This extremely hydrating avocado banana face mask will become your new favourite super food for your skin! It restores the skin’s moisture, gently exfoliates, treats acne and reduces the appearance of wrinkles!
I’d recommend using this avocado banana face mask while avocados are in season and while they’re cheap. My tip: make up batches and freeze them so you can use this mask in the off-season too!
Contents
But let’s have a closer look at those two amazing skin-benefiting ingredients: banana and avocado!
Ingredients
- avocado
- banana
- essential oil, plus carrier oil (optional)
Choosing the right time: the younger the fruit, the more beneficial nutrients it contains. But at the same time, you want to make sure, you can mash the avo and banana. So, they should be just ripe enough.
You just don’t want to use fruit that has already gone past its prime. That’s all. If you’ve got a powerful (hand-held) blender, you may not need to worry about the ripeness all too much.
Benefits of Avocado for your Skin
- improves overall skin health
- may help repair damaged skin
- rich in antioxidants: prevents skin damage (caused by UV rays)
- increases skin elasticity
- anti-aging
- hydrating
- reduces breakouts
Avocado is loaded with vitamins (C, E and parts of the B-complex like biotin), minerals (potassium and magnesium), proteins (amino acids) and healthy, natural fats.
Avocado as we all know contains a lot of natural oils that moisturise and prevent dry skin as well as inflammation while restoring the natural balance of the skin.
The oil found in avocado is also anti-microbial which means that it helps prevent/reduce breakouts. Even though it’s oil and it sounds kinda counter-intuitive, avocado oil actually helps treat acne.
Vitamins C and E are natural antioxidants that help protect your skin from harmful free radicals like UV rays that could cause skin cancer.
Benefits of Banana for your Skin
- anti-aging
- glowing skin
- reduces & soothes inflammation
- prevents sun damage
- gently exfoliates
Just like avocados, bananas are rich in minerals (particularly potassium and silica) and vitamins (B6, C, E and A).
The mineral silica in bananas helps increase collagen which is responsible for a tighter, thus younger-looking, skin. Collagen reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Bananas are also highly hydrating, leaving you with plump and glowing skin. The potassium and vitamin B6 in bananas may help with dry skin as well.
Due to their antioxidants, bananas help prevent sun damage to the skin and fight those free radicals before they can do any harm.
Essential Oils
There are quite a few great essential oils for our skin. I love using lemongrass & tea tree for getting rid of blemishes, frankincense & geranium to beautify and rejuvenate the skin and lavender & chamomile to soothe and calm irritated skin.
If using essential oils, please note that you always need to dilute them with a carrier oil! Simply mix 2 teaspoons of carrier oil (like coconut oil) with 1 drop of essential oil.
By the way, lavender essential oil is a gentle oil that generally doesn’t need to be diluted (sensitive people may need to dilute it though) and is okay to be simply added to your avocado banana face mask.
Instructions
How to make this Avocado Banana Face Mask
- Put half of the avocado and a small banana into a bowl and mash with a fork, or blend them with a stick blender for a smoother result.
- Mix in essential and carrier oil, if you like.
How to use this Avocado Banana Face Mask
- Apply this homemade face mask with (clean!) hands or use a small spatula and spread it evenly over your face.
- Leave your avocado banana mask on your face for about 15-20 minutes.
- Wet a cloth with warm water and gently remove the face mask.
Finish with a serum (like this DIY serum for glowing skin) or a light moisturiser. You may notice that you won’t need much of it because your skin should be all moisturised and nourished already.
How often to use this Avocado Banana Face Mask
You can use this avocado banana face mask as often as you like—if tolerated. However, I find it most beneficial, if I only use it once every fortnight.
But it depends on what you want to use it for. I like to think of this face mask as a little hydrating boost. So I don’t necessarily use it as a treatment for dry or blemished skin (for which I would use it once a week).
Storage
This avocado banana face mask keeps in the fridge for about 1 week. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months—I recommend freezing it in batches!!
Because it’s all-natural, this face mask will change colour (an unappetising looking brown) in the fridge after a few days. But don’t worry, that’s normal and doesn’t mean it went bad.
Safety & warnings
Allergic reactions to bananas are possible and may even become life-threatening. Use caution when allergic to any other fruit or vegetable in the latex family (that includes avocados as well!).
Generally, allergic reactions to avocados (for topical use) are rare but do exist.
If unsure, make a patch test before using this face mask. Choose a small part of your skin and apply this mask. Leave it on for about 20-30 minutes and check for reactions.
My Top Tips
If you have some leftovers, use them on your hair!! This face mask is also a great hydrating & nourishing hair mask (read more about it here)!
To save some money or for your quick fix: here are two little tricks that will have a similar outcome…
Banana: Next time, before you throw out the banana peel, keep it! You can rub it (the inside of the peel, that is) on your facial skin and wash your face after a few minutes.
Avocado: Instead of fresh avocado, you can also use avocado oil. For example, mix 1 banana with a tablespoon of avocado oil (it’s a great natural cleanser!).
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- 1 hand-held blender optional
Ingredients
- ½ small avocado ripe, but not overripe
- 1 small banana ripe, but not overripe
- 1 drop lavender essential oil optional, or other oil, see notes
- 2 tsp carrier oil (coconut, jojoba oil, etc.) optional, if using an essential oil other than lavender
Instructions
How to Make
- Put half of the avocado and a small banana into a bowl and mash with a fork, or blend them with a stick blender for a smoother result.
- Mix in essential and carrier oil, if you like.
How to Use
- Apply this homemade face mask with (clean!) hands or use a small spatula and spread it evenly over your face.
- Leave your avocado banana mask on your face for about 15-20 minutes.
- Wet a cloth with warm water and gently remove the face mask.
- Finish with a serum (I've got some recipes here on my blog!) or a light moisturiser.
Notes
- Essential oils: lemongrass & tea tree for getting rid of blemishes, frankincense & geranium to beautify and rejuvenate the skin and lavender & chamomile to soothe and calm irritated skin.
- Carrier Oil: If using essential oils, please note that you always need to dilute them with a carrier oil! By the way, lavender is a gentle oil that generally doesn’t need to be diluted (sensitive people may need to dilute it though).
- You can use this avocado banana face mask as often as you like—if tolerated. However, I find it most beneficial, if I only use it once every fortnight.
- This face mask keeps in the fridge for about 1 week. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months—I recommend freezing it in batches!
- Avocado Banana Hair Mask: Leftovers can also be used on your hair!! Read more about it here!
Maja says
… love it, thanks for the recipe
Lavender Gypsy says
Thanks, Maja! I'm glad you enjoy it :).