The Chinese have long recognized the value of mushrooms, especially the lingzhi (ganoderma lucidum) variety for solving health problems in traditional Chinese medicine. You might be more familiar with the reishi, which is the same lingzhi mushroom, only this is the Japanese term for it. The reason the mushroom offers such potential for skincare is because it is classified as an adaptogen.
So what is an adaptogen you may ask? Adaptogens are powerful botanical extracts or herbs that help the body reboot internally as well as externally on all fronts to return balance when confronted with elements of stress. Given this, here is why you want to start eating and understanding what mushroom skincare can do for solving your complexion woes.
Being mushrooms are adaptogens means that they possess potent antioxidants and the ability to calm inflammation in how they work. Thus, mushroom skincare can have great potential for protecting against environmental damage and cell renewal to hydration due to ceramides and omega-3 fatty acids for maintaining a more youthful appearance. At the same time, the mushroom offers a gentler form of anti-aging products over something like a retinol, which can be more irritating for some complexions.
Depending on the variety of approximately 14,000 different types, there is still more that mushroom skincare can do. For instance, a formula of skincare utilizing the shiitake mushroom can lighten the skin. The reason is the presence of its kojic acid that helps counteract the amount of melatonin on the skin to brighten it.
Those suffering from rosacea or other types of facial redness to acne may find mushroom skincare with the lingzhi or reishi among the ingredients useful for best reducing irritation.
Reshi or lingzhi and the chaga are good multitaskers. This is due to how they can tackle inflammation, hydration, defending the skin against free radical damage and helping repair the skin cells for anti-aging when thinking of mushroom skincare.
As skin care companies keep researching and experimenting with new varieties of mushrooms and their properties and combinations of them in their formulas, the possibilities of what these plant-based ingredients can do for beauty is limitless.
