10 Interesting and Amazing Uses For Bananas

Most of us already know of the health benefits of bananas. An exotic fruit that belongs to the genus Musa, banana is an excellent source of Vitamin B6, manganese and potassium.

Moreover, when combined with some other fruits bananas can greatly decrease the incidence of colorectal cancer.

But that’s not all!

This great breakfast booster and afternoon snack has a myriad of other benefits and potential uses, most of which are not even related to nutrition. In this article, we are going to show you 10 alternative ways to use your bananas smartly!

1. Bananas for Hair Shine

Sometimes we tend to spend long hours looking for the perfect shampoo or conditioner combination for our long (or short) hair, but little did we know that we could be hiding the secret ingredient right in our refrigerators. But some people who have personally experimented with banana as a conditioners reported improvement in their hair shine. So give it a try! At least you are sure it won’t damage your hair, since it’s an all-natural product!

Blend two ripe bananas (overtly ripe) until the mixture becomes perfectly smooth. Pour the mixture in your hair, massage and let it sit. Then rinse, et voila!

2. The Anti-aging Banana Mask

Yes, banana can also help in delaying the formation of wrinkles. Let’s be honest, you can’t prevent wrinkles from forming, it’s part of the natural aging process! But we can try our best to delay them. Apply this mask three times a week, and your skin will forever thank you for that.

Here are the ingredients you will need: 1 banana, 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of oat flour and finally some floral water (primrose, etc.)

Mix all the ingredients until you obtain a smooth paste. Apply the mask to a clean face. This mixture can only be kept in the fridge for up to 6 hours.

3. A Potent Meat Tenderizer

This is also a very common use of banana especially in Chinese and Asian cuisine. They would wrap the meat in banana leaves while cooking, to ensure that it gets tenderized. So the next time you are dealing with a “tough to cook” piece of meat, add some pieces of ripe banana to the pan!

4. Banana Body Scrub

Who knew that banana could be used as a skin exfoliator?

Here is an easy-to-do recipe: 1 ripe banana, 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar (white or brown) and ¼ teaspoon of your favorite essential oil. Mix everything together, and start scrubbing!

5. Banana Skin for Healing of Bruises

This effect is probably due to the potassium and vitamin C contained in bananas.

6. Banana As a Silverware Polish

Weird, right? But try rubbing a banana peel on your tarnishing silverware, and let me know the results! Banana could also help restore the shine of your leather shoes.

7. Fertilize Your Plants With Banana Peel

The gardeners and farmers among us probably know this one. Throw a banana peel around the plants in your garden to make them grow healthier!

8. Healthy Treat For Dogs

Yes, dogs can eat fruits too, and especially bananas! Reward them for their good actions with this healthy treat. Just be sure to not overdo it and clean their teeth to prevent sugar decay.

9. Banana for Purifying Polluted Waters

This is only done at a professional level, though. Banana peels can actually absorb toxins from water and contribute to its purification process.

10. Bananas to Make Textiles

Saving the best for last, bananas can also be used to make textiles! This also is done at a factory level. Banana plants possess strong fibers that can be used in the clothing and textile industry.