Perks at a glance: Reishi mushroom may have the following properties that may improve the appearance of skin health when topically to the skin. Reishi mushrooms have the following benefits.
Reishi may visibly improve: Hydration, inflammation, wrinkles, dullness, redness, and the appearance of scars.
Reishi mushrooms have been used in skincare and supplements for over 2000 years. The fungi, which usually grow on the stumps of oak and plum trees for approximately nine months, started being used in skin care products in the commercial market in the 1980s.
When taken as a ‘nutricosmetic’ reishi may help to strengthen the body’s natural immunities, reducing skin sensitivity, healing acne scars, and improving resilience to environmental irritants. In topical skincare, reishi mushrooms are most widely used for their hydration and antioxidant properties.
According to Regan Schneider, a food scientist and the founder and CEO of beauty brand Arêmês Fermentis, “Reishi contains beta-glucans, which are responsible for attracting water from the environment, resulting in a healthy and hydrated complexion.
This, in turn, creates the perfect environment for the synthesis of ceramides. In addition, the fungi’s polysaccharides' content may also help regulate gene expression in aging skin cells and may protect fibroblasts from UVB-induced skin damage.
Furthermore, studies found that reishi contains tyrosinase inhibitory properties. Tyrosinase is the enzyme responsible for melanin production in the skin.