From anti-aging skincare to wellness supplements and drink mixes that claim to offer the energy of coffee without any jitteriness or anxiety, adaptogenic mushrooms are the latest trend that’s here to stay. Unfortunately, just as we saw with the rise of CBD, as adaptogenic mushroom products begin to pop up everywhere, not all are properly formulated or contain what they claim to be on the label.

Dr. Jenelle Kim is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, a 9th-generation master herbalist, and an experienced formulator who has been working with adaptogenic mushrooms for over twenty years, long before the word “adaptogenic” was even a part of the mainstream health and beauty industries vocabularies.

In 1947, Russian scientists confirmed what Chinese doctors have known for centuries. Certain herbs, called adaptogens, naturally possess a quality that protects cells against any chemical, biological, or physical stress. Adaptogens fight against free radicals that cause damage and establish an optimal, healthy balance inside our bodies. Over 3,000 experimental studies and clinical trials have documented the wide-ranging effects of adaptogens, including the amazing benefits for the immune and endocrine systems.

As the lead found and formulator of JBK Wellness Labs, Dr. Kim uses her knowledge of adaptogenic mushrooms and herbs to create the best beauty and health products on the market, including those sold in Sephora, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Neiman Marcus, and used in high-end spas such as the Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, and Mandarin Oriental. She commonly uses adaptogenic herbs such as ginseng, one of the best adaptogens for reducing stress, and Schisandra Chinensis, a natural sleep aid, as well as adaptogenic mushrooms, including popular reishi, lion’s mane, cordyceps, and Chaga, to create expertly balanced formulations, unlocking all the benefits of the ingredients through a synergistic effect.

With her deep knowledge of ancient Eastern medicine, including cannabis, one of the 50 fundamental Chinese herbs, Dr. Kim was also one of the first people to bring CBD to the United States and is the creator of the first luxury CBD skincare line. At the end of 2020, Dr. Kim spoke at Cosmoprof about emerging beauty trends in 2021, including the rise in appreciation of adaptogenic mushrooms.

Mushrooms have gained popularity in skincare due to their potential to provide various benefits for the skin. Some mushrooms, such as shiitake, reishi, and tremella, are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and polysaccharides that may help to improve skin hydration, reduce inflammation, and protect the skin from environmental stressors.

Additionally, some types of mushrooms contain beta-glucans, which are complex sugars that have been shown to stimulate the immune system and promote wound healing. They may also help to improve skin elasticity and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, mushrooms are considered some of the most renowned herbs and are commonly prescribed for their medicinal properties. In East Asia in general, mushrooms have been used as a medicinal food and tea for thousands of years with records of mushroom cultivation dating back to the 12th century AD. Just as the Romans considered mushrooms to be “the food of the gods,” the Chinese referred to mushrooms as the “elixir of life,” and in more recent times they’ve been called “miracle plants” and a “superfood.”

Medicinal mushrooms are anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, apoptogenic, and rich in antioxidants and nutrients. According to herbology and traditional medicine, different types of mushrooms can boost the immune system, balance hormones, provide nootropic benefits, strengthen the digestive system, and provide other anti-aging properties and skin benefits.

Specifically, in regard to skincare, mushrooms have been used across cultures for centuries and have long been a staple in Traditional Chinese Medicine, utilized for their brightening, hydrating, antioxidant, anti-collagenase, anti-elastase, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties. There are over 15,000 varieties of mushrooms that each carry unique benefits, but five of my favorites to use when formulating skincare products for spa use are matsutake, shitake, reishi, cordyceps, and tremella.

Matsutake

Matsutake mushrooms are also commonly called Songyi or Pine mushrooms and are most well known for their anti-inflammatory and anti-aging benefits that help prevent degradation of the extracellular matrix. They also have anti-collagenase and anti-elastase benefits and have been used to lighten and even skin tones for thousands of years in East Asia.

Shitake

Shitake mushrooms are considered the top-tier anti-aging mushroom in East Asia. They are a dense source of kojic acid, a natural substitute for hydroquinone that can lighten all types of hyperpigmentation including sunspots and acne scars. Shitake mushrooms are also packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatories that help calm skin, making them particularly useful for people with skin conditions such as eczema or rosacea. Shitake mushrooms can also help soothe acne and protect skin from environmental damage.

Reishi

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, reishi mushrooms are called Ling Zhi, which translates directly to “mushroom of immortality.” Reishi mushrooms are one of the oldest mushrooms used in herbal medicine and are known for their moisturizing, detoxifying, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. These mushrooms contain polysaccharides that help boost skin’s water retention, beta-glucans for moisturizing, and high levels of antioxidants that help balance the skin and reduce signs of premature aging. Reishi mushrooms also have strong anti-inflammatory properties, making them popular for calming acne, redness, sunburn, and rashes.

Cordyceps

Cordyceps, which is also known as the caterpillar fungus, contains powerful concentrations of anti-aging compounds that can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and age spots, eliminate dead skin cells, rejuvenate the skin, and rebalance blemishes.

Tremella

Also called snow mushrooms, tremella mushrooms are known in Traditional Oriental Medicine for their powerful moisturizing properties. With the ability to hold 500 times their weight in water, tremella mushrooms are comparable to hyaluronic acid in terms of skin hydration but with even smaller particles that can penetrate even deeper layers of skin. Studies have shown that Trella mushrooms are more effective than vitamin c and kojic acid for skin-lightening benefits and they are also known to help with hyperpigmentation by inhibiting melanin production.

Mushrooms in a Spa Setting

Because mushrooms provide such a wide range of benefits, they can benefit almost every skin type. If you want to take your spa services to the next level, I recommend incorporating mushroom serums to rejuvenate, brighten, and soothe your clients’ skin. Certain mushrooms can also be combined with potent active ingredients, such as retinol for intense skin repair or incorporated into a face cream formula to increase moisture and hydration.

The most important thing you can remember when selecting mushroom-based products or serums is that, like any active ingredient, the mushrooms must be formulated to work synergistically with the other ingredients included. Only formulators that understand the nature of working with mushrooms and pay careful attention to the quality, dosing, preparation method, and more will create products that capture the full medicinal power and healing properties of the skin.

By Dr. Jenelle Kim, Founder and Formulator, JBK Wellness Labs