Once reserved for wellness rituals and traditional medicine, mushrooms—especially reishi—have steadily become one of the beauty world’s most intriguing skin-care ingredients. With their ability to hydrate, soothe, protect and visibly repair the skin, these fungi-forward actives are moving from niche to necessity.
The Skin Collection
Mushrooms bring a rare combination of benefits to topical formulas, making them uniquely effective in skin care. Few brands understand this intersection of nature and science better than Seed to Skin Tuscany, founded by herbalist Jeanette Thottrup. “Mushrooms are used in cosmetics for their multifaceted properties, including deep hydration, potent antioxidant activity and the ability to enhance skin elasticity and regeneration,” explains Thottrup, who relies on them for some of her products. “Varieties such as reishi, chaga and tremella are incorporated into serums, creams and masks to combat signs of aging, soothe inflammation and shield the skin from oxidative stress.”
That stress-skin connection is central to Éminence Organic’s philosophy, and a big reason the brand expanded its Pure Forest Collection last year. “Signs of stress can be revealed through our skin,” says Natalie Pergar, lead skin-care trainer. “When stress levels go up, skin can lose its luster, which can lead to redness, irritation, breakouts, dryness and decreased radiance.”
According to Pergar, adaptogens—especially mushrooms—can help counteract those effects. “Adaptogenic ingredients are at the heart of this collection,” she says. “Mushrooms are adaptogenic powerhouses that offer incredible skin benefits. In particular, reishi mushroom is a superstar when it comes to protecting the skin’s moisture barrier. It contains a high concentration of polysaccharides that improve hydration and are a powerful source of antioxidants to help reduce puffiness.”
More than just an ingredient, reishi also anchors a ritualistic approach to skin care. “These products purify and restore stressed skin, while nurturing a deeper mind-body connection,” Pergar says. “The result is a modern expression of luxury, where calm, repair and performance meet in one quietly powerful ingredient.”
Reishi, Revived
At Seed to Skin Tuscany, mushrooms are treated not as trendy ingredients, but as high-performance actives backed by science. “Our Restorative Collection, launching in March 2026, delivers measurable skin-repair benefits,” Thottrup says. “Reishi mushroom ferment is a postbiotic powerhouse that accelerates skin barrier recovery by 26 percent and wound healing by 45 percent, making it particularly beneficial for fragile or compromised skin. And, because it is also rich in triterpenoids and beta- glucans, it impressively promotes the renewal of keratinocytes, which are the main cells of the epidermis.”
Clinical testing supports these claims, showing “a 40.8-percent increase in wound area recovery and a 62-percent reduction in wound depth, leaving skin visibly smoother and more refined.” Beyond repair, Thottrup says Reishi also calms stressed skin. “It inhibits pro-inflammatory pathways, reducing skin stress responses and supporting a healthier, more balanced skin function, which is why we especially like it for sensitive or inflamed skin.”
Fungi, Forward
Thottrup sees mushroom-based beauty as part of a much larger shift toward bioactive, research-driven botanicals. “This topic has been gaining attention for some time, and I believe its rise reflects a broader, growing phenomenon,” she says.
Supermodel and YSE Beauty founder Molly Sims was so impressed by the category’s scientific research, that she decided to include white shiitake extract in her Wide Awake Eye Cream. “I’m incredibly specific about the effectiveness of our products,” Sims says. “That’s why clinicals are so important. A product has to work, and I make sure we have the science to prove it. These ingredients prove it.”
Did You Know?
Known as the “mushroom of immortality,” reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) is used for its antioxidant, soothing and hydrating properties that help fight premature aging, blemishes and impurities, and improve skin elasticity.
Modern Mushrooms
From hardworking creams to makeup hybrids, these products play on the adaptogenic power of the ingredient.
