Mushrooms in Skincare? Yes, please!
The much-talked-about ‘shroom-boom’ in beauty and skincare.
“Mushrooms are meant for meals!” Says no one ever. Yes, mushrooms are known to be great sources of vitamin D, protein, fiber, selenium, magnesium, copper, and more, making them great for your health. The added bonus is that they taste great too! That said, they are also known for their ability to treat and nourish hair and skin.
Mushrooms: Healing Heroes
Mushrooms have always been magic! Their powers have been known to mankind for the last 7,000 years! In TCM [Traditional Chinese Medicine], for instance, Reishi has been recommended for use in the treatment of cancer, autoimmunity, and various neurohumoral disorders. Moreover, due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and antioxidant properties, it has had a great track record when treating viral infections, and maintaining the gastrointestinal tract as well! Another type, lion’s mane mushrooms aid the regrowth of nerve cells in the brain, alleviate symptoms of dementia, and can increase physical and cognitive performance.
Reishi or Lingzhi mushrooms, scientifically known as Ganoderma lucidum, is known for their medicinal properties for over 2000 years and are used for treating multiple diseases as well, including cancer. Apart from being a hero ingredient in the health and wellness space, reishi mushrooms a.k.a ‘mushroom of immortality’ are known to fend off environmental stressors with great ease.
Mushrooms: Your Best-Kept Beauty Secret
From health and wellness, mushrooms have now evolved into becoming a powerhouse of an ingredient in the haircare and skincare universe.
Benefitting the overall appearance of the skin, mushrooms are known to be rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and excellent sources of β-glucan, selenium, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, and folic acid. Each of these compounds has been known to brighten, moisturise, and hydrate the skin, as well as fight off wrinkles and early signs of ageing. More so, as an antioxidant, mushrooms are major ingredients in skincare products that protect the skin from free radicals, environmental stressors, and pollution.
Types of Mushrooms in Skincare and Beauty Products:
The cosmetic industry is constantly in search of ingredients from natural sources because of their competitive effectiveness and lower toxicity effects. As per a study, mushroom extracts, as well as their bioactive metabolites, constitute important ingredients that can help to combat aging, reduce the severity of inflammatory skin disease, and correct hyperpigmentation disorders.
They also tackle acne, fade scars over consistent use, and work to hydrate the skin too. They’ve taken the skincare industry by storm and most products use potent reishi mushrooms because of their versatility with other ingredients or products. This type is mainly used in products that hydrate and repair the skin from within so they’re commonly found in masks, serums, and moisturizers. Our bestseller, the Phyto-Positive Peppermint Potion has reishi mushrooms as one of the key ingredients that have been responsible for intense hydration and calming inflammation.
Next, the Shiitake Mushrooms also known as Lentinus edodes are flag bearers in the skincare domain when it comes to fading the appearance of photodamage and acne scarring. It also aids skin barrier strength, encourages faster skin renewal, and boosts skin elasticity. In addition to this, it is a rich source of kojic acid.
Other kinds like tremella, cordyceps, coprinus, chaga, and trametes versicolor are also used as effective ingredients in several skincare and beauty products and work towards skin brightening, boosting collagen, hydrating the layers of the skin due to the presence of Hyaluronic Acid in it, and protecting skin from the aging effects of oxidative stress. With serveral types of mushrooms, the table below talks about the benefits of each.
