If you want to keep up with the latest natural skin care and beauty trends, you’ll want to know your mushrooms. More specifically, organic reishi mushroom (a praised superfood) and it’s skin care benefits.

While you may have thought mushrooms were just for frying and chopping up to add to your salads, there’s actually a whole world of mushrooms out there to explore and benefit from. Reishi mushroom is a great place to start (and then chaga) when it comes to natural skin care and immunity support. In this article we’ll explore a brief history behind reishi mushroom and all of it’s skin and body benefits. 

A brief background behind reishi mushroom

Reishi mushroom, also known as lingzhi or ganoderma mushrooms have been used for thousands of years around Asia and Europe. The fungi grows on dead or dying tree trunks and is somewhat ordinary looking at first glance. 

Mushrooms like reishi are considered an adaptogen which protects your skin and body from stressors. In truth reishi dates back over 5,000 years as one of Japan’s and China’s medicinal remedies. It has an earthy wooden taste and has been used for its hydrating and immunity boosting properties. But let’s dive right into the skin care benefits of reishi, shall we?

Hydrates the driest of skins

The beta-glucans, a chain of antioxidant glucose molecules, present in reishi work at attracting water from the surrounding environment to the outer layer of your skin. This natural attraction keeps the skin incredibly hydrated because it also helps the skin retain the water it attracts. Keeping the skin hydrated is essential for cell renewal and skin repair. The beta-glucans in reishi also work at protecting the skin from oxidative damage.

Reduces inflammation and brightens skin

Reishi’s antiinflammatory properties can help with sunburns, wounds, acne and any swelling that may appear on the skin. Furthermore, it can help relieve and reduce dry itchy skin through a combination of its hydrating and anti-inflammatory properties. 

Anti Aging properties of reishi

If you’ve heard about reishi mushroom then you may have heard of it referred to as the “immortality mushroom.” The name stems from it’s powerful anti-aging properties. The antioxidants found in reishi protect the skin from free-radicals which damage the skin, causing it to weaken. The lysine in reishi supports the skin’s elasticity, while the leucine is what works at reducing fine lines. For this reason many believe reishi helps not only prevent skin aging, but can also reduce the presence of lines around the eyes and mouth. 

How to add reishi into your beauty routine

Reishi mushroom can work its magic on your skin and body by either applying creams with reishi directly onto your skin, or by consuming reishi orally. Your skin won't be the only organ that benefits from reishi, but so will your liver and brain. Reishi supports cognitive functions and your immune system. You may find it in serums, creams, in capsules, powders and many other forms. Many drinks include reishi in their smoothie mixtures for elevated health benefits. If you want to incorporate reishi into your diet, make sure to find a high quality reishi which includes the entire mushroom, to reap all the benefits of this healing fungus.

If you’re interested in natural skin care products which include organic reishi, look out for Vonetta Cosmetics’ Triple Action Lightening Gel, which works at naturally brightening and healing the skin with other lifesaving ingredients like organic ginseng, organic aloe, organic jojoba oil, organic gotu kola (you would think it couldn’t get any better than that dream team, but there are a handful more skin healing ingredients inside this bottle. Hence the name, triple action lightening gel!) The Heyedration Gel, also contains organic reishi plus Organic Dandelion, Organic Green Tea and a bunch of other skin rejuvenating ingredients for smoother and firmer skin. Yes please! 

Have you incorporated reishi into your daily routine? How has it changed your skin and immunity? We’d love to hear about it!