Mushrooms have been treasured for their healing abilities since ancient times. If you haven’t heard about their use in skincare before, now’s a great time to make room for them in your routine!
Mushrooms are rich in two particular types of antioxidant – ergothioneine and glutathione. Ergothioneine helps to safeguard against DNA damage and oxidative stress. Glutathione, on the other hand, is reported to help boost the skin’s elasticity and, as a result, reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. It’s dubbed the ‘master antioxidant’ for a reason – not only is it able to recycle other such antioxidants (including vitamins C and E, CoQ10 and alpha lipoic acid), but it also goes towards helping to protect the body’s mitochondria. This is a vital process since it aids in guaranteeing that cells are capable of creating the energy that the body requires in order to function. A handful of button mushrooms (roughly five mushrooms) is said to provide the daily recommended quantity of ergothioneine (which is approximately 3mg), and therefore can help to combat age-related damage as well as wrinkles.
Mushrooms like shiitake contain kojic acid, a natural skin lightener which is usually utilized in the stead of chemical-based products. Glutathione has a similar effect on the skin – it decreases the skin’s pigmentation (melanin) levels and, as such, can have a lightening effect if used over time.
It goes without saying that mushrooms are continuing to prove their worth in the anti-aging market, and we certainly hope that they don’t relent anytime soon. If you’d like to discover more about the top anti-aging fruit and veg for your skin, visit our Diet page or nip over to our Anti-aging Ingredients section to learn about some of the most popular ingredients in modern skincare.