Banana Facial Mask

When I was younger, my mother used to make banana nut bread and my job was always to smash up the bananas with a fork.  I remember always getting a little on my hands as I turned the cut up banana into a lump of yellow mash.  Before I could wash my hands, I would feel my skin tighten under the slimy mixture. So, I was not surprised to find out that banana pulp has a skin tightening effect when applied to the face and, you guessed it, the hands!

So, I decided to step out of my comfort zone for this post.  As you know from reading my oatmeal wash bag post, I hate the feel of slimy things on my skin.  However, I have been noticing some early wrinkelage (no snickering out there!) on my brow and thought I could take one for the team. So as I type, I am sitting here with a banana mask on my face and the timer set to ten minutes.

This is a simple recipe with only three steps:

1.  Mash up half a banana.  Eat the other half for a good source of your daily fiber!

2.  Add a splash of milk or heavy cream.

3.  Apply the mixture to your face.  Lie back and relax.

Now, of course the down side of this recipe is the fact that you have a slimy coat of banana all over your face, but it only takes a few minutes for the mask to start to dry.  I have super sensitive skin and for some reason the mask is causing a slight amount of a burning sensation.  I can definitely feel my skin beginning to tighten as the mask dries more.  It's almost like what I picture when I see someone on TV that has just had botox injections.  My face is not moving with this mask on.  The timer has just gone off! Time to wash it off and see the results.

Results:

Washing the mask off was pretty easy.  I just used a regular wash cloth and some water.  My face was a little red and blotchy after I removed the mask, but it faded within a few minutes.  One thing I cannot deny is how soft my skin is now.  There is no left over residue (as long as you wash off all the banana) and my face feels completely moisturized.  Looking into the mirror, I don't notice a significant difference with my lines after just one application.  However, I placed the left over banana mask into the fridge and plan to apply it the next five days.  Check back on Monday to see my update!

My overall opinion of this recipe is that I would recommend it as a moisturizing and tightening mask for normal skin.  Those of you with sensitive skin might want to do a small skin test before use to make sure it doesn't irritate your skin more than it did mine.  I definitely look forward to using this mask the next few days and seeing if my lines start to fade a little!