“ SHOOOM BOOM”：

Mushrooms are everywhere right now. There are mushroom-inspired jewelry pieces and mushroom-embroidered frocks. A Murano mushroom lamp recently took over the Instagram feeds of dozens of influencers, only to cause a fungi frenzy at home décor stores. There’s even a free exhibition at London’s Somerset House dedicated to fungi-inspired art and design, and a shop full of mushroom paraphernalia. But nowhere has the ’shroom boom been felt more acutely than in the beauty industry.

The use of mushrooms in skincare is hardly new — they’ve been used in Eastern cultures for centuries. But they are on the rise, owing to the increased interest in more holistic health and wellness practices amid COVID-19.

“As elevated stress and anxiety continue to drive consumers to seek out solutions in the beauty and wellness worlds, I’ve noticed more and more brands answering these concerns with mushroom-powered products,” Alexia Inge, cofounder and CEO of Cult Beauty, tells us. “These products may include everything from adaptogens like ashwagandha to immunity-boosting reishi or shiitake.”

We also have Origins and its partnership with the celebrated integrative medicine expert Dr. Andrew Weil to thank for this. In 2005 Weil helped formulate the skincare brand’s now celebrated Mega-Mushroom collection of products created to fight inflammation. The line featured formulas infused with a blend of mushrooms, including fermented Chaga and healing reishi.

Fast-forward 15 years later, and mushrooms in skincare products is no longer just a niche trend. From anti-aging serums to health supplements, it feels like not a week goes by where there isn’t a new beauty product with “mushroom” listed in its ingredients. To better understand this fungi phenomenon, we caught up with several skincare experts to get their thoughts on the recent ’shroom boom. Ahead, discover the beauty of mushrooms and the top mushroom skincare products to invest in now for flawless skin.

Mushrooms in Skincare: An Origin Story

Like so many of today’s biggest health and wellness trends, mushrooms have a deep-seated history in Eastern cultures. Traditional Chinese medicine has used mushrooms, specifically the reishi and Cordyceps varieties, for their healing properties for centuries.

“Mushrooms are powerful both internally and externally,” explains Gabe Kennedy, founder of Plant People. “They support both innate and adaptive immunity when ingested, and when applied topically they contain tons of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, which can help the skin’s anti-aging functions.”

“Many mushrooms are also classified as adaptogens, which are ingredients that have long been used in herbal remedies to restore homeostasis to the body,” says Michael Ahmad, senior director of global education at Herbivore. “They do so by extending the resistance stage of the body’s stress response, supporting the normalization of hormone levels and reducing inflammation. When applied topically, those benefits are delivered to the application site. Simply put, mushrooms can help protect the skin from environmental aggressors and restore troubled skin to its peaceful baseline.”

A number of scientific studies and clinical trials confirmed as much. In a 2016 study, doctors found that mushrooms helped combat aging, reduced the severity of inflammatory skin disease, and corrected hyperpigmentation. In another study published in 2019, doctors discovered that beta-glucan, found in mushrooms, helped improve the skin barrier, making it particularly attractive to those with sensitive skin. Further evidence of mushrooms’ benefits came from a 2017 study which found that they contain unusually high amounts of two essential antioxidants that can help fight aging and bolster health.

“Mushrooms occupy that unique intersection between ancient mysticism and progressive biohacking,” says Inge. “It’s like medicine man meets Silicon Valley.” As for the recent rise in mushroom skincare products, it’s all a matter of consumer readiness. “Mushrooms don’t have the instinctual allure of, say, rose,” says Inge. “You have to want to love them based on the evidence.” Thankfully, the evidence abounds.