Mushrooms in Personal Care

Posted: November 20, 2007

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Swiss spa brand Qiriness includes Fomes officinalis in its balancing range for oily skin. The ingredient is said to control pore size in the Élixir Equilibre, a "purity performance essence." This blue serum also contains the brand’s exclusive EOS (Energizing, Oxygenating, Soothing) complex of Ayurvedic herbal extracts and bio-actives that  are said to enhance the efficiency of the skin’s metabolism.

Another spa brand, US-based Cornelia Essentials, also makes use of mushroom extract’s claim to reduce and tighten pores. The Cornelia Works range is designed to target oily, acne-prone problem skin. The Oil Regulating Cleansing Gel is reported to refine oily skin and eliminate surface shine. Dead skin cells are exfoliated and makeup residue is stripped without damaging the skin.

This link with exfoliating appears again in the new Actifirm 30% Z-Peel Plus gel exfoliator. The formula contains a self-regulating "smart" peptide derived from the precious Mucor miehei mushroom, a powerful botanical said to gently and selectively exfoliate dead and damaged skin cells by mimicking the skin’s own internal shedding process. This exfoliation is claimed to increase epidermal thickness and hide existing spots.

Having found new life in 21st century cosmetics, the ancient Lingzhi is indeed living up to its reputation as the "Mushroom of Immortality."

—Nica Lewis, Mintel