Mushrooms have been a part of Eastern medicine for centuries, but their benefits in skin care are now being more closely explored. Despite much of the attention for natural skin care derivatives being given to plants, many mushrooms are now being recognized for their apoptogenic capabilities—in other words, their ability to modify stress responses and bring us back to equilibrium.

People are exploring alternative and holistic treatments for a mind-body balance. They're looking to nootropics to boost their mood or promote relaxation. Similarly, they're discovering the adaptogenic benefits of mushrooms to treat a variety of concerns such as stress, fatigue, and inflammation. Humans are at a point where reconnecting to nature isn't just a trend–it's fundamental to our personal and collective resilience. Mushrooms are nutritious food and medicine. They can also beef up our gut flora and immunity. 

Mushrooms that Work

There are over 10,000 species of mushrooms. However, the list tends to be shorter for beauty and wellness brands, with tremella, chaga, turkey tail, reishi, lion's mane, shiitake, and cordyceps being the major players.

Each type of mushroom has different benefits depending on the format it's in (topical skincare vs. ingestible supplements). Reishi, for example, is used in skincare as an anti-irritant. We have found that using fermented chaga and reishi in our skincare formulas helps visibly reduce the look of redness and soothe skin. The power these mushrooms have to calm and comfort skin makes it a global hero.

Shroom Future

With so many formulas on the market featuring mushrooms, does that mean fungi fatigue is in our future? According to our experts, that's far from the case. We have only started to understand the power of mushrooms. The West has only recently started to use them as internal medicine and in skincare, and there are so many different species. Future is yet to be seen.

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Source: Byrdie