DIY skincare – mushroom masks

Have you ever tried mushroom face masks? A lot of famous skincare brands are adding mushroom extracts or powder to their cosmetic hits.

Have you ever tried mushroom face masks? A lot of famous skincare brands are adding mushroom extracts or powder to their cosmetic hits.

Today, many cosmetic giants offer beauty products with exotic mushroom extracts. But even if they cost a fortune and have sophisticated names, they are far from being as effective as you can Do It Yourself at home.

There has to be something in mushrooms then, right? Yes, indeed.

These enigmatic creatures hide a lot of secret beauty ingredients for healthy skin, hair and nails:

• Chitin, the main structural component of the fungal cell, is an excellent natural absorbent (meaning cleansing agent) – it absorbs toxins several times more actively than activated carbon.
• Vitamins and minerals are wisely balanced providing all their beauty benefits
• Unique acids to rejuvenate your hair and activate metabolic processes in your skin – agaric, oxalic, acetic, formic, vanillic, lilac, p-hydroxybenzoic, and triterpenic.
• Natural powerful analogues of hyaluronic acid with a strong anti-aging effect – xanthine, betaine, and choline.
• L-ergothioneine: Shiitake are packed with L-ergothioneine – a potent antioxidant compound that prevents skin damage, skin ageing and skin cell break down.
• kojic acid: Some mushrooms are rich in kojic acid – a compound that naturally brightens the skin and prevents melanin pigment forming.

Include mushroom masks in your routine skincare and diet and in a short while you’ll be surprised with the results.

Beauty benefits of  DIY mushroom facial masks

Mushroom cosmetic masks are easily accessible, affordable and what is the most important – they have fast and visible results.

Rejuvenating, tightening, refreshing effect is visible even after 2-3 applications. Facial masks based on mushrooms give a noticeable improvement in skin complexion, remove dark circles under the eyes, give a slight tanning effect, remove inflammation, and provide you with a feeling of beauty and radiance.

• Mushrooms boost collagen production: Collagen is important for skin hydration, smoothness, and elasticity. It can also reduce the appearance of wrinkles and aid in your body’s skin repair process. Mushrooms improve your skin elasticity and prevent sagging. They may keep your skin looking young and vibrant by lengthening the lifespan of fibroblasts – skin cells that play a significant role in collagen product ion. Mushrooms keep fibroblasts alive longer being a powerhouse for protecting or repairing your skin from damage.
• All mushrooms offer anti-inflammatory effects, supports healthy skin cell turnover and the reduction of skin irritation.
• Mushrooms inhibit elastase – the enzyme that breaks down elastin within the dermis, eliciting anti-ageing effects and supporting healthy skin
• Mushrooms can brighten you skin: Mushrooms can inhibit tyrosinase activity in the skin, which is responsible for melanin production. Further, some mushrooms also contain kojic acid, which can lessen sun spots and scarring from acne.
• Mushrooms hydrate your skin: Mushrooms can actually mimic the popular skincare ingredient – hyaluronic acid by drawing moisture to your skin. Abundant in all types of mushrooms, polysaccharides play an important role in keeping your skin cells hydrated. If you want your skin to stay hydrated and youthful for as long as possible, consume and apply more polysaccharide-fuelled mushrooms.

Mushroom masks provide structural support, store energy, communicate with other cells, and increase immunity. These magic creatures can help prevent your skin from fine lines and wrinkles.

DIY skincare – the recipes of masks with mushrooms

Rejuvenating mask with fresh mushrooms

Wash and grind 50 gram (a large handful) of fresh champignons, portobellos, shiitake or any other available kind in a blender. Add 2 tbsp of extra virgin organic olive oil or grape seed oil. Stir thoroughly and apply on your face. Keep for 15-20 min and then wash it off with warm water. The simplest way to have fresh mushrooms for your DIY skincare is just buying fresh shiitake or champignons in a supermarket.

Nourishing mask with fresh mushrooms

Blend 1-2 fresh mushrooms and add 1 tbsp of sour cream or kefir for normal and oily skin. For dry skin add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Apply the mask on cleansed face and keep for 15-20 min; rinse with cool water.

Moisturizing mask with champignons

Rinse thoroughly a large handful of fresh champignons (choose beautiful mushrooms) and mash until the mass is slurry with intense juice release. Quickly apply the mask on your face. The most valuable thing is the juice. Wait until it dries up naturally and repeat the procedure several times. This champignon mask has an excellent tonic, refreshing, nourishing and cleansing effect.

Moisturizing mask with shiitake mushrooms

Shiitake mushrooms are prized for their ability to fade the appearance of photo damage and acne scarring. Shiitake mushrooms are packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. They improve barrier strength, encourage faster skin renewal, and boost skin elasticity. A mask of shiitake mushrooms helps to improve the complexion and make the skin velvety. Prepare the mask and use it the same way as the champignon mask we’ve described above.

Japanese geisha shiitake tonic

Used to be a well-kept secret of Japanese geisha, today this magic tonic you can easily make at home. All you need is shiitake mushrooms and vodka.

• Slice shiitake mushrooms and put them in a glass jar with airtight lid.
• Pour vodka to cover the mushrooms.
• Put the jar in a dark place for 10 days.

How to use: Pour a little tincture into a cup, moisten a cotton swab and wipe the face, excluding the area of the eyelids and lips, in the morning and in the evening.

This tincture is good for oily skin prone to acne and redness. After a couple of weeks of application, the skin becomes healthier and fresher in appearance, the earthy tone of the face disappears and sebum secretion decreases.

Fresh or dried mushrooms have to be a must ingredient in your daily menu and skincare for your health and beauty. They will do magic to you.