The tremella mushroom is already heavily raved in the skincare industry because of it’s lightening and moisturizing properties. There are multiple ways to use the mushroom, from topical usage (cosmeceuticals) and internal (nutricosmetics), known as one of the top beauty superfoods, both usages help to maintain (insert a link to mushrooms in the cosmetic industry) beauty, preserve youth, and increase longevity.
The mushroom
Also called the snow mushroom because of its snow-like properties – watery white color, seaweed texture, and crisped edges. It tastes fairly bland but has a gelatinous consistency and can be consumed stewed or boiled, or even sometimes in liquid form. It can be found in temperate areas of Asia, America, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Islands usually on hardwood logs after heavy rainfall.
History
This mushroom is one of the oldest known fungi dating as far back as 200 A.D. when it was used as traditional Chinese medicine. It was in general reserved for royalty, family members who were rulers, and rich people who could afford it. In Chinese history, the use can be traced back to Tang Dynasty when Yang Guifei, a well-known concubine to the emperor at that time and considered one of the “four great beauties” of China, gave credit to the mushroom for her youthful and radiant complexion.
Benefits and Wellness
Because it’s both topical and nutritional value, there are many ways to take advantage of the mushroom. Tremella has a lot of complex sugars like polysaccharides, which is the source of most of the benefits that come with this mushroom.
With it’s already known skin benefits, it’s not a surprise that it’s a natural anti-aging agent. As a topical use, it’s beneficial for hydrating skin and reducing wrinkles – even called the natural hyaluronic acid. The mushroom also has antioxidant effects that prevent cell damage, extending the skin’s life further.
In 2018, there was a research that proved that Tremella can inhibit the development and spread of inflammation, meaning it’s a possible treatment for heart-related diseases and tumors. Anti-inflammatory also includes cholesterol and obesity, which Tremella has a history of being able to treat. In that same year, Chinese researchers found that Tremella was able to find lung cancer cells and lung injury.
Another research conducted has demonstrated that the extract of tremella has nerve growth factors, essentially that the mushroom can be used as a treatment for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
It’s already a popular staple in Chinese because of its rich protein, dietary fibers, minerals, antioxidants, and high in vitamin D – you can find them from anti-aging soups to desserts. They make a nice, sweet nourishing tea but you can also incorporate them in your homemade face masks. It’s an extraordinary mushroom with its presence in the beauty industry as a strong superfood in the skincare aspect, but from a nutrient and medical perspective, it also has potential. You can be sure to find these mushroom extracts, powder, and skincare products and implement them in your daily life to elevate your lifestyle.
