Mushroom

What Is Mushroom Extract in Skincare?

Mushroom extract in skincare is a water or alcohol extract of an edible or traditional mushroom, most often reishi, snow mushroom (tremella), shiitake, chaga, or lion's mane. These extracts carry polysaccharides that hold water on the skin's surface, plus antioxidants such as phenolic acids and ergothioneine. Formulators use them for the look of softer, more hydrated, more even-toned skin.

EWG Skin Deep rating for Mushroom

"Mushroom" is not one ingredient. Each species has its own INCI name, its own chemistry, and its own usage rate, so always read which mushroom a product or supplier is actually offering.

Mushroom Extract Quick Facts

How Mushroom Extracts Work on the Skin

Hydration from polysaccharides

Mushroom polysaccharides are long sugar chains that bind water and form a light film on the skin, which helps skin look plumper and feel softer. Tremella polysaccharide is the best known. It is often described online as "better than hyaluronic acid." That claim is not settled. In a 2019 study, Lin and Tsai dried tremella polysaccharide three ways and measured how strongly the powder held moisture under heat. Freeze-dried material held moisture best, but this was a laboratory test on powder, not a test on skin. Think of tremella as a useful humectant that pairs well with hyaluronic acid rather than a proven replacement for it.

Antioxidant support

A 2016 review of mushroom cosmetics by Wu and colleagues lists the antioxidant compounds found in cosmetic mushrooms, including phenolic compounds, ergothioneine (found at high levels in shiitake, oyster, and portobello mushrooms), and the triterpenes in reishi. Antioxidants help a formula defend against the look of environmental aging from sun and pollution. The same review notes that most efficacy data for mushroom ingredients come from cell, animal, or patent work, not controlled human trials.

Brightening and tone

In cell studies reviewed by Wu, extracts of reishi and several other species lowered the activity of tyrosinase, the enzyme that drives melanin production. That is laboratory evidence only, so the honest claim is that mushroom extracts may support the look of a more even tone as part of a brightening formula.

What reaches the skin

In a 2019 study by Taofiq and colleagues, creams made with reishi and oyster mushroom extracts were tested on skin cells (HaCaT keratinocytes and HFF-1 fibroblasts) and on pig ear skin in Franz diffusion cells. Neither extract was toxic to the cells. Over 8 hours, only two phenolic acids from the reishi extract (protocatechuic and syringic acid) passed through the skin model. This tells a formulator that most mushroom benefits happen at the surface, which fits a hydrating, antioxidant role.

Do mushrooms contain kojic acid?

This is a common mix-up. Kojic acid was first isolated from Aspergillus oryzae, a mold grown on steamed rice, and it is a by-product of several Aspergillus and Penicillium molds, according to the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) safety assessment. Cosmetic kojic acid is made by fermentation, not extracted from mushrooms, and the CIR panel concluded it is safe in cosmetics at up to 1%. A mushroom extract is therefore not a source of kojic acid. For that ingredient, see our kojic acid glossary entry.

Which Mushrooms Are Used in Skincare

Rates in this table are supplier data from the Spec-Chem ingredients catalogue. Extract strength varies by supplier, so the data sheet that comes with your lot always wins.

How to Use Mushroom Extract: Formulating Notes

• Phase: Add water-soluble extracts to the water phase or the cool-down phase. Heat-sensitive antioxidant extracts do best in cool-down below 40°C (104°F).
• Powders: Pre-wet tremella or other polysaccharide powders in glycerin before adding water. This keeps them from clumping, the same trick used for hyaluronic acid powder.
• Rate: For a DIY serum, use the supplier's highest rate unless the serum is for sensitive skin. With the Spec-Chem data, that means 0.5% tremella polysaccharide (0.5 g per 100 g) or 10% reishi extract (10 g per 100 g).
• Color: Reishi and chaga extracts are brown and will tint a white cream beige. Tremella is nearly colorless.
• Pairing: Mushroom extracts sit well with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, panthenol, peptides, and beta-glucan, which is itself a polysaccharide found in mushrooms and oats.
• Preservation: Sugar-rich extracts feed microbes. Any water-based formula with a mushroom extract needs a broad-spectrum preservative.
• Storage: Keep powders sealed, cool, and dry. Keep liquid extracts tightly capped and use them within the supplier's shelf life.

Who Mushroom Extracts Suit

Mushroom extracts suit dry, dull, dehydrated, and mature skin that wants hydration and antioxidant support without the tingle of acids or retinoids. Tremella is a good choice for oily skin that still feels tight, because it hydrates without oil.

Sensitive skin: Patch test any mushroom product on the inner arm for 24 hours first. If you are making your own, start at the lowest rate of the supplier range (for example 1% reishi or 0.05% tremella) and work up. Anyone with a known mushroom or mold allergy should avoid these extracts. Choose extracts from suppliers that test for heavy metals and microbes, because mushrooms absorb what is in their growing environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does mushroom extract do for skin?

Mushroom extract helps skin look hydrated, soft, and more even. Its polysaccharides hold water on the surface, and its antioxidants help a formula defend against the look of environmental aging.

Is snow mushroom better than hyaluronic acid?

Not proven. Snow mushroom (tremella) is a strong humectant with a velvety feel, but the moisture tests behind the "better than hyaluronic acid" claim were done on powder in a lab, not on skin. The two work well together in one serum.

Do mushrooms contain kojic acid?

Cosmetic kojic acid does not come from mushrooms. It is made by fermenting Aspergillus molds on rice, and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel considers it safe in cosmetics at up to 1%.

Which mushroom is best for skin?

It depends on the goal. Tremella is the pick for hydration, reishi and chaga for antioxidant support, and reishi or shiitake for brightening formulas.

Is mushroom skincare safe for sensitive skin?

Topical mushroom extracts are generally well tolerated, and the reishi extract in the Taofiq 2019 study was not toxic to skin cells. Patch test on the inner arm for 24 hours and start at the lowest recommended rate.

Can you be allergic to mushroom skincare?

Yes, although it is uncommon. If you react to eating mushrooms or have a mold allergy, skip mushroom extracts, and stop using any product that causes redness or discomfort.

How much mushroom extract should I use in a DIY serum?

Use the rate on your supplier's data sheet. Spec-Chem lists 0.05-0.5% for tremella polysaccharide and 1-10% for reishi extract, so a 100 g serum would take 0.5 g tremella or 10 g reishi at the top of the range.

Shop This Collection

This collection features the Expression Line Deep Wrinkle Serum and the Eye Bright Argireline Cream, both peptide formulas for the look of fine lines; check each product page for its full ingredient list. For a related skin-tone ingredient, read our kojic acid powder guide.

Sources

• Wu Y, Choi MH, Li J, Yang H, Shin HJ. Mushroom Cosmetics: The Present and Future. Cosmetics. 2016;3(3):22. doi:10.3390/cosmetics3030022 (review)
• Lin CP, Tsai SY. Differences in the Moisture Capacity and Thermal Stability of Tremella fuciformis Polysaccharides Obtained by Various Drying Processes. Molecules. 2019;24(15):2856. PMC6696028 (laboratory study on powder)
• Taofiq O, Rodrigues F, Barros L, Barreiro MF, Ferreira ICFR, Oliveira MBPP. Mushroom ethanolic extracts as cosmeceutical ingredients: Safety and ex vivo skin permeation studies. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2019;127:228-236. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2019.03.045 (cell and pig skin study)
• Burnett CL, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, et al. Final Report of the Safety Assessment of Kojic Acid as Used in Cosmetics. International Journal of Toxicology. 2010;29(4 Suppl):244S-273S. doi:10.1177/1091581810385956
• Spec-Chem, Ingredients Catalogue 2026 V1: Ganoderma Lucidum Extract, Inonotus Obliquus Extract, Hericium Erinaceum Extract, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide usage rates (supplier data)

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

About the Author
Written by Kari Thomas, cosmetic formulator and founder of Skin Perfection.