Say hello to the “it” ingredient for health, wellness and beauty: mushrooms. Otherwise known as an adaptogen type, these ingredients have been used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years and are making the rounds as skincare superstars. Renowned for their ability to improve overall skin health and youthfulness, it’s no wonder mushrooms are at the top of every beauty guru’s list. Read on to discover why mushrooms are about to become your favorite skin care ingredient.
What is an adaptogen? | Benefits of mushrooms and adaptogens for the skin | How to add mushrooms to your skin care
What is an adaptogen?
To appreciate the beauty benefits of mushrooms, you must first have a handle on how adaptogens work. In short, an adaptogen is a mushroom, plant, herb, or root that helps the body adapt (hence the name) to changes in its emotional and physical state. NV Lazarev, A Soviet pharmacologist first coined the term in 1947 when he noticed how these herbs and botanical extracts could regulate and normalize the body’s normal response to stress. Adaptogens are key to helping us deal with stress and bring balance to the body and skin.
Mushroom benefits for skin
Stress plays an important role in skin health: It increases inflammation, contributes to premature aging and can cause hormonal imbalance. Stressors include environmental pollution, sun damage and our fast-paced lifestyles, all of which can wreak havoc on our skin and health. The signs of stress on our skin appear in the form of dry patches, wrinkles and fine lines or dullness.
As adaptogens, mushrooms help moderate your skin’s stress response. They identify where your body is out of balance and coax it back into alignment. In skin care, they also help deliver active ingredients where they’re needed most, helping your skin stay strong, hydrated and healthy. Here’s a closer look at two of our favorite mushrooms: the snow mushroom and the reishi mushroom.
Snow mushroom
Snow mushroom (or tremella fuciformis) is a tropical mushroom often found growing on hardwood logs after heavy rainfall. This gelatinous ‘shroom’ has been used for thousands of years for its ability to provide deep and long-lasting hydration. In fact, a Tang Dynasty concubine Yang Guifei, one of the four great beauties of China, credited the snow mushroom with maintaining her flawless porcelain complexion. Heris a closer look at the amazing moisturizing properties of the snow mushroom:
Moisturizes deeply
Today, the snow mushroom is used in skin care for its impressive moisturizing properties. Known as a “super-moisturizer,” it works similarly to hyaluronic acid, the gold standard for skin hydration. The gelatinous structure of the snow mushroom, combined with its high levels of polysaccharides, helps this ingredient draw moisture deep into the skin, enhancing skin elasticity. While this mushroom has 500 times its weight in water (compared to hyaluronic acid’s 1000), its small particles can penetrate the skin more easily, providing more powerful hydration.
It enhances the strength and elasticity of the skin
In addition to attracting moisture, the snow mushroom excels at keeping it in place. Eminence Organics International Trainer Brian Goodwin he likens it to creating a rain cloud on your skin: It forms a naturally flexible film that traps water and prevents it from escaping. This restores dry skin to its optimally hydrated state, allowing it to better perform essential functions that keep it strong, supple and elastic.
Promotes youthful looking skin
Snow mushroom also helps improve the appearance of skin density and volume, which creates youthful-looking skin. Its antioxidant properties also protect the skin from environmental stressors, which helps reduce visible signs of aging such as fine lines and wrinkles. As a result, the skin remains firm and wrinkle-free for a longer period of time.
Reishi mushroom
The Reishi mushroom is probably the best known adaptogen. This fan-shaped mushroom is incredibly rare and was once reserved for use by emperors and empresses. Known as the “mushroom of immortality,” it has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years for its purported effects on longevity. The reishi mushroom has a bitter, woody flavor and was traditionally steeped in tea or served as an extract. Today, it is collected on tree stumps for several months before being included in health supplements, tea and coffee blends, and now skin care.
Reishi’s superpowers come from its more than 400 bioactive compounds boost overall health and immunity. Rachel Gargiuloa certified nutrition consultant, says Well + Good: “Reishi mushrooms are great for boosting the immune system and liver function, producing an anti-inflammatory effect on the body.” In skin care, the “king of mushrooms” is used for its regenerative, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Boosts skin cell turnover
Effective skin cell renewal is one of the precursors to healthy and youthful skin. Through this process, dead skin cells are shed and young, healthy cells rise to the surface of the skin. However, skin cell turnover slows with age: By age 50, it can take up to 45-90 days for your skin to fully renew itself, making it drier, thinner and more pigmented. Enter, reishi mushroom. With its regenerative properties, this fungus boosts the rate of skin cell renewal, improving overall skin texture and brightness.
Antioxidant & Anti-inflammatory
This mushroom is also a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Environmental stress from pollution, blue light and UV rays exposes the skin to free radicals that damage its structural proteins, trigger inflammation and cause premature aging. With its adaptogenic properties, the reishi mushroom regulates the levels of the stress hormone cortisol and minimizes the appearance of redness. Its antioxidant capacity helps protect the skin from the drying and aging effects of free radical damage, keeping the skin youthful and healthy for longer.
Supports the skin’s moisture barrier
The Reishi mushroom contains a high concentration of polysaccharides, beneficial sugars that are responsible for the skin’s natural ability to hydrate and retain water. By maintaining healthy hydration levels, this fungus supports the skin’s protective lipid barrier. A strong barrier is necessary to keep the skin in the necessary moisture (making it soft and supple) and to keep away potential irritants (triggering inflammation and premature aging).
How to add mushrooms to your skin care
Ready to add mushrooms to your skincare routine? You can experience the restorative powers of snow mushroom and reishi mushroom with our Pure Forest Collection. This luxurious collection harnesses the power of powerful, naturally-derived ingredients to restore your skin’s radiance and improve its overall appearance. This collection was inspired by the Japanese practice of ‘shinrin-yoku’, which literally translates to ‘forest bathing’. It is rooted in the philosophy that immersing oneself in nature can positively impact one’s health and well-being, both physically and mentally. Stressors from environmental pollution, digital pollution and our fast-paced modern lifestyles can wreak havoc on our skin and health. Regardless of your natural environment, using mushroom-based products from the Pure Forest collection will help improve your skin, leaving it looking firmer, hydrated and younger.
Birch Water Purifying Essence
The Birch Water Purifying Essence is a light essence that replenishes moisture, restores elasticity and minimizes redness due to dryness. Cleansing birch water leaves skin looking toned. This powerhouse juice soothes and cleanses, infusing nutrients and hydration to restore skin’s natural balance. Reishi mushroom promotes water retention to protect the skin’s barrier function, while snow mushroom helps restore moisture to the skin, enhancing the appearance of elasticity in your skin. Results? Together, these results-oriented ingredients deeply hydrate for supple and firm skin. They also allow your skin to better absorb and retain the benefits of subsequent products. You can look forward to a more refreshed and rejuvenated complexion.
To use, spread a small amount of essential oil on your hands or a cotton ball. Dab on clean and toned skin. Leave it on and follow with your favorite serum, oil or concentrate.
Snow Mushroom & Reishi Masque
The The Snow Mushroom & Reishi Masque tightens and deflates the complexion to reveal a smooth, radiant complexion. Snow mushroom and reishi mushroom provide intense hydration and minimize the appearance of puffiness and improve the appearance of hydration. Paracress extract tightens and tightens the appearance of skin for a youthful appearance, particularly along the jawline and neck. Cleansing clay also works to draw away impurities, while horsetail extract helps reveal firm, healthy skin at any age.
To use, mix a small amount of product in your hand with a few drops of water and spread evenly all over the face and neck. Leave to dry for five to 10 minutes and then rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. Use once or twice a week for a firmer and smoother look.
Snow Mushroom Moisture Cloud Eye Cream
Dubbed the “cloud of moisture” for its unique, fluffy texture, the Snow Mushroom Moisture Cloud Eye Cream deeply hydrates and revitalizes the eye area. Snow and reishi mushrooms plump, hydrate and de-puff while botanical peptides from quinoa seed smooth roughness and minimize the appearance of under-eye bags and puffiness. The result: A bright and youthful eye area. To use, apply to entire eye area twice daily, tapping gently with fingers until fully absorbed. Leave the product on.
Experience luxury products at The Pure Forest collection at your favorite partner Eminence Organics Spa.
This article was originally written in September 2019.
