Cheaper on the pocket, always available and extremely delicious – bananas are full of health and beauty benefits! This mellow yellow colored fruit is packed with powerful vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. You would be aware of their popularity as a pre and post workout snack as they help in boosting energy. But that is not it! When applied on skin, they moisturise it from within, repairs cells and gives a healthy glow and when put on hair, they deeply hydrate the tresses, prevents split ends and gives them an envious shine. Even their peels carry a lot of beauty benefits, but more on that later!
Last week, we did a blog on Here’s How Brides-To-Be Can Use Papaya For Amazing Hair & Skin! and asked in our Q&A on our Instagram which fruit would you like us to cover next and you guys choose Bananas! So here’s a detailed blog on how brides-to-be can use this fruit to get the skin and hair of their dreams. And we aren’t done yet. Let us know which other fruit/ vegetable would you like us to cover next. We love listening from our readers and heeding to their choices.
Without further wait, let’s start with looking at the nutrition profile of banana:
1 small banana ~ 100 grams contains:
Calories: 89
Vitamin C: 8.8mg, 15%
Protein: 1.1 grams, 2%
Fiber: 2.6 grams, 11%
Potassium: 362 mg, 10%
Vitamin B-6: 0.4 mg, 19%
Manganese: 0.3mg, 14%
Benefits of Banana for skin:
Natural Skin Moisturiser:
Owing to its potassium and Vitamin B-6 content, bananas make your skin feel extremely hydrated and nourished. For all our dry-skin beauties, this is an effective solution to moisturise and repair your facial skin from within. You can say goodbye to flaking with bananas. Overtime, a hydrating banana mask can make your skin radiant and glowing.
Anti-ageing:
With age, our skin starts losing collagen. Bananas have a high level of antioxidants and have a compound called silica, that are the building blocks of collagen. These nutrients help to prevent fine lines and premature wrinkles. Banana mask makes your skin feel tighter and plumper.
Eliminates Dark Spots:
With its Vitamin A, C and E content, bananas can reduce age spots, dark spots and pigmentation scars from your skin. You can use them to treat sun scars as well. Dark spots can really hamper your bridal skin goals. Using bananas is your ultimate rescue to lighten dark spots on your skin.
Controls Acne:
Bananas have zinc and manganese in it. Both of these minerals are anti-inflammatory. They can dry out pimples quickly. It also kills the bacteria that causes acne and thus, reduces any further occurrences of pimples on your skin. Moreover, banana pulp acts as an exfoliator and sloughs off excess sebum from your face. This further helps with acne control.
Banana Face Masks For Brides-To-Be!
Mashed Banana Pulp. Just take half portion of a small banana. Mash it using a spoon and apply directly on your face. Keep it on for 10-15 mins. Wash off with cold water and enjoy the touch of smooth skin immediately. Apply a light moisturiser afterwards.
Banana + Honey + Turmeric for anti-aging. Mix in 2 tbsp of banana pulp with 1 tbsp honey and 1 tsp turmeric. Apply this face mask for 20 mins and wash off with cold water. Repeat thrice a week to see changes in a month.
Banana + Orange Juice + Yoghurt for glowing skin. Mix in 1 tbsp of banana pulp with 1 tbsp of orange juice and 1 tsp of yoghurt. Apply this mask on your skin for 15 mins and rinse off.
Banana + Honey + Lemon Juice for acne control and skin-lightening. Add 1 tbsp of honey and lemon juice to 2 tbsp of banana pulp. Put a thick coat of this mask for 15 mins and wash off with cold water.
Benefits of Banana for hair:
Hydrates the tresses
The same ingredients that make bananas so gooey and chewy can actually help hydrate your hair as well. Additionally, bananas are 75% water which means they can boost moisturisation to your hair in one use itself. Hydrated tresses also means less chances of split ends and hair breakage from the middle. So, enjoy the long and smooth hair on your big day with regular use of bananas.
Balances scalp pH:
An imbalance in scalp pH can lead to many hair issues like excess sebum production, flakiness and dandruff. All of this can lead to decreased hair growth and hair fall issues. Bananas when applied directly to hair hydrates hair and balances out the pH, letting the scalp breathe. This helps in hair growth and reduces dandruff and white flakes on hair.
Makes your hair shiny:
Bananas contain silica and folic acid, which nourishes your hair and makes a protective coating around them. This adds extra shine to your hair and makes them glow. They are very effective to get soft, smooth and manageable hair.
Promotes Hair Growth:
Bananas are rich in antioxidants so they help in decreasing the oxidative stress on your hair. They also make your hair squeaky clean and strengthen the hair follicles. This helps with growing out new baby hairs, strengthening the present ones and making them longer in length.
Banana Hair Masks for Brides-To-Be!
Banana + Honey split ends and frizziness. Mash 1-2 bananas depending on your hair length and 2 tbsp of honey to it. Massage it on your scalp and soak your tresses in it. Wash off after an hour with a mild shampoo.
Papaya + Banana + Curd for hair growth. Mash 1 banana and cup of papaya. Add 2 tbsp of curd to it. Apply it on your scalp as well as on your hair length. Leave on for around 30-45 minutes before rinsing off with a mild shampoo.
Banana + Eggs for hair fall control. Beat 1 egg with 2 bananas. Mix them properly and apply the mask on your hair. Cover your head with a shower cap and leave it on for 30 minutes. Repeat it twice every week to see considerable results in your hair fall.
Banana + Coconut Oil + Lemon Juice for dandruff. Whip up 1-2 bananas depending on your hair length and add 2 tbsp of coconut oil and 1 tbsp of lemon juice to it. Leave it on for 15-20 minutes and wash off with a mild shampoo.
How to get rid of banana bits stuck on your hair?
A downside of applying banana to your hair is that a small portion of its bits can get stuck in your hair. To remove them, sieve the banana pulp first before adding on the other ingredients. Rinse thoroughly while you are washing your hair (upside down if possible). Comb your hair in the shower. These tips will help get those stubborn banana chunks out of your hair.
That’s not all! It’s not just fruit pulp that holds so many beauty benefits, even banana peels have some incredible uses. Here’s how to incorporate banana peels in your bridal beauty routine.
- They help reduce the appearance of acne. Banana peels contain Vitamin E, zinc and manganese that calms inflamed skin and dries out the pimples faster. Rub them gently on your skin for 5-10 minutes twice a day to see results in 3-4 days.
- They can moisturise the skin. Just like the pulp, insides of banana peels are rich in minerals that naturally hydrate the facial skin.
- They are great for whitening your teeth. Pearly whites take centre stage in all your bridal pictures and banana peels can help you get them. Rinse the inside of the banana peel for 3-4 minutes after brushing your teeth. Repeat daily.
- They can reduce the appearance of scars. Peels of banana are rich in esterified fatty acids, which are included in many lotions and creams that claim to treat scars. Rub the peel on any scars you have, leave it for an hour or overnight.
- They ease out the puffy eyes. The peels are rich in potassium which can remove excess salt from under eyes. This significantly reduces under-eye puffiness and to some extent, dark circles. To use them, cut the peels just like cucumber slices and leave on your eyes for 10 mins.
- They heal dry and cracked feet. Banana peels remove dead skin cells from your feet and restore the natural moisture balance. Rub them on your feet for 10 mins, rinse with warm water and apply a thick moisturizer afterward.
Next time, don’t throw these humble-looking peels into the trash. Rub them on your face, teeth or feet – whichever part needs utmost care. You will definitely see a considerable change after using it just once.
Along with all these miraculous benefits, bananas are also useful when included in your bridal diet. Here’s why:
- It gives you energy without any additional fat. Bananas are a powerhouse of energy and are rich in fiber. This means they will make you feel full for a longer time without any feeling of lethargicness. They are also amazing to eat before or after your workout.
- They can help you sleep better. Bananas contain potassium and magnesium, which helps in relaxing muscles and promoting sleep. And you all know how important is beauty sleep for brides-to-be. If you are a bridezilla, have a banana before going to sleep and wake up fresh as a peach the next day!
- Bananas can help promote good digestive health. Bananas are considered to be prebiotic which means they promote healthy gut bacteria. Gut health is directly related to a lot of conditions including your skin and hair health. Have 1 banana daily as a part of your bridal diet routine.
- Bananas can improve your mood. Brides-to-be are often under stress due to a number of reasons. Bananas help with the production of serotonin in the body, which is a feel-good hormone. This relaxes your mind and makes you feel happier.
Let us know how bananas helped you achieve your bridal goals. And oh, don’t forget to tell us what fruit or vegetable you would like us to cover next. Comment down below.
