Forget “guava girl” aesthetics or “soft cherry” makeup. The latest fruit coming for the beauty industry is none other than the banana. With pale butter yellow trending in the fashion space, it was only a matter of time before it took over our vanities — but it isn’t just the color that’s attracting brands to the starchy produce.

The color has “immediate visual appeal” (a-PEEL?), says Juliette Ferret, GM of Prada Beauty, which recently released a lip balm in Banana Yellow. Following the success of its Prada Balms in Universal Green and Astral Pink (which is actually a pH-adaptive blue bullet), the brand knew it “wanted to continue to innovate and surprise” when it created Banana Balm, Ferret tells Fashionista.

Inspired by the iconic banana print from Prada’s Spring 2011 fashion collection, the new balm was crafted to deliver the same sensorial feel as the clothing’s nylon fabric — feeling and looking textured upon first glance, then melting onto the lips with a simple swipe. 

“Banana as a note or ingredient speaks to the current mood we’re seeing all over the beauty industry this summer. One that embraces joy, color and emotional connection,” says Ferret. “Consumers are looking for products that surprise them, evoke memories and make them feel something, and banana delivers on all three.”

The idea that the smell or taste of artificial banana can bring a user feelings of comfort and nostalgia is a major marketing point for brands participating in the trend. Many younger consumers spent their childhoods swiping on strawberry banana Lip Smackers in the early 2000s or taking a dip into the TonyMoly Magic Food Banana Lip Balm keychain, which originally launched in 2015. (The lip category seems to lend itself particularly well to the flavorful world of smoothie-like scents.)

Glossier is taking another approach to evoke that sense of comfort, collaborating with Magnolia Bakery on a Banana Pudding Balm Dot Com to remind consumers of a classic delicacy they may have more frequently indulged in as a child (at least for those New York City kids out there).

“There’s an emotional element to bananas that makes them especially appealing right now,” Sean Finney, founder of Tano Skincare, tells Fashionista. “Bananas are a happy fruit; from their bright, cheerful color to their familiar scent, there’s a sense of playfulness. In a world that feels heavy and complicated, that kind of positive connection resonates.”

Soft Services and Ellis Brooklyn are among the other beauty brands banking on the berry’s (yes, technically bananas are classified as berries!) sweet sentimentality. The former has a Green Banana Buffing Bar, while the latter boasts a Banana Milkshake perfume body mist — its most popular fragrance, outselling its other scents by double. (It’s currently sold out on the Ellis Brooklyn website and Sephora.)

“I like the creaminess that banana can add to a tropical fruity scent. There’s a richness that is just delectable,” Bee Shapiro, founder of Ellis Brooklyn, tells Fashionista. “Banana is a perfect transition between gourmand and fruity scents.”

Beyond bananas’ aesthetic charm (and the literal food’s nutritional value), some believe they can also offer skin benefits when used topically — like reducing inflammation, boosting collagen production and enhancing hydration.

“I truly believe we’re only scratching the surface of what this ingredient can do,” says Finney, whose brand Tano offers a banana sap-infused Body Butter, and actually has a patent pending for the use of the sap in skin-care formulations.

For those hesitant to participate in the banana craze, perhaps based on a disinterest in eating the fruit (they’re controversial!), we leave you with some profound words from Prada Beauty global ambassador Sabrina Carpenter, via TikTok: “I do hate bananas this is lip balm.”

Keep scrolling to shop our favorite banana beauty picks.

Prada Beauty Hydrating Lip Balm in Banana Yellow, $50, available here

Vacation Bananas Foster SPF 30 Lip Balm Sunscreen, $5, available here

Soft Services Green Banana Buffing Bar Microcrystal Exfoliant, $30, available here

Glossier Balm Dotcom Lip Balm and Skin Salve in Banana Pudding, $16, available here

Kayali Maui in a Bottle Sweet Banana, $100, available here

Tano Skincare Balbisiana Body Butter, $38, available here

Dedcool Banana Kush Balm Stick, $10, available here

Olehenriksen Banana Bright+ Instant Glow Moisturizer, $52, available here

Ellis Brooklyn Banana Milkshake Hair and Body Fragrance Mist, $35, available here

TonyMoly Magic Food Dalcom Banana Keychain Lip Balm, $10, available here

Sun Bum CocoBalm Lip Balm in Banana Cream, $4, available here

Marc Jacobs Fragrances Daisy Wild Eau de Parfum with Banana Blossom Accord, $130, available here

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