How can Mushrooms Benefit Skin?

Mushrooms are becoming exceedingly popular. Nowadays, it seems like mushrooms can be used to make practically anything, from foods and vitamins to clothing and packaging. And this extends to the cosmetics industry. Mushrooms are being used in more skin and facial care products, and for good reason. When it comes to your complexion and the general health of your body’s largest organ, the benefits of mushrooms for skin and face care can work wonders.

As the reproductive structure of a fungus and also known as the fruiting body, mushrooms have long been hailed for their numerous health advantages. Their health advantages include boosting energy and endurance, reducing oxidative stress in the body, supporting brain health & cognition, and regulating immune system processes. The conventional knowledge of ancient civilizations is now being supported by scientific research: mushrooms can be an effective tool for whole-body maintenance.

More recently, the scientific community has been investigating mushrooms for their ability to support and maintain our skin health as well. You may have noticed that even mainstream skincare lines are hopping on the mushroom bandwagon. Many of which are now releasing fungi-infused formulas.

What’s Special About Fungi?

Because of the variety of skin-supporting substances they contain, mushroom extracts are now making their way into cosmetics. Ceramides, lentinan, schizophyllan, carotenoids, resveratrol, and other compounds fall under this category. Antioxidant superfoods like functional mushrooms are well known for promoting a healthy inflammatory response. These qualities, along with others that we shall discuss in this article, are widely applied to deal with issues like fine lines, wrinkles, uneven tone, and texture.

There are several powerful skin-supporting qualities in mushrooms. This article will examine the bioactive ingredients found in various mushrooms and how you might use them to treat skin problems. Finally, we’ll leave you with three skincare recipes made with mushrooms that you may adapt to make your own unique concoctions.

Mushroom Bio Compounds for Natural Skincare:

Bio compounds are found in all living things and are essential for our bodies to function properly. Without bio compounds, you wouldn’t be able to digest food, breathe, grow, or produce new cells. This, of course, includes skin cells. The mushroom benefits for skin health are all thanks to their natural active compounds.

The right bio compounds can help you achieve radiant skin and address persistent concerns such as dullness, dryness, redness, and premature aging. Let’s take a look at a few bio compounds found in mushrooms that benefit your skin.

Antioxidants

We’ve all heard that antioxidants are important for maintaining cellular health and promoting longevity. But an added perk of antioxidants is their ability to revitalize your skin. This is due to their capacity to fight free radicals that cause oxidative stress and damage healthy cells.

Antioxidants fight free radicals by affecting the intracellular signaling pathways that cause skin damage. This can help protect against sun damage, address skin irritation, and help diminish the appearance of wrinkles.

Beta-Glucans

Beta-glucans are found in the cell walls of yeasts, bacteria, grain, fungi, and seaweed. They strengthen the immune system by encouraging macrophage production. Macrophages are scavenger cells that seek and destroy bad bacteria. Beta-glucans have many animal studies suggesting that they may help speed up the healing process of wounds via cytokines and other key immune cells.

Beta-glucans are also high in antioxidants. Which, as we learned in the previous section, can help prevent oxidative stress that causes premature aging and wrinkles.

L-Ergothioneine

L-Ergothioneine is a potent amino acid that is found naturally in your body, and it is also found in shiitake in abundance. It has powerful antioxidant properties which can help reduce oxidative stress and extend the lifespan of healthy skin cells. This means it can address signs of early aging such as fine lines and wrinkles. Studies on human skin cells have shown that L-ergothioneine may also help repair DNA and sun-damaged skin cells. L-ergothioneine can be used in your beauty regime for helping to revitalize lackluster skin and keep your complexion resilient to environmental damage and aging.

Fatty Acids

You may have heard that omega-3 fatty acids can help you achieve shiny hair. There are some studies that back up this claim. Fatty acids may also improve the skin barrier function by sealing in moisture and blocking out irritants. This can help moisturize and soothe dry, red, and itchy skin and relieve skin reactions such as those found in psoriasis. Fatty acids may also protect your skin from UV damage.

Fatty acids also help promote a healthy inflammation response. This can help reduce the redness and swelling from such skin concerns as acne breakouts. Some studies suggest that fatty acids may also abate abnormal cell growth, particularly in the skin.

An easy way to consume the necessary polyunsaturated fatty acids for supporting overall skin and body health is to ingest edible mushrooms such as shiitake.

Melanin

Our skin, hair, and eye pigments are determined by our melanin. But melanin is also responsible for protecting our skin and keeping it healthy. Melanin, such as that found in abundance in the functional fungus Chaga, can help protect our skin from sun damage. It does this by absorbing UV rays before they can damage skin cells. It also has antioxidant and free-radical scavenging properties. The protective properties of melanin can help prevent oxidative stress that leads to early aging and skin damage.

Types of Mushrooms for Skincare Benefits:

The next time you’re looking to improve the complexion of your skin, look to fungi. Mushroom benefits for skin can be found in a variety of species of mushrooms. All contain essential antioxidants that, as we learned earlier, can help reduce oxidative stress and skin damage.

You can’t go wrong with incorporating mushrooms into your skin regime, either by taking them as a supplement or by adding them to your skincare products as a powder extract. But depending on your skin goals, some types of mushrooms may be better for you than others. Listed below are different types of mushrooms and how they benefit your skin.

Shiitake and Mushroom Benefits for Skin Resilience

Reducing oxidative stress is key to preserving the vitality of your skin and preventing early aging. Our environment and lifestyles contribute to increased free radicals in the body, and it’s more difficult than ever to avoid oxidative stress that can damage skin cells.

Fortunately, shiitake mushroom benefits for skin include protecting cells against oxidative stress. Shiitake mushrooms are packed with L-ergothioneine, a powerful antioxidant that can help forestall the development of wrinkles and other signs of premature aging, such as skin dullness. They also contain high amounts of oleic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid that can help calm and balance skin.

Shiitake mushrooms may also help defend your skin against harmful bacteria. This can help your skin reduce redness and recover from injuries faster. They may also brighten your complexion by balancing your skin tone.

Organic Mushrooms offers Shiitake mushrooms in capsule and powder form. Taking L-ergothioneine internally and adding it to your skincare products will help defend your skin against oxidative stress and early signs of aging with ease.

Reishi Mushroom Benefits for Skin Rejuvenation

The Reishi mushroom is one of the most powerful functional mushrooms to incorporate into a skin-supporting regime — it is known as the mushroom of longevity for good reason.

When taken as a supplement, reishi helps restore balance and regulates the body’s response to stress. It is high in antioxidants, which is crucial for protecting skin from the aging effects of oxidative stress, thus contributing to a healthy skin complexion.

Our skin will show our body’s first signs of stress whether it’s dehydrated, inflamed, dull, or sallow. Using a high-quality, organic, grain-free mushroom powder or taking capsules as a supplement and as a topical skin treatment can help protect and renew skin more efficiently.

Chaga Benefits for Skin Repair & Sun Protection

There are plenty of foods that contain vitamins that encourage melanin production, but the Chaga mushroom’s benefits for skin are unique in that it actually contains melanin. As we mentioned earlier, melanin protects against UV radiation and oxidative stress. This helps support the body’s natural defense mechanisms against the kind of sun damage that is one of the primary causes of premature skin aging.

Beta-glucans in Chaga mushrooms help promote a healthy inflammation response. Chaga can be used to help with dry, irritated, cracked, or redened skin. For example, in one study, patients experienced improvement or complete remission of their psoriasis symptoms after taking Chaga supplements for two to three months.

A recent study also confirmed Chaga as the medicinal mushroom with one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants. These antioxidants will help shield skin cells from oxidative damage and that can help the complexion ward off premature signs of aging such as dullness, wrinkling, and loss of skin elasticity.

Topical Mushroom Skin Care Recipes

Cleansing Manuka Honey and Reishi Mask

Use this gentle, skin-soothing cleanser recipe as a natural alternative to store-bought. Amanda and Jacqueline formulated this recipe to be easy and accessible to make, to be very gentle, and to pack the most mushroom benefits for skin by using a pure, organic reishi extract.

Ingredients

• 2 capsules or ½ tsp of Organic Mushrooms Reishi
• 2 Tbsp Manuka Honey

Method

• Mix it all together in a bowl
• Apply on your skin & let it sit for 5 minutes
• After 5 minutes, gently massage the honey blend into your skin.
• Rinse with warm water and a cloth
• Follow up with some jojoba oil or your regular moisturizer

Ingredient Benefits

• Reishi – Hydrating, Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant
• Manuka Honey – Antimicrobial, Anti-inflammatory & Soothing * Great for acne-prone skin

Chaga Soothing Skin Balm

We have formulated this topical skin-care recipe to incorporate the powerful antioxidant properties of Chaga. This recipe is for nourishing and healing dry, cracked, or inflamed skin.

Ingredients

• 9 Tbsp shea butter
• 6 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
• 3 Tbsp cacao butter
• 10 drops tea tree oil (This is optional. Feel free to experiment with different essential oil blends here!)
• 2 tsp Chaga Extract Powder

Method

• Using the double boiler method. Add the shea, cacao, and coconut oil. Melt at low heat until everything is mixed just right. Be mindful not to turn the heat up too much!
• Next, add the essential oil, if desired, and chaga powdered extract. Use a whisk to combine everything nicely.
• Pour mixture into a small mason jar or some other fun creative jar you intend to use! Store in the refrigerator. It will need at least 2-4 hours to solidify. You can then store at room temperature. This will keep for roughly 6 months.

Ingredient Benefits

• Chaga – Contains SOD (superoxide dismutase) and melanin, which boosts skin nourishment and protective factors from everyday stressors like environmental toxins, UV light, dehydration, and nutrient-poor food.
• Shea butter, extra virgin coconut oil, cacao butter – This trifecta of natural moisturizers mimic the oil our skin naturally produces and therefore their fatty acids are readily absorbed by our skin to hydrate it. They are also known to possess their own antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, so are helpful in repairing damaged, irritated, and inflamed skin.
• Tea tree oil – This essential oil has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties which make it ideal for protecting abraded skin from infection, helping to diminish skin inflammation, and even to repair skin from acne lesions.

We hope you have fun creating these recipes at home and experimenting with mushrooms in your wellness routine, and we hope you find something perfect that works for you!