn’t believe the humble but amazingly versatile fruit could do anything nice for my skin. I’m sorry I doubted you, banana.

I’m now convinced there’s nothing that bananas can’t do. They make incredible dairy-free ice cream, they almost always make their way into my smoothies, they make for most delicious bread of all time, and they might just give your skin a beautiful glow, too. Bananas are a fabulous base for a face mask, not only are they cheap and readily available but they are said to be great for acne, wrinkles, softer skin, and brighter skin tone. Personally, I noticed smoother, more moisturized skin and smaller pores. It’s a winner!

You can simply mash a banana and smooth it over your face, wait 10-15 minutes, and rinse. Or, if you’d like to go the mad-scientist-in-the-kitchen route, which I highly recommend, then try adding one of these super ingredients to your mask:

Matcha powder – chock-full of powerful antioxidants to keep skin looking young and glowy, might also be beneficial for inflammation, acne, and oily skin. This one is my favorite! Drinking it can make your skin beautiful from the inside out, so sip a glass of my iced matcha latte while your mask dries 😉

Cacao or cocoa powder – also a trove of beneficial antioxidants, cacao in your mask not only smells amazing (hello chocolate pudding on my face!) it also ramps up circulation for a rosy, glowing complexion and may help ward off fine lines and wrinkles. My raw cacao + clay face mask is one of the most popular recipes on the blog.

Rooibos powder – this South African tea is, once again, loaded with antioxidants, and is known for being awesome for skin. It has long been used in traditional South African medicine for treating acne, sunburns, eczema, and a variety of skin irritations. Rooibos is super beneficial for your skin and health when consumed – you can enjoy it iced, or in lattes and smoothies – and it happens to be naturally caffeine free.

Coffee grounds – I added some to a banana + cacao mixture, which made for an awesome mocha-scented mask and exfoliator in one. Coffee may also de-puff, brighten skin, and soften lines.

Oats – I love ground oats in face masks. They are extremely gentle exfoliators, soothing, and lightly moisturizing. Just blend them up a bit in your food processor or blender first.

Lemon essential oil – I love lemon essential oil when used sparingly in diy skin care treatments. I find it makes my skin softer, brighter, and tightens pores. It’s great for reducing oil and deep cleansing. Lemon essential oil is both an invigorating and relaxing scent, so it’s wonderful aromatherapy for stress relief. I like to add a couple drops to a banana + matcha mask mixture (it smells heavenly!).

While most banana face masks out there add yogurt and honey, this dairy-free and vegan mask needs neither. If you don’t have rooibos powder or matcha powder, try opening a green tea or rooibos tea bag and add that to your mask instead, it will add a dose of antioxidants and gentle exfoliation.

There are no hard and fast rules for this face mask, just mash, mix, and have fun! I make it different every time, and it always works great. Remember, if at any time your face feels tight, itchy, or uncomfortable, wash it off! (If you have sensitive skin, you may want to do a small patch test before layering this all over your face – better to be safe than sorry!)

Ingredients:

• Approximately 1/4 of a banana, about 2 tbsp (I just eye-ball it)
• 1 – 2 tsp of optional ingredients:
• Matcha Powder
• Rooibos Powder
• Cacao or cocoa powder
• Coffee grounds
• Ground oats
• optional – a drop or two of lemon essential oil (goes great with the matcha or oats)

My favorite combinations:

Banana + Matcha + Lemon essential oil 

Banana + Cacao + Coffee Grounds

Banana + Rooibos + Oats

Mash and mix, and apply all over face in a thick, even layer. Relax for 10-15 minutes and rinse. I like to use an old face cloth, run it under hot water and hold it up to my face to soften it up and gently wipe it off. Rinse rinse rinse. Use a splash of cold water at the end, pat dry, and apply a little dab of your favorite facial oil or moisturizer.

Discover your favorite combination and let me know what you come up with!

 

This post is sponsored in part by Pure Matcha. They have generously provided me with their products to test, experiment, and review. All opinions expressed are my own.