The Relationship Between Tremella Mushrooms and Healthy Skin

Whether you spend your days with the sun beating down on your face, in a cold winter region where the dry air makes your skin long to be soothed and softened, or you just want to give your skin a little extra support, it's time for you to learn about the beautiful Tremella mushroom. Tremella mushroom can be nourishing and soothing for the body in many ways, including potentially helping to promote healthy skin.* Before we go into more details on this aspect of the mushroom, lets first learn a bit about the classification, properties, and history of Tremella.

Tremella mushroom is an especially interesting fungus. One reason for this is based on the fact that it has a different texture and a unique form compared to many of the relatively well-known mushrooms such as reishi, or chaga. Unlike these solid, woody masses, Tremella is a type of jelly fungus, which gives it a mucilaginous, soft, squishy texture, and therefore a distinguishable appearance.(2)

Tremella mushroom is in the order Tremellales. This order of fungus is classified based on the structure of the basidium, also known as the spore bearing parts of the mushroom. The basidium in the order tremellales is organized into four chambers. Not only do the basidiocarps have this specific structure to identify them by, but they also have a jelly like consistency, which is why mushrooms in this order are known as jelly fungus.(1) The fact that Tremella mushroom is a jelly fungus is important for its skin benefits, which I will explain in more detail further on. One variety of Tremella mushroom, Tremella fuciformis, is specifically popular for skincare. Due to it’s pure white color Tremella fuciformis is nicknamed “the snow fungus,” or “silver ear fungus.” (2)

Another special trait of Tremella mushroom is the way in which it grows. Like many types of fungi, Tremella mushroom grows on wood, however it actually survives off of the other fungus also colonizing the same area, instead of the wood itself. This makes Tremella mushroom a “mycoparasite,” which is why intrepid mushroom farmers who were first looking to cultivate it were puzzled at first, wondering why it wouldn’t grow on a substrate of wood when it appeared to do so in the wild. However once its growth requirements were discovered cultivation became possible.(2)

Tremella has been used since 200 a.d in Chinese history, and was honored and reserved mostly for royalty or the wealthy. Tremella mushroom contains a variety of constituents such as vitamins (specifically vitamin D), dietary fiber, protein, triterpenoids and polysaccharides.*(3) Tremella is also edible, and its slightly bland flavor and soft texture can make a tasty ingredient in a delicious dessert.(2)

Tremella Mushroom and Your Skin

Just like our bodies, Tremella mushroom is made up of a lot of water, giving it the ability to support hydration.* One way in which Tremella mushrooms may promote hydration is by acting in similar ways to hyaluronic acid which is a compound in our bodies that is important for retaining water in the skin.*(4) Although hyaluronic acid does a good job with this, Tremella mushroom is actually able to retain five times more water than this!* (7) Due to this similarity, Tremella has become of big interest in recent times.(5) However it is also important to note that this use for Tremella isn’t just a recent discovery by the beauty industry. In fact, it’s use as a skin product dates back to ancient China, where even one of the most beautiful women at the time, Yang Guidei, used Tremella to maintain her smooth, radiant complexion.* (3)

Now let’s take a deeper look into how this mushroom may help support the skin.* Tremella mushroom promotes the body's healthy production of superoxide dismutase (SOD) which is an enzyme that can be supportive. How does this relate to skincare? SOD promotes the production and maintenance of new, healthy, youthful looking skin.* (3) In addition to this, the polysaccharides from Tremella mushrooms maintain moisture in the skin which could be beneficial in a variety of situations including a sunny day where there is a high UV index..* This mushroom also supports skin flexibility and smoothness.* (6) Furthermore, Tremella mushroom promotes the body's ability to cover up blemishes, making your skin even more clear and beautiful.(5)

Tremella Mushroom in Daily 10

If Tremella mushroom sounds appealing to you, then you’re in luck. You can find Tremella in our Daily 10 tincture. Since Tremella mushroom can support the certain aspects of the body, such as antioxidative enzyme production for instance, you do not need to apply the compounds from Tremella externally on your skin to reap the benefits.* This tincture makes adding Tremella mushroom to your daily skincare routine quite easy to accomplish.

References

1. http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/wong/Bot201/Basidiomycota/Jelly_Fungi.htm
2. https://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/jan2006.html
3. DOI: 10.26545/ajpr.2020.b00077x
4. doi: 10.4161/derm.21923
5. https://sdaraskin.com/blogs/blog/ingredient-spotlight-tremella-fuciformis
6. DOI: 10.1016/j.jff.2015.11.014