Clean Beauty Tips & Techniques How to Make a Banana Face Mask By Starre Vartan Starre Vartan Writer Columbia University Syracuse University Starre Vartan is an environmental and science journalist. She holds an MFA degree from Columbia University and Geology and English degrees from Syracuse University. Learn about our editorial process Updated June 27, 2021 Fact checked by Elizabeth MacLennan Fact checked by Elizabeth MacLennan University of Tennessee Elizabeth MacLennan is a fact checker and expert on climate change. Learn about our fact checking process Share Twitter Pinterest Email svehlik / Getty Images Clean Beauty Products Tips & Techniques Overview Working Time: 5 - 10 minutes Total Time: 20 - 30 minutes Yield: 1 mask Skill Level: Beginner Estimated Cost: $4 to $10 A banana face mask is an inexpensive and easy way to feed moisture directly to your skin. Applying a face mask once or twice a week will help keep your skin looking fresh, and many of the ingredients in fruit are the same that come in expensive packaged facial care products. By making your own mask, you are skipping the need for preservatives and other chemicals that keep off-the-shelf masks fresh and ingredients mixed together. You'll also be creating a fully biodegradable product that doesn't need any packaging, so no waste there. Creating and using your own face masks from ingredients you have at home also means you don't need to use any extra fossil fuels to go buy or ship packaged products. What You'll Need Medium-sized mixing bowl Fork for mixing Headband or hair tie to keep hair off face Washcloth Ingredients 1 ripe mashed banana 1 tbsp honey 1 tbsp yogurt Instructions Mash the Banana Mash your banana using a fork. Keep going until you have a lumpless goop, which should take at least a minute or so of active mashing and mixing. How to Pick a Banana for Your Face Mask Look for a banana that's on the riper side (yellow with some brown spots on it). If you don't like eating ripe bananas, this can be a great way to use them and cut down on food waste. In addition, ripe bananas have more antioxidants, which could prove beneficial to your skin. Mix the Ingredients Add the other ingredients to the banana, mixing as you add them. Once all ingredients are thoroughly mixed together it should be the consistency of thick pancake batter. Add Water if Needed You can always add water if you want to thin your mask out a bit, but you shouldn't need to; you don't want the mask to be too drippy once it's on your face. Pull Your Hair Back Let your mask sit for a minute while you get all the hair off your face. Put it in a ponytail or wear a headband. Ensure Clean Skin Skin should be relatively clean but you don't need to wash your face. However, if you wear makeup, definitely remove it first. Apply Face Mask Do a final light stir and gently apply your face mask using your fingers. Start with cheeks, then chin, then finally forehead (if the mask is on the drippier side, don't put it on your forehead so it won't drip into your eyes). Leave plenty of space around your eyes. If you do get it in your eyes, give it a good cool water wash in the sink. Wait 10-15 minutes while the mask does its thing. Read, listen to music, or meditate. Gently Remove Mask Use a gentle washcloth to remove the mask. The mask doesn't need to dry out for it to be ready to be removed. Dry and Moisturize Pat dry, then tone, moisturize or use whatever serums or creams you normally use after washing your face. Variations You can add a tablespoon of whole rolled oats and a teaspoon of water to the face mask recipe above to create a thicker mask that will exfoliate a bit when it's rinsed off. A banana face mask is great for dry skin, as it will be moisturizing and calming, but if you have oily skin you can use it too—it will add moisture to your skin, not oil. Frequently Asked Questions Is it important to use an organic banana? Non-organic produce is almost always exposed to harmful pesticides. And while bananas' thick skin largely protects the fruits inside from chemical exposure, they can still harbor some residue, which you don't want to apply directly to skin. When is the best time to apply this mask? After a shower is a great time to apply any face mask because the steam opens up your pores and prepares them for deep cleansing. Can this mask be made vegan? For a vegan version of this recipe, use tea tree oil in place of honey and a dairy-free yogurt alternative in place of regular yogurt (both 1:1). Even vegan yogurts contain probiotics that are sought-after in skin care.