Summer is often defined by a single fruit fixation that pervades all categories of beauty, from skin care to fragrance, hair and body.

Last year, guava took hold of the industry (cue the “guava girl summer” hysteria here), with brands such as Summer Fridays, Eadem and Ellis Brooklyn tapping into the tangy treat in the form of butter balms and eau de parfums. Before that, Hailey Bieber begat the strawberry craze — more notably “strawberry girl makeup” — with a single makeup tutorial shared on TikTok. And then, of course, there was “tomato girl summer” and “blueberry milk nails.”

This year, brands are betting big on banana, scenting their latest launches with the distinctly sweet and utterly nostalgic aroma in time for the hot season ahead.

In the last few months alone, Rhode dropped its viral Peptide Lip Treatment in a new limited-edition caramelized banana flavor, and its Peptide Eye Patches in banana peel; Sand and Fog launched a Banana Blossom EDP Oil Dropper; and Juliette Has a Gun introduced its latest fragrance, Banana Rush, infused with maple syrup and coconut.

Rhode’s Peptide Eye Patches in banana peel.

As a result, searches for “banana skin care” have jumped 22 percent, according to the beauty and wellness app Fresha.

But why banana and why now? In an official statement, Annabelle Taurua, an expert at Fresha, said bananas have “a strong sensory appeal.”

“Its versatility is key when formulating products such as lip and hair care, where both flavor and scent play a big role,” she continued. “In terms of an overall trend cycle, banana is still in the early to mid phase. But everything is being set up for it to follow in matcha’s footsteps over the next 12 months as the beauty world favors more playful ingredients and combinations.”

While it’s still early days, the “banana-fication of beauty” has been bubbling up since June 2025, when Prada dropped the latest addition to its balm line: Banana Yellow. Inspired by the Italian fashion house’s archive motif introduced in the spring 2011 collection, the long-wear, natural flush product was teased in Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild” music video, which featured her snacking on Prada-stamped banana candies in a parked car. Made with bifidus extract, jojoba oil and banana extract, the pastel yellow bullet, molded in the brand’s heritage triangle, mimicked the sensory satisfaction of the nylon fabric on which Prada originally printed its whimsical banana design.

Less than a month later, the second banana-scented balm arrived, with Glossier’s limited-edition banana pudding Blam Dotcom. Inspired by Magnolia Bakery’s bestselling treat, the skin salve delivered a mouth-watering aroma and up to 12 hours of hydration.

Both launches — unsurprisingly — generated significant buzz on TikTok upon their release. Today, a simple search for “banana beauty” on the app will take you down a rabbit hole of reviews, testing almost every product associated with the fruit, plus a burgeoning “BDRN” movement powered by K-beauty innovations by shaishaishai and Mumuki. You’ll also find the occasional banana mush face mask in there, too.