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Silver Mushroom (Tremella Fuciformis)

What Is Silver Mushroom?

Silver mushroom doesn’t just sound magical—the skincare ingredient has science-backed benefits as one of the world’s most powerful anti-aging hydrators. Also known as Tremella Fuciformis, “snow mushroom,” or “silver ear,” this fungus gets its many names from its unique appearance. The fungus is white with a flowery structure that looks somewhere between a marigold and a sponge.

It’s been used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine as well as traditional dishes like snow fungus soup (often served as a comfort food for the sick). Silver mushroom as an anti-aging skincare wonder dates back to the Tang Dynasty. Scholars say Yang Guifei, a powerful woman whose legendary beauty spurned a national rebellion, relied on silver mushroom for her luminous skin.

Thanks to its gelatinous structure and density of polysaccharides, silver mushroom is best known as a super-powerful skin hydrator. It’s often compared to hyaluronic acid as both work to draw moisture to the skin. However, silver mushroom also has powerful antioxidant properties. Additional benefits of silver mushroom may include:

Helping to fight oxidative stress and free radical damage
Reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Helping to protect the appearance youthful-looking skin²
Improving the look of sun-damaged skin ³
Improving the look of dark spots thanks to kojic acid
Helping skin look healthier and more hydrated⁴

The chemical structure of silver mushroom is so similar to the popular hydration agent hyaluronic acid that it’s sometimes referred to as “bio-hyaluronic acid.” But what’s the difference between these two ingredients?

Hyaluronic acid, a natural substance found in the body (think the skin to maintain hydration and fluids in the eyes and the joints). In the lab, it’s often created through a process of sugar fermentation.⁵ Silver mushroom, while chemically similar to hyaluronic acid, is extracted (of course), from silver mushrooms.

You can get the best of both in ALASTIN’s HA (Hyaluronic Acid) Immerse Serum^TM, which combines high-molecular hyaluronic acid (the weight that most closely resembles what’s found in our skin) with silver mushroom for an instant boost of long-lasting hydration.

Silver mushroom is formulated in ALASTIN products to provide anti-aging benefits and powerful hydration.