Fungi For Your Skin

While you might immediately race to call them all bad for your body, they are not. (Think: mushrooms!)

Reishi mushrooms, specifically, are incredible for your skin.

Mushrooms are naturally anti-inflammatory, which makes them the darlings of ancient medicines. Reishi mushrooms have been used for centuries in Asia, where they are known as the “mushroom of immortality.”  Ayurvedic medicine, a system originating in India more than 5,000 years ago, favors reishi mushrooms for both internal and external use, where they are used for their powerful anti-aging and immune-boosting properties.

These colorful fungi are chock-full of beta-glucans, which means they can fend off environmental stressors and have serious anti-inflammatory properties. They are deeply hydrating, antioxidant-rich adaptogens (substances that help your body adapt to stress and fatigue). They possess anti-tyrosinase activity that improve inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, and they help balance skin pH and lipid levels.

UV rays, environmental pollutants, toxic ingredients found in make-up and personal products, all add additional oxidative stress and damage to your skin cells. This damage causes your skin cells to age more rapidly and degenerate faster.

Reishi mushrooms, when used topically, protect skin cells from this damage by improving the function and structure of the cells, which improves the overall appearance of your skin.

Brimming with skincare benefits, reishi mushrooms:

• Fight free radicals.
  Reishi mushrooms help sustain levels of two of the most powerful antioxidants in your skin: ergothioneine and glutathione. These antioxidants prevent premature aging and the formation of free radicals, which damage your skin and cause it to age faster. They also boost your skin’s natural sun protection. 
• Reduce redness and irritation.
  You may not realize this, but inflammation is the first step in skin aging. The immune boosting adaptogenic properties of reishi mushrooms soothe and calm your skin, decreasing inflamation. They also help reduce the appearance of redness. 
• Deeply hydrate.
  The polysaccharides in reishi mushrooms provide humectant and hydrating benefits. This means that they attract moisture deep in your skin while reducing moisture loss and repairing your skin’s moisture barrier. In your mirror, this shows up as a decrease in fine lines and wrinkles. Yay! 
• Fade discoloration.
  Reishi mushrooms inhibit the enzyme tyrosinase, which produces melanin. Melanin causes your skin to darken when exposed to UV light, or when injured or scared. This means that acne scars and hyperpigmentation (“age spots”) are reduced when reishi mushrooms are used.

Reishi mushrooms are the perfect anti-aging ingredient for your skin, making it look younger and brighter.

If you’ve got sensitive skin, you’ll be happy to know that reishi mushrooms work well with any and all skin types (that is, unless you are actually sensitivity to mushrooms). Even then, you may be in luck! The immune effects of reishi can help diminish allergic reactions. (But don’t take our word for it. Check with your medical practitioner if you have allergies!)

Summary

To recap, the reishi mushroom, which we use in our our Kakadu Vitamin C Brightening Serum, hydrates your skin, decreases inflamation, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, and fades skin discoloration leaving you with a more even toned complexion.

WOW!

That’s a fungi with superpower skin benefits. We’ll take the reishi, please!