Reishi mushroom (also called Ganoderma lucidum or Lingzhi) is one of the most revered medicinal mushrooms in Eastern Medicine, having been celebrated as a potent health and longevity tonic for thousands of years and traditionally only reserved for royalty.
Traditionally known as the 'herb of spiritual potency', reishi is found growing naturally on dead or dying trees in hot and humid regions throughout Asia, however, can be quite elusive and hard to find.
Adding to what's been recognised in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries, modern science is now showing us the mechanisms and processes that make ling zhi such a powerful healing mushroom - aiding in everything from immune system support & fighting cancer cells through to, you guessed it, skincare!
Read on below we as we focus in on exactly what makes this mushroom such a great natural supplement for your skin:
Reishi and Skincare:
Many of the properties that make reishi so effective in immune support, anti-cancer treatments and blood glucose regulation are also what make it a potent medicinal mushroom for skincare.
1.) Beta-glucans:
Beta-glucans are simple sugars that are present in many different mushrooms, but are particularly concentrated in reishi.
These are attributed to much of the immune stimulation and anti-tumour properties of the lingzhi, and from a skincare perspective, are great at reducing itching and redness from acne and other breakouts, helping with a much smoother and toned complexion.
Furthermore, beta-glucans are also thought to help with collagen regeneration, assisting with skin elasticity.
2.) Anti-oxidants:
Reishi is famous for its super-elevated levels of anti-oxidants and is a powerful scavenger of free radicals that cause cell damage and signs of premature aging.
With its high anti-oxidant levels ling zhi is a great aid for fighting off sun damage and wrinkles from cell breakdown, helping to maintain healthy skin.
3.) Anti-Inflammatory:
The anti-inflammatory effects of reishi are well known and play a large role in the prevention of chronic disease in the body, helping with a large range of illnesses including arthritis and hyperglycemia.
When using ling zhi for skincare, these anti-inflammatory properties are particularly useful for helping treat acne, reducing the severity of and duration of the redness, irritation and itching that we all know and hate!
While you may read about many other benefits of reishi for skin and overall health, the above points are supported by numerous scientific studies and research, so these are the ones we write about with confidence.
Where to Buy Reishi?:
The best way to take this mushroom in our opinion is as a dual-extracted 10:1 powder. Processing and preparing it this way makes it concentrated enough to be effective and super easy to add into your coffee, smoothies, smoothie bowls, hot chocolates, turmeric lattes or tea!
There are a number of producers out there but as with much of the food industry nowadays, many reishi products are unethically sourced and often found to contain contaminants.
We proudly work closely with two highly-reputable producers and confidently recommend them every time for their quality, transparency, consistency and customer service - namely SuperFeast and Teelixir.
Read our full reviews and access the best pricing on both of their blends here (SuperFeast Reishi) and here (Teelixir Reishi).
You can also quickly join our e-mail list at the top of this page for the biggest discount codes on the market for both suppliers!
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P.S. - If you're interested, the video below is of our good friend Mason from SuperFeast taking you on a tour through one of the reishi farms where they source their raw mushrooms. He gives you a great breakdown on how they're grown, why reishi is such a powerful healer and why they source the way they do!