Banana Powder

Banana powder is a powder made from processed bananas. Banana powder is formed by using banana pulp, which is mechanically chopped and then processed with hydraulic shear using a colloid mill, turning it into a paste. Sodium metabisulfite is then used to brighten the yellow color of the paste. The paste is then dried by either spray- or drum-drying, although the latter is more common, because none of the paste is lost while drying. Drum-drying also produces about 2% more powder and dries it more thoroughly.

Banana powder, and the concept of a highlighting powder, was originally used and popularized by film and theater actors. These artists were using banana powder to highlight and contour themselves into their characters. Baking their makeup with banana powder helped their makeup stay put during long work nights, outlast sweat, and defined their features under stage lights.

To some, the use of banana powder still seemed like a celebrity’s best-kept beauty secret.

Since banana powder is lighter in color and generally used to pronounce specific areas of the face, you can use this to set your makeup and highlight your under eyes, your nose, forehead, chin area, and under your contour. Banana powder is not typically used to set your makeup all over your face.

If you’re at the highlight and contour stage of your makeup application and want to bake, you can take your banana powder and apply it to your highlight with a fluffy brush or sponge. With the baking technique, you’re using a heavier amount of powder on your highlighted areas to help accentuate the color and sculpt your face. In order for this method to work its magic, you leave the banana powder on your face for a few minutes; the extra time locks in your product, absorb any excess oils, and settles in to reflect light. After a few minutes have passed, sweep off any powder that remains with a fluffy brush. If you’d like to take a softer approach to using banana powder, pressing a small amount of the product into your concealer with a blending brush will naturally brighten those areas and set your application; just make sure you blend the product in with the rest of your complexion products in that area to prevent patchiness.

This powder is incredibly lightweight, thin, and translucent, making for an ideal powder you can use to set your highlight in certain areas of your face.

It is also used as a component for production of milk shakes and baby foods. It is also used in the manufacture of various types of cakes and biscuits.