I tried an 11p viral TikTok hack people are calling ‘nature’s Botox’ – my skin glowed but I couldn’t get over the stench

INTRIGUED by the TikTokers who say bananas are the new Botox, Samantha Tripp, 39, from Pangbourne, Berks, gives
the retro treatment a try.

I have always hated bananas.

As a mum-of-three, I dutifully pop them into the trolley every week for my daughters and husband, but you will never catch me peeling one for myself.

The mere thought of biting into a mushy, bruised banana makes me shudder.

The only time I willingly go near one is when it’s disguised in a slice of banoffee pie at a restaurant — even then, I’m mostly in it for the toffee.

But that all changed when my 14-year-old daughter showed me a TikTok video of a Gen Z type rubbing banana peel on her skin for “flawless” results.

Suddenly, this fruit bowl staple had my attention — not as food, but as a potential secret weapon for glowing skin.

It took me straight back to the Nineties, when no teenage girls’ magazine was complete without a step-by-step guide to an avocado facial, or recipe for a DIY body scrub using old coffee grounds.

As a teen, I vividly remember dabbing lemon juice on my face, convinced it would work wonders on my acne.

For the particularly stubborn spots, I’d even pile on a dollop of toothpaste for good measure.

The result? Bright red, tender skin that felt ten times worse. One attempt was all it took—I never made that mistake again.

Still, lemon was all the rage back then.

From mixing it into DIY face masks to squeezing it on your hair during summer for budget-friendly highlights, it was the ultimate multitasking beauty hack of the decade.

Fast forward to this week and I watched in disbelief as countless TikTokers enthusiastically rubbed banana skins over their cheeks, swearing it delivered natural Botox-like results.

Intrigued, I did a Google search and saw the “banana peel facial” trend had more than 20million views.

Even celebrity make-up artist Katie Jane Hughes, whose clients include Dua Lipa and Lily Allen, has jumped on the bandwagon.

In a video racking up more than 800,000 views, she gushed about how banana peel left her pores tighter and her face noticeably more “snatched”.

If it’s good enough for Katie, maybe I could learn to like bananas, or at least tolerate them.

But is there any science to say this fad actually works?

Amish Patel, award-winning aesthetics practitioner and skincare expert at Intrigue Cosmetic Clinic, says the reason bananas have become such a hit is because they are packed with skin-loving nutrients.

He says: “The peels are rich in potassium, magnesium, vitamin A and antioxidants — all of which can help with low-level hyperpigmentation.

The inside of the peel contains antioxidant lutein, which may have nourishing and brightening benefits for the skin.

“There’s even a suggestion that it could help with acne by reducing inflammation.”

Amish adds that rubbing banana peel on your face and leaving it on for at least 15 minutes can double as a gentle exfoliation, removing dead skin cells and leaving your complexion brighter and clearer.

“Plus, any kind of massage boosts blood flow and circulation, which can enhance your glow-up even further,” he adds.

While banana peels might give your complexion a boost, can they compete with Botox?

“Rubbing a banana peel onto the skin won’t relax facial muscles in the way Botox does by paralysing them,” Patel clarifies.

“That said, this skincare hack is unlikely to harm your skin and offers nourishing benefits.

Why not get what I can out of the skins before they end up in the bin

Samantha

“Much like hydrating skincare products, it boosts hydration in the skin which can make it look more volumised and plumpers.”

Softening the appearance of wrinkles is good enough for me.

Seven bananas cost just 74p in my weekly Asda shop.

They’re already in the house, so why not get what I can out of the peels before they end up in the bin? Over the years, I’ve spent a small fortune in a bid to turn back the clock.

‘Why do you have lines on your face?’

Just last summer, on holiday in America, I splurged £65 on Extreme Cream, a popular moisturiser that was voted number one in the US for firming and smoothing skin.

But all I got out of it was a flare-up of angry breakouts.

Botox isn’t for me either.

Instead, I’ve dabbled in pricey Bobbi Brown creams, but judging by the mirror, they’re not winning the battle.

Last week, my nine-year-old daughter caught me off-guard with the brutally honest question: “Mummy, why do you have lines on your face?”

There’s no denying it. I turn 40 next year and let’s just say my skin is starting to show it.

My three daughters, the youngest is six, keep me on the go, and between school runs, after-school activities, and my teaching assistant job, my hectic days are written all over my face.

So if there’s a natural and budget-friendly solution, I’m all ears.

Grabbing a banana, I peeled it.

Then, armed with a strip of skin, I went to work.

After cleansing my face, I applied it to my forehead.

Back and forth it went, its slightly squishy texture feeling like a gentle exfoliater.

I just hoped it was buffing away the Sahara-level dryness on my face.

Naturally this odd scene didn’t go unnoticed.

My two youngest daughters walked in, wide-eyed.

“Mum, what are you doing?” they asked, with expressions somewhere between confusion and hysterics.

Within minutes, they had decided this was far too funny to miss out on and grabbed their own banana peels.

Soon, we were all covered in stringy banana fibres — quickly discovering that rubbing the peel back and forth for too long turns it into a mushy, brown sludge that’s far from flattering.

We then let the residue work its magic for ten to 15 minutes.

I made sure to cover my under-eye circles, too, inspired by TikTok users who swear that bananas tackle stubborn bags.

When the timer chimed, I rinsed off the banana residue and was pleasantly surprised by the results.

My skin felt incredibly soft, with a noticeable glow.

There was an immediate improvement in how my skin felt, too.

But there was one thing I couldn’t ignore — the lingering scent of banana.

Even my husband commented on the fruity trail I left behind.

As much as I appreciate an affordable hack with real results, adding banana peels to my night-time routine didn’t feel as glam as slathering on my fave Bobbi Brown creams.

If you don’t mind a bit of mess and a whiff of banana, this DIY trick could well deliver skin-boosting benefits over time.

But for me, as my fine lines continue to stare back at me, this experiment hasn’t yet made me a banana believer.

For now, I’ll keep my bananas where they belong —­ in a banoffee pie.

More retro beauty tips

FROM rubbing banana peel on your cheeks to scouring the kitchen cupboards for beauty remedies, Nineties DIY tips are making a resurgence on TikTok.

Here’s a summary of the most popular ones doing the rounds:

OLIVE OIL: Gwyneth Paltrow and Sharon Stone used to swear by olive oil for its vitamins E and K.

Fast-forward to today and the salad dressing staple is back, with millions of TikTok users praising it as an anti-aging secret.

AVOCADO FACE MASKS: Beauty enthusiasts in the Nineties mashed avocados with honey and yoghurt for a natural face mask.

Today, it’s still popular, but with added oils such as jojoba and rosehip for extra hydration.

COFFEE BODY SCRUBS: Coffee grounds were a go-to DIY exfoliator, supposedly smoothing dry, flaky skin.

Countless TikTok videos now showcase coffee’s skin-brightening effects.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR: Nineties supermodel Cindy Crawford praised apple cider vinegar as a skin toner.

Today, it’s still used on skin, but has also gained popularity as a detoxing hair rinse, with fans praising its clarifying properties.