Mushroom Miracle Skincare Ingredient

Illustrated by Anna Jay.

No Sunday breakfast is complete without a side of mushrooms – that's pretty much a fact – but it seems we've been missing a trick all along, because the (not so) humble fungi is proven to have a well deserved place in skincare.

There's no denying natural beauty has boomed in the past few years. We've seen more and more brands kicking synthetic ingredients to the kerb in favour of plant-based elements, and now with both stress and air pollution at record highs, it's vital we step up our game when it comes to ingredients and we're turning out attention to the mighty mushroom.

Created over 10 years ago, Origins has been leading the way with Dr. Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Relief & Resilience range and now, the formulas have been upgraded and the mushroom supercharged.

It was created by Dr. Andrew Weil, a world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine and natural beauty, who has studied the healing properties of mushrooms for years. Using his expertise, he was the very first doctor to incorporate mushrooms into skincare, and they have since gained huge traction in the beauty sphere. The range builds barrier strength, defends against environmental aggressors and turns skin from lacklustre to healthy and hydrated – and it’s now better than ever, thanks to a dream team of mushrooms such as fermented chaga, coprinus, cordyceps and reishi.

Just don't let the complicated names put you off. You're bound to be sold on the whole line's radiance-enhancing properties, and one product in particular has piqued our interest at Refinery29 – the Mega-Mushroom Treatment Lotion. It’s a skin-quenching elixir that calms, soothes, refreshes and restores skin to its optimum health, and takes a matter of seconds to incorporate into your skincare routine. With all four mushrooms as well as anti-irritant sea buckthorn (perfect if you suffer with redness), lactobacillus to strengthen the skin’s barrier, and camelina oil and sunflower seed extract for an extra hit of hydration, it’s likely to trump every other skincare product currently lining your bathroom shelf.

Click through for your best skin ever...