Mushroom-inspired skincare has become increasingly popular over the past few years with the rise of biotechnology in the beauty industry—and Gen Z’s obsession with cottagecore, an aesthetic trend that often includes mushroom imagery. It means that more and more eyes are on some fantastic fungi ingredients, like shiitake, that have actually been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries.
You’re probably most familiar with shiitake mushrooms as a food ingredient, but this small but mighty mushroom is an incredibly effective and potent ingredient that offers much-sought-after skin benefits. From brightening to smoothing to soothing, shiitake does a lot.
Other names: lentinula edodes, chinese black mushroom, black forest mushroom
What it is: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant-rich, brightening
What makes shiitake a great skincare ingredient?
Shiitake’s chemical composition is filled with acids that are known to benefit the skin, including phenolic acids and cinnamic acid, which are both rich in antioxidants and known for their ability to increase cell renewal, offer oxidative stress protection, and brighten the skin¹.
They’re also anti-inflammatory, and cinnamic acid in particular is antibacterial and antifungal, meaning it can help with skin issues that are caused by bacteria or fungal in nature (fungi for fungal issues, who would have thought?).
These parts of the shiitake’s chemical composition speak to the ingredient’s overall ability to improve your skin’s health and longevity.
We’ll break down exactly how shiitake can brighten your skin, even skin texture, improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, protect the skin from damage, soothe skin, and support skin barrier function.
Shiitake Helps with Hyperpigmentation and Evens Skin Tone & Texture
Shiitake is a tyrosinase inhibitor. What this means is that it suppresses melanin production in the skin, which helps prevent and minimize hyperpigmentation or dark spots. This is due to shiitake being rich in kojic acid, a natural skin brightener and exfoliant. Shiitake also contains betulin, which brightens and is anti-inflammatory.
Shiitake stimulates collagen production and promotes cell regeneration, making it great for targeting slack skin, fine lines, and wrinkles.
According to this study², shiitake was found to have “significantly inhibited tyrosinase activity by 15.12%-54.61%.” While anti-tyrosinase activity is the scientific way to put it, for the average skincare lover, shiitake can help fade hyperpigmentation and dark spots, even out skin tone, and even improve texture due to the kojic acid in shiitake acting as a gentle exfoliant to the surface layer of your skin.
Regarding skin texture, betulin and other antioxidant-rich components of shiitake can stimulate collagen production and promote cell regeneration. This helps improve texture and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It also improves skin elasticity, leading to firmer skin.
So whether “skin texture” means congestion and pore size or fine lines and wrinkles, shiitake is capable of smoothing both!
Shiitake Protects from the Free Radical Damage that Ages Your Skin
Shiitake is an antioxidant-rich ingredient. Antioxidants are an essential part of effective skincare, because they prevent one of the most significant ways our skin can become damaged over time: free radical damage. Free radicals oxidize our skin, leading to dark spots, hyperpigmentation, fine lines, wrinkles, and more. Antioxidants neutralize these free radicals, which is why they’re so important in our skincare.
Shiitake is one of the best ingredients from the fungal kingdom at counteracting the skin aging effects of free radical damage and oxidative stress.
Luckily, many great skincare ingredients are naturally antioxidant and vitamin rich… and shiitake is no exception. Shiitake contains high levels of ergothioneine, a powerful antioxidant. In fact, according to this study³, shiitake has the highest levels of ergothioneine out of the 14 different species of mushrooms they evaluated. That means shiitake is one of the best ingredients from the fungal kingdom at counteracting the skin aging effects of free radical damage and oxidative stress.
Shiitake is also rich in vitamins B and D, which help with its antioxidant capabilities. On top of that, vitamin B also helps with skin barrier function and maintaining skin moisturization, while vitamin D helps keep skin supple and soft.
Shiitake Helps Soothe Inflamed and Irritated Skin
Shiitake contains a few compounds that make it a soothing and anti-inflammatory ingredient.
The first is beta-glucans, a type of complex carb that not only reduces inflammation but also promotes wound healing. Lentinan and erinacines are also in shiitake, both of which are anti-inflammatory.
Alongside these anti-inflammatory components of shiitake, the mushroom’s high amount of antioxidants and polysaccharides means shiitake helps boost your immune system and has been shown to improve the appearance of skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis⁴.
Another anti-inflammatory aspect of shiitake is ergosterol, which is found only within fungi. It acts as a provitamin D to soothe the skin. Shiitake’s antimicrobial properties can also help prevent breakouts.
Shiitake Supports Skin Barrier Function
Shiitake is high in vitamin B, specifically vitamin B3 (aka niacinamide), which gently stimulates the synthesis of ceramides to improve skin barrier function. Ceramides themselves are also found in shiitake. Since ceramides are the “mortar” that form the “brick wall” structure of your skin barrier (learn more about that here!), they’re an essential part of how your skin maintains its moisture and protects itself from pollutants and debris.
Ergosterol, which I mentioned above, also promotes skin barrier function. Just like with its ability to soothe, this benefit comes from it acting as a provitamin D.
Who is Shiitake good for?
Shiitake is a great ingredient for people with sensitive skin, and there is scientific evidence shiitake can help with skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis. Its ability to soothe while gently exfoliating and brightening (which is often a hard task to accomplish without sensitizing the skin) is a draw for people who want to use gentle but effective ingredients on their skin.
Shiitake is suitable for all skin types, but especially those with sensitive and reactive skin.
Shiitake is also good for those who want a bright, even skin tone or who have dark spots and hyperpigmentation they want to address. It’s also good for people wanting to address their fine lines and wrinkles, as shiitake has high antioxidant levels and is able to promote cellular turnover in your skin.
Shiitake is suitable for all skin types, but especially those with sensitive and reactive skin.
Summary
Shiitake:
- Helps with hyperpigmentation, skin texture, and evening/brightening skin tone due to it containing kojic acid and betulin
- Has high levels of antioxidants, offering protection against free radical damage and oxidative stress, two things that can age your skin
- Contains a number of components that are anti-inflammatory and soothe the skin
- Is high in vitamin B3 (niacinamide) and ceramides, which promote skin barrier function
- Is ideal for those with sensitive skin who want to target or prevent hyperpigmentation and fine lines, but is suitable for all skin types
Shiitake is one of the ingredients included in our upcoming product... a product we haven't even officially revealed yet! 🤫
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