16/06/2023
Mushrooms: The Best Adaptogen Ingredient For Skin Care
Say hello to the “it” ingredient for health, wellness and beauty: mushrooms. These adaptogenic ingredients have been used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years and are making the rounds as skin care superstars. Celebrated for their ability to improve overall skin health and youthfulness, it’s no wonder they’re topping every beauty guru’s list. Read on to discover why mushrooms are about to become your favorite skin care ingredient.
Mushroom Benefits For Skin
Stress plays a significant role in skin health: It increases inflammation, contributes to premature aging and can trigger hormonal imbalance. Stressors include environmental pollution, sun damage and our fast-paced lifestyles, which can all wreak havoc on our skin and health. Signs of stress in our skin appear in the form of dry patches, wrinkles and fine lines or dullness.
As adaptogens, mushrooms help mitigate your skin’s response to stress; they identify where your body is imbalanced and coax it back to baseline. Here is a closer look our favorite fungi: reishi mushroom.
Reishi Mushroom
Reishi mushroom is perhaps 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 taste and was traditionally steeped in tea or served as an extract. Today, it is harvested on tree stumps over 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 bio-active compounds that boost overall health and immunity. Rachel Gargiulo, a certified nutrition consultant, tells Well+Good: “Reishi mushrooms are great for stimulating 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.
