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If you've tried treating your acne with every skin care product there is, try a home remedy. Chances are, you've got a bunch of bananas lying around or can easily pick a few up. Use the banana peel to treat your acne-affected skin. Banana peels contain lutein, an antioxidant and carotenoid vitamin related to vitamin A. Because of this, it may help reduce inflammation. [1] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Although it has not been clinically proven as helpful for acne, you can try banana and see if it helps yours.
Steps
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Wash your skin. Before you use the banana peel, you want to make sure that your skin is free from dirt and oils. Use a mild cleanser to clean the affected area, then rinse with cool water. Pat the skin dry with a soft clean towel.- Don't scrub or rub your skin too harshly. This will inflame your skin and could make acne worse.
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Select your banana. You'll want to pick out a banana that is ripe. It should be yellow with black spots. Avoid bananas that are under-ripe (bright yellow with green tips) or over-ripe (greasy and black).- Using a ripe banana will also make it easier to wipe over the acne-affected area.
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Prepare the peel. Remove the banana from its peel. You won't need to use it to treat acne, so eat it or save it for treating another skin issue. Cut the peel so that it's easy to hold a chunk in your hand.- Banana peels contain vitamins A, B, C, E, and contain potassium, zinc, iron, and manganese. These nutrients can calm inflamed skin and reduce acne outbreaks.
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Rub the banana peel over your skin. Use the interior part of the peel that appears white. Take the chunk of banana peel and gently rub or massage your skin with it for about 10 minutes.- Every few minutes, you should check to see if the peel is still white inside. Once it's turned black, replace it with another piece and continue massaging your skin.
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Let your skin rest. Don't immediately wash your face once you've finished massaging it with the banana peel. If you can, wait until the end of the day to rinse your skin off with cool water. This will allow your skin to absorb the banana peel's nutrients.- If you can't wait until the end of the day to wash your face, try rubbing the peel on your face before you go to bed. In the morning, rinse your face with clean water.
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Continue to treat your skin with banana peels. While you only need to rub your face with the banana peel once during the day, you should do this for several days in a row. [2] X Research source After a few days, you may notice your acne begin to clear up or at least appear less red.- If you notice your skin becomes extremely irritated after using the banana peel, stop using it and give your skin a chance to rest. [3] X Research source Consider seeing a dermatologist if your acne continues or gets worse.
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Treat wrinkles or cracked heels. If you have wrinkles you'd like to treat or have very dry cracked heels, use a banana. Apply a mashed banana directly to the wrinkles or heels of your feet and let the puree sit. The bananas will moisturize your skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.- Specifically, the vitamin E in bananas can make your skin appear less wrinkled. [4] X Research source
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Create an exfoliating scrub. Mash one ripe banana in a bowl until it's almost liquid. Stir in 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) of sugar or 2–3 tablespoons (29.6–44.4 ml) of oats. These will make it easier to apply to your skin and will slough off any dead skin cells. Rinse the scrub off with warm water and follow up with a moisturizer.- Be gentle with exfoliating your skin. Never scrub your skin with rough movements, since this can damage your skin. Instead, carefully use your fingertips and apply the scrub in a circular motion.
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Try a moisturizing facial mask. For a quick moisturizing facial mask, take a ripe banana and mash it with a fork until it's somewhat liquidy. Smear this on your face and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes. If you want to add other benefits to the mask, try mixing in one of these ingredients:- Turmeric powder: has antibacterial properties that can fight infection
- Baking powder: can open pores and remove excess oil
- Lemon juice: can lighten and tone the skin
- Honey: may kill acne-causing bacteria
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Use banana in your hair. Don't forget that banana is also good for treating hair problems. Mash a banana or two and mix in a tablespoon of honey or a few drops of almond oil. Apply this to your wet hair and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Then, rinse off it with water.- The banana and honey or oil can moisturize dry and damaged hair.
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References
- ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22871829
- ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/24/beauty-benefits-of-bananas_n_3978471.html
- ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/24/beauty-benefits-of-bananas_n_3978471.html
- ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/24/beauty-benefits-of-bananas_n_3978471.html
About This Article
Article Summary
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If you want to treat acne with banana peels, start by washing your face with a mild cleanser. Next, choose a ripe banana that has a few black spots on it and remove the peel. Then, rub the banana peel over your skin using the interior part of the peel for about 10 minutes. Once the white interior turns black, replace it with another piece of the peel and continue massaging your skin. Do this once daily for several days in a row for the best results. For tips on making an exfoliating facial scrub with bananas, read on!
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Reader Success Stories
- "I really like the fact that using banana peels helps acne instead of buying other products that make it worse. Today is my first day trying it, and hopefully I'll see a great result ! Thanks so much." ..." more
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"I really like the fact that using banana peels helps acne instead of buying other products that make it worse. Today is my first day trying it, and hopefully I'll see a great result ! Thanks so much."
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"I always wanted to do a mask to get rid of acne and this is a very easy and quick mask to try at home, instead of damaging your skin with other treatments."
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"Adding lemon and honey to a mashed banana is also a great face mask for glowing skin. The peel thing also works really well for acne!"
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"I heard that banana peel was good for your skin, so looked it up and found out that it has more use that one. Will try them. Thanks."
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"Banana is the best for pimples and black spots. I have used for a almost a week and trust me, the result are amazing."
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