Is Your Skin On a High? A mushroom high, that is.  Often referred to as shrooms and better known in the world of hallucinogenic, mushrooms are the “New” ingredient found in many  of your skin care products.

And you thought they were just for “trippin”.  While known as a fungus the mighty mushroom, neither fruit nor vegetable, is packed with antioxidants and vitamins.

Mushrooms are gaining popularity in the spa arena and being used for everything from hyperpigmentation to rosacea. With their anti-inflammatory properties, mushrooms can help improve acne, rosacea and eczema.

Mushrooms contain kojic acid which is an extract that helps lighten your skin.  Kojic acid has brightening and evening of the skin properties.  Kojic acid also prolongs the shelf life of skin care products because it naturally reduces oxidation.

The Magic  and Many Faces of Mushrooms in Ethnic Skin Care

• Green tea and pine mushrooms help fight free radicals and defend your skin against environmental stress. Bearberry, kojic acid and licorice are known to lighten freckles, melanoma and age spots and vitamin c reduces redness associated with rosacea.

• Iris flower extract enhances your skin’s barrier function while shitake mushroom extract is said to firm and condition.

• Reishi mushrooms help detoxify skin while songyi mushroom is said to gently even your skin tone without causing irritation or redness.

• Mannentake and shitake mushroom hydrate, brighten and improve the appearance of fine lines and dark circles.

• Tremella mushrooms are unique in appearance and commonly harvested for Asian cuisine and medical use.  Tremella contains polysaccharide which is able to hydrate and plump your skin better than hyaluronic acid.  Hyaluronic acid is your body’s natural internal moisturizer that plumps and firms your skin keeping it free from wrinkles, fine lines and signs of aging. Tremella mushrooms are high in vitamin D and when applied topically, Vitamin D has shown impressive healing abilities.

• Kombucha mushrooms have been shown to hinder glycation, a process that occurs when excess sugar binds itself to the collagen in your skin and makes it brittle causing cracked skin and wrinkles.

Enough mushrooms for one day so remember this …

Mushrooms contain naturally occurring bio-active substances that break down melanin quickly without the irritation and side effects of hydroquinone.

This allows your skin to dissolve existing pigments as opposed to stopping cells from generating more pigment.

You’ll find mushrooms in everything skin care these days from drops, to serums and supplements.

I’d love to hear from you about this article and any other content I’ve written.  I’m looking forward to reading your comments.

Dedicated To Your Beauty,

Juliette Samuel,

Esthetician/Author/Publisher

Nyraju Skin Care