Benefits of Mushrooms For Your Skin

Mushrooms have been hailed as a superfood since ancient times. Emperors ate them by the handful to ward off aging and illness, while North American natives cultivated fungi for healing. Now, they have become a staple in our diets, supplements, and skincare. 

Due to high levels of antioxidants, minerals, amino acids, and vitamins, mushrooms have been the subject of studies on nutrition, skin health, cancer prevention, and more. 

Even so, how do we know mushrooms will play a part in healthy skin? Whether we are eating them or applying them as a topical skincare product, it is clear that there are amazing benefits of mushrooms for your skin.

Mushrooms to Slow Aging

Due to mushrooms’ very high antioxidant content, they are proven at battling free radicals. Free radicals are mutant cells that cause damage to healthy cells. According to researchers at Penn State, porcini Mushrooms have the highest amount of antioxidants per mushroom. Throw them into soup and you have an antioxidant powerhouse meal!

Mushrooms also fight the signs of aging on a cellular level in the skin. A recent study showed that high internal mushroom intake lowered the amount of glycation occurring in the skin. Glycation is an aging process caused by excess sugar in the blood that binds to proteins (aka collagen) in the skin, then breaking them down. This results in loss of elasticity and deep lines in the skin.

Mushrooms in Skincare

You can also capture the power of mushrooms within your skincare products. Snow mushroom extract, for example, absorbs moisture into the skin like a sponge to keep the dermis hydrated and plump. Tentative studies are actually showing that snow mushrooms may be an even more effective hydrator than hyaluronic acid due to the very small molecular size. 

To add snow mushroom to your regimen, add in Sorella Apothecary’s Main Squeeze Hydrating Serum. This lightweight hydrating serum utilizes snow mushroom to drive the other ingredients, such as peptides and aloe, deeper into the skin.

Mushrooms are naturally antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial. This makes them great for those struggling with acne, rosacea, and other inflammatory skin conditions. 

Fomes Officinalis is a common yet amazing mushroom found in skincare as it tackles all of these inflammatory conditions. Also known as the agarikon mushroom, it has natural astringent properties that firm the skin while tightening and clarifying the pores. Fomes Officinalis can be found in two of our favorite Face Reality products: Antioxidant Scrub and Ultra Gentle Cleanser.

Fomes Officinalis can also be combined with salicylic acid to boost the astringent properties for those with more stubborn acne. Hale & Hush’s Clear Future Toner, as well as Rhonda Allison’s Blemish Serum, combine agarikon and salicylic.

Ultimately, whether you are eating your mushrooms on the daily, or applying them topically you are benefiting from the age-old wisdom of our ancestors. They cultivated fungi for many years to create the delicious, non-toxic mushrooms that we are able to enjoy today!