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Topics: Social Media, Health, Viral, Beauty, News
Niamh Shackleton
Topics: Social Media, Health, Viral, Beauty, News
If you've been on the internet of late, I'm sure you will have seen that influencer's viral morning routine video.
A few days ago, Ashton Hall shared a video to his social media pages detailing his apparent morning routine, which included a 3:55am start to his day.
Elsewhere, Ashton put his face into a ice cold bowl of water (more than once), did some press ups on his apartment balcony, and hit the steam room.
As I'm sure you can imagine, a lot of people have had a lot to say about the undeniably unattainable morning routine.
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But one thing that really grabbed people's attention is the moment Ashton rubs a banana peel on his face. Using the fruit on your face is supposedly a 'natural botox'.
This is yet to be proven, but it turns out that there are some other benefits to rubbing a banana peel on your skin.
Dr Kate Jameson, Cosmetic Doctor and Founder of Perth's Youth Lab Australia said of the apparent trend: "Banana peel contains antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and lutein, which are known to have anti-inflammatory and hydrating properties.
"For some, applying the inside of the peel to the skin may help calm mild irritation or provide a short-term soothing effect, especially on dry patches."
There are downsides, however.
She continued to tell Mirror Online: "There is very little scientific evidence to back up its effectiveness as a skincare treatment, and unlike professionally formulated products, banana peel is not stabilised or designed for topical use.
"There's also a risk of skin irritation or bacterial contamination, particularly for those with sensitive or broken skin."
Skincare expert Dr Dave Reilly, head scientist at skin company Absolute Collagen, has previously echoed similar sentiments.
"While it may be true that banana peel contains this antioxidant, it will not be topically absorbed through direct application to the skin," he explained.
"The concentration of lutein in the peel is also not high enough to produce significant results."
Basically... put the banana peels down, folks.
With the theories being unfounded regarding bananas being good for fine lines and so on, Dr Jameson urged people to take these kinds of online trends with 'healthy dose of scepticism'.
"Natural doesn't always mean safe or effective — and what works for one person online may not work for others, especially when it comes to skin health," she added.