Chaga Skin Food

We all love and adore adding our functional chaga mushrooms to our favorite meals, coffee, tea, smoothies, chocolates and beyond! Well, another upcoming trend that you may be aware of is beauty care products that use functional mushrooms like chaga, reishi, maitake, shiitake, and tremella. We've been intrigued by the idea of adding mushroom extracts to body care for some time, considering the chaga mushroom benefits for skin protection and health. So, we felt inspired and curious to explore this idea some more!

This is a classic skin balm inspired by a great recipe we found in the book Healing Mushrooms by Tero Isokauppila. It is both calming and hydrating as it is rich in shea, cacao butter, and coconut oil. These stable and soothing fats help nourish and moisturize dry skin. 

The addition of Chaga, which contains the unique compounds called SOD (superoxide dismutase) and melanin, further boosts its health benefits of antioxidant capabilities by providing nourishment and protective factors from everyday stressors like UV light, dehydration, and nutrient-poor food. These antioxidants from Chaga mushrooms may also help combat oxidative stress caused by free radicals, which can contribute to premature aging when not managed properly.

Chaga benefits for skin include enhancing skin elasticity and protecting skin cells from damage. This skin food can really help during those times when you are putting your skin through the wringer! I hope you like it! If you make it, be sure to tag us. We would love to see it! 🙂

Chaga Skin Food Ingredients

• • 9 Tbsp shea butter
  • 6 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
  • 3 Tbsp cacao butter
  • 10 drops tea tree oil (feel free to experiment with different essential oil blends here!)
  • 2 Tsp Real Mushrooms Chaga Extract

Directions

1. Using the double boiler method. Add the shea, cacao, and coconut oil. Melt at low heat until everything is mixed just right. Be mindful not to turn the heat up too much!
2. Next, add your desired essential oils and chaga extract. Use a whisk to combine everything nicely. Once you have done so, pour it into a small mason jar or some other fun creative jar you intend to use! Store in the refrigerator. It will need at least 2-4 hours to solidify. You can then store at room temperature. This will keep for roughly a couple of years. ENJOY!

Benefits of Chaga Mushrooms and Other Ingredients

• Chaga – Contains SOD (superoxide dismutase) and melanin, which may boost skin nourishment and protective factors from everyday stressors like environmental toxins, UV light, dehydration, and nutrient-poor food. This beneficial compound also helps protect against harmful bacteria and supports a healthy immune system, a cornerstone of traditional medicine. Other chaga mushroom benefits include protecting the skin and supporting overall skin health as an essential nutrient.
• Shea butter, extra virgin coconut oil, cacao butter – This trifecta of natural moisturizers mimic the oil our skin naturally produces and therefore their fatty acids are readily absorbed by our skin to hydrate it. They are also known to possess their own antioxidant properties, so are helpful in repairing damaged, irritated, and inflamed skin, contributing to healthy skin.
• Tea tree oil – This essential oil has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties, which make it ideal for protecting abraded skin from infection, helping to diminish skin inflammation, and even repairing skin from acne lesions.

To learn more about how mushroom extracts can be used for skin care, read our article Mushroom Benefits for Skin: 5 Ways Fungi Foster Dermal Health.