Tony Moly Magic Food Banana Hand Milk

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Who are Tony Moly?

Tony Moly is without a doubt one of the cutest South Korean brands out there. What really makes them stand out from the rest, are its innovative ingredients and the MOST adorable packaging.

They have a full range of absolutely “to die for” packaging from egg shaped pore tightening cooling packs to tomato shaped hand creams. Alongside what some would call weird, or others would call incredibly innovative ingredients including their fermented snail secretion and bamboo sap skincare range.

& How did I discover this banana hand cream?

My most recent trip to Hong Kong had me stumbling upon a pop-up store in a shopping center for Tony Moly. Don’t worry, you can still purchase this hand cream in the UK at Selfridges for £9.50.

Anyway, what really caught my eye was that their packaging looked like the ingredients used in their products, and instantly I knew my friends would love these as souvenirs. I ended up picking up about 7 Tony Moly magic food banana hand milk, because they really were THAT cute.

As the geek that I am, and studying my undergraduate degree in Cosmetic Science, I just had to delve into the science behind the ingredients of the product. Yes, the packaging may be cute, but it is a hand cream after all, and its whole purpose is to keep your hands moisturized.

With women nowadays so focused on their face skin care regime, they tend to neglect their hands. As a result, the hands are more prone to signs of ageing. This is because of the constant stress our hands are placed under on a day to day basis with how much we use them. According to dermatologist Dee Anna Glaser, “hands often reveal a person’s true age” so take care of those hands ladies and gentlemen!

What’s the Science behind it?

So, for starters, Tony Moly’s nourishing hand milk contains milk protein and banana extract to leave a soft, glossy finish on the skin.

Bananas are high in antioxidants, which is why Tony Moly decided to incorporate this into their hand cream formulation. Antioxidants provide protection from free radicals which we encounter daily – from sunlight to pollution. Free radicals are harmful to the skin. This is because they contain unpaired electrons, which makes them highly reactive and unstable. They want to become stable, by pairing with another electron which can be found in our skin, such as lipids (fats) and proteins. These important macro-molecules are essential for healthy skin maintenance and as such, damage to these make the skin more prone to ageing.

The hand milk has 10mg/mL banana extracts in its formulation. According to a scientific journal published by Sangthong et al, 0.861 mg/mL of banana extract gave a 50% decrease of the free radical (IC50). As such, with the help of the banana extract in the hand cream, it helps to fight off free radicals that leaves skin vulnerable to developing fine lines and wrinkles. This in turn protects the skin from further ageing and reduces signs of ageing in the hands.

Milk protein is great for dry/sensitive skin as it is non-irritating. It works to hydrate and lock in moisture by increasing its water retention capacity. It is rich in amino acids, which enhances water retention and skin moisture allowing for deeper penetration into the skin for long-term benefits to the skin.

& what is my experience with this product?

The hand cream has a thicker, lumpier consistency to it when you squeeze it out the tube, most probably due to the Shea butter used as the skin conditioning agent and thickens the hand creamHaving said that, some may not like this consistency, but the Shea butter seems to really nourish and moisturize as it deeply penetrates the skins surface. The initial skin application feel may not be as smooth as some other hand creams on the market, but from my experience, the hand cream seems to have more long-lasting moisturizing effects on my hands.

Not to mention, it smells like freshly baked banana bread. It’s like marmite, some love it, some may hate to smell like bananas. For me personally, I LOVE the smell, and it’s just so playful to use. All in all, I would repurchase this and judging from my friend’s responses, they love it too

Rating: 7/10

With the rise of K-beauty piercing through the European cosmetic industry, Tony Moly can be purchased in stores such as Selfridges and House of Fraser and available to purchase from online retailers Cult Beauty and YesStyle.