SUPER 'SHROOMS
The Three Mushrooms You Need in Your Skincare Routine
Pizza topping, stir-fry superstar, burger alternative: Mushrooms have made their mark in the food industry as a culinary (and highly nutritional) delight. Over the past few years, mushrooms have also been making headlines in skincare. Since 2005, we’ve been infusing mushrooms into our Mega-Mushroom skincare line, all thanks to our partnership with integrative medicine pioneer, Dr. Andrew Weil. Through his extensive research on the medicinal benefits of mushrooms, he opened our eyes to the topical power of ‘shrooms and how they can help boost skin’s resilience, among many other skincare benefits.
If you’re a newbie to mushrooms or a fungi fan who wants to learn more about the benefits of mushrooms, read on for the download on our favorite, skin-transforming ingredient.
FERMENTED CHAGA
It’s by far the most unsightly of the ‘shroom family (it looks like charred wood), but quite possibly the most powerful. Chaga, which typically grows on birch trees, is loaded with vitamins, minerals and nutrients, like zinc, potassium and magnesium, to name a few. Chaga boasts potent antioxidant benefits, as well as immune support when ingested.
On the skin, Chaga is known for its potent anti-irritant benefits. “It reduces redness of the skin, boosts skin defenses and it’s good for skin health in general,” says Dr. Weil. In our Mega-Mushroom line, Chaga plays a starring role when it comes to calming redness. We ferment the mushroom for 3 days, then finely filtered to isolate a skin-compatible nutrient with 28% more anti-irritant power.* As the Chaga ferments, it breaks down into smaller particles, which are more easily infused into skin. What that means for you: a calm and comforted complexion.
PRECIOUS REISHI
Boasting two nicknames “the mushroom of immortality” and “the divine mushroom,” Reishi is a medicinal mushroom revered for its health and longevity properties. It’s considered an adaptogen, which means it helps the body respond and adapt to various types of stress. It’s also rich in essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients. When applied topically, Reishi helps to soothe and calm redness and irritation, as well as help to boost skin’s resilience to outside elements.
CORDYCEPS
A long, skinny shape and typically bright orange in color, Cordyceps is also a medicinal mushroom, only it’s praised for its ability to naturally boost energy. Like most mushrooms, Cordyceps has antioxidant properties and is considered an adaptogen. When it comes to your skin, Cordyceps mushroom benefits include supporting cellular energy for a more revitalized look and protecting your skin from free radical-induced damage.
*In an in-vitro study vs. unfermented Chaga