TikTokers are using banana skin to get rid of dark circles and more

TikTokers somehow always manage to find new ways to shock us with their unusual beauty rituals. The latest skin care craze taking the platform by storm? Slapping a few banana peels under your eyes and letting the fruit wrappers lay waste to your dark circles, acne and pigmentation.

And we know what you’re thinking – why? Why would someone do this? 

Well, apparently there’s legitimate science behind the fruit recycling hack. Or at least that’s what Claire Williams, skin specialist and founder of WOW Facial told Refinery29: “Bananas have many great vitamins and minerals such as potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C and iron, which are ingredients known to have benefits on the skin."

"There are also acids in bananas, which are beneficial to the skin, but the pH of these acids isn't low enough to create deep exfoliation," which is why Williams suggests more potent, clinically-proven alternatives such as mandelic and glycolic acid for faster results. 

We don’t know about you, but we’re happy to forgo plastering ourselves in decaying banana skins in lieu of Williams' professional opinion. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up a few skin care goodies packed full of exfoliating alternatives to banana peel (think: AHAs like mandelic and glycolic acid or gentle LHAs if you have sensitive skin).

We recommend:

Paula’s Choice RESIST Daily Smoothing Treatment with 5% AHA ($44 at Paula’s Choice); L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Eye Cream ($26.99 at Chemist Warehouse); and NeoStrata Clarify Mandelic Mattifying Serum ($35.99 at Chemist Warehouse).

A lesser known exfoliator that should be on your radar? PHAs are the gentle hydroxy acid you need to know about.

Main image credit: @annalovesu