Five key benefits of chaga mushrooms for skin

Let’s chat about chaga

Before we discuss the details of these five chaga skin benefits, it might be helpful to introduce this fab fungus. After all, unlike species like shiitake and cordyceps, it’s not quite a household name yet.

Chaga is a type of functional mushroom that grows directly on the bark of birch, beech, and elm trees. It thrives in cold climates in the northern hemisphere, flourishing in locations like Canada, Alaska, and Finland. In fact, the harsher the weather it grows in, the more nutrient-dense the fungus is.(1)

Practitioners of traditional medicine in Asia and Eastern Europe have been using chaga to enhance wellbeing for generations. Even Hippocrates advocated for its use in cleaning wounds.(2) And today, people harness the mushroom as a natural way to support immunity and overall wellness. That’s in addition to the chaga skin benefits we’ll cover below.

Besides its scientific name, Inonotus obliquus, chaga’s medicinal properties have earned it some flattering nicknames. These include ‘diamond of the forest’ and ‘black gold’. Despite this, in purely aesthetic terms, it’s not the most appealing of foods! If we’re being honest, it looks a bit like a bulbous patch of burnt charcoal affixed to a tree trunk. When you break this open, you’ll discover a softer, orange core.

We know – this is not exactly the type of thing you would imagine enhances your complexion! However, proving that true beauty comes from the inside, this mushroom has the potential to do just that. Time to get into the details of these impressive chaga skin benefits.

Chaga mushroom benefits for skin

One thing that’s interesting about chaga skin benefits is how varied they are. Thanks to its array of potent plant compounds, the fungus contributes to a healthy complexion in direct and indirect ways. This makes it an especially effective addition to your self-care routine. It’s also easy to incorporate into your diet, but we’ll come on to that later. First, here are five key chaga benefits for skin health.

1. It has antioxidant properties

Antioxidants are molecules that work to reduce the damage that free radicals cause to our cells. This damage is called oxidative stress, and experts have linked it to several chronic health conditions. What’s more, it contributes to signs of skin ageing, such as wrinkles and loss of elasticity.(3) One of the major chaga skin benefits is that the fungus is rich in antioxidants like polysaccharides, polyphenols, and triterpenoids.(4) As such, adding it to your diet could help to protect your cells from harm and keep your complexion youthful.

Interestingly, antioxidants might also defend skin cells from UV radiation and improve hydration, further supporting the health of your complexion.(5) Indeed, studies have found that one of the many chaga skin benefits is that it could guard skin cells against harmful UV light and have anti-ageing effects.(4) Now, we’re not suggesting that you use it instead of sun cream, but it’s nice to have some extra protection!

2. It supports the immune system

One of the most common reasons that people take chaga is to boost their immune system and fight inflammation. The mushroom can prevent the formation of detrimental cytokines that trigger inflammation, plus promote the production of other cytokines that support immunity.(6) Through the latter, chaga helps to stimulate white blood cells, which fight off viruses and harmful bacteria.

So, how does this translate to chaga skin benefits? Chronic inflammation can cause damage to our cells, which may result in, or worsen, skin conditions like psoriasis and rashes. Consuming foods that support the immune system and have anti-inflammatory properties might therefore enhance the health of your complexion.

What’s more, studies suggest that chaga is also naturally antimicrobial, anti-bacterial, and antiviral.(4) These properties could amplify the mushroom’s positive effects on your complexion. For example, one cause of acne is a buildup of bacteria in the pores, so tackling this could be advantageous. However, further investigation is necessary to clarify the potential chaga skin benefits for this condition.

3. It acts as an adaptogen

Lots of people find that their skin flares up when they get stressed. That hectic day at the office causes your eczema or acne to worsen. Or perhaps you spot a couple of fine lines that weren’t there before after moving house. Whichever way it manifests, stress can definitely have a detrimental effect on your complexion. Happily, there are chaga skin benefits in this regard too.

Like most medicinal mushrooms, chaga has adaptogenic properties. That means it enables the mind and body to cope with stress (both short-term and long-term) more effectively. This includes all kinds of stress, from emotional to environmental. In turn, that could help minimise the havoc it can wreak on your complexion.

And that’s not all. Another common side effect of stress is trouble sleeping. We all know that a lack of sleep can cause dry skin, bags under your eyes, and other complexion concerns. So, one of the more indirect chaga skin benefits is that it could increase our chances of a stress-free slumber. Which is good news for all kinds of reasons!

4. It could boost collagen production

As this is an article about skin care, you’ve probably been waiting for us to mention collagen. This protein helps provide our skin with structure, shape, and elasticity. It also plays a role in keeping your complexion hydrated. Unfortunately, as we age, we naturally produce less of it. The upshot of which is that our skin becomes drier and less elastic, and we develop wrinkles. It will therefore delight you to hear that one of the many chaga skin benefits is that it supports collagen production.

The first way chaga does so is through its antioxidant properties, because oxidative stress damages collagen. In addition, the beta-glucans it contains help to promote the synthesis of this key protein.(7) The same is true of chitin, a carbohydrate found in the walls of fungi like chaga.(8) All of this means that the mushroom both protects the collagen you have and assists the body in producing more. Those are some pretty impressive chaga skin benefits!

5. It enhances gut health

Ok, at first glance, this sounds like a stretch to include in a list of chaga skin benefits! But hear us out. As with most medicinal mushrooms, chaga is rich in potent polysaccharides such as beta-glucans. These act as prebiotics, nourishing the good bacteria in your gut.(9) And the health of your gut has a direct impact on the health of your skin.

First, many of your immune cells are located in the gut. Second, studies have linked poor gut health to skin conditions like acne, eczema, rosacea, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis.(10) Third, tummy troubles can cause more general skin issues such as redness, dry skin, breakouts, and rashes.

Interestingly, gut health also has an impact on mental health. And as we saw above, our mental health has an impact on the health of our complexion. So while this is one of the more indirect chaga skin benefits, it’s quite a wide-ranging one!