Weird but helpful ways bananas and their peels can be used

Lifestyle

Written by Ashlyn Messier, FOX News

Bananas are widely known as a source of potassium.

Next to the health benefits of fruit are delicious recipes that use fruit as the main ingredient.

But that’s not the only use for bananas.

Banana peels can also be useful, so don’t be too quick to throw them away.

Here are some practical, unique, and even a little weird ways to use bananas.

• make a face mask
• apply on warts
• treat insect bites
• Polish your silverware
• loosen debris
• make your smile shine

1. Make a face mask

Banana as a face mask is very popular in the beauty world. However, if you are new to skin care, this may be the first time you hear about this key ingredient.

The easiest way to make a mask using a banana is to crush the fruit and apply it directly to your skin.

Another common recipe is to add 1/4 cup of plain yogurt and 2 tablespoons of honey to mashed banana before applying to the skin.

Leave the mask on for 10-15 minutes, then rinse with warm water.

2. Apply to warts

Warts aren’t the worst skin irritants in existence, but they can be embarrassing if someone else sees them.

There are many home remedies to get rid of warts, and using a banana peel is just one of them.

There is nothing toxic in bananas, so there is little risk of rubbing a wart with a banana peel. Although there is no scientific evidence to prove that bananas or banana peels are truly effective in getting rid of warts, they have been practiced at home for decades.

Try it next time you get an unwanted wart and see how it works.

3. Treatment of insect bites

Bananas are rich in potassium and are known to relieve symptoms of insect bites, such as itching and swelling.

The next time you get bitten by a pesky mosquito, apply a banana peel to the bite.

The peel contains natural antihistamines that relieve itching caused by saliva left by insects under the skin.

4. Polish your silverware

You can use banana peels to clean silverware, but you’ll need to make a mixture first.

Mix banana peel with water to make a paste. Then use a cloth to rub the paste onto the silverware.

Of course, it would be a waste to leave banana mash on it, so wash it thoroughly with lukewarm water in the sink. It will look and feel like new.

5. Loosen debris

Depending on the depth of the splinter, it can be very arduous and sometimes very painful to remove.

If you have a splinter that needs to be loosened, cover the splinter with the outside of a banana peel and let it sit for a few hours or overnight. Later in the day or in the morning, you should notice that the thorns start to loosen. Now it’s time to bring it out.

Using potato peels is also a treatment for loosening deep splinters.

6. Make your smile shine

Achieving a bright smile can be difficult and expensive.

If you’re a chronic wine or coffee drinker who hasn’t been able to whiten your teeth for a long time, why not try using bananas to brighten your smile?

Before you invest money in a teeth whitening treatment, make sure that banana peels will give you the results you want.

Simply rubbing your teeth with a banana peel a few times a day before brushing will give you a brighter smile.