Snow Fungus (Tremella Fuciformis)

Tremella Fuciformis

(also known as Silver Ear/Snow Fungus/White Wood Ear/Bai Mu Er)

Image Source: Steve Axford

At some point you’ll realize we’re a little obsessed with mushrooms. Their mysterious beauty, health-boosting properties, and some peculiar theories of their “alien” origins have us mesmerized. Enter Tremella Fuciformis - a jiggly, semi-transparent beauty that looks like it could be an underwater coral species. This gelatinous white mushroom is an incredible force of nature. Similar to most mushrooms, it contains a host of immune-boosting, anti-tumour, and antioxidant-rich polysaccharides and beta-glucans, which help manage blood glucose levels (1,2).

It has also been shown to have neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects, as it promotes neurite outgrowth and helps prevent b-amyloid toxicity, making it a potential precautionary agent in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's (3).

When it comes to skin, its ability to hold nearly 500 times its weight in water helps protect it from water and collagen loss, potentially rivalling the effects of hyaluronic acid. There have also been studies that show it can alleviate UV-induced photodamage in the structure of skin(4).

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tremella is a Yin Herb, said to act on the Lung and Stomach meridians. It helps treat dry coughs, loosen congestion, and alleviate heat in the body, especially if too much Yang is present (5,6).

Tremella Fuciformis or more popularly known as snow fungus, grows and is native to  countries that lie in the tropics, like China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and India. Tremella Fuciformis has been highly prized as an ingredient in various traditional herbal and natural medicines. For centuries it was used as a remedy for healing the skin and nourishing lungs in traditional Chinese medicine and in the 19th century, as a culinary ingredient in traditional Chinese dishes. It’s soft, gelatinous appearance and texture earned it the nickname “silver ear mushroom” and “white wood ear mushroom”.

 

Health benefits of Tremella fuciformis extract

  • Excellent skin moisturizer

    Tremella fuciformis mushroom is unique in that it can hold up to a 1000 times its weight in water, making it invaluable as a nourishing oil for skin and natural sourced ingredient for gentle face exfoliators. Also, unlike other mushrooms, tremella fuciformis has high concentrations of Hyaluronic Acid-like particles, a chemical naturally produced by your body and found in your skin and eyes. However, particles found in tremella fuciformis are actually smaller than hyaluronic acid, this makes it easier for these moisture retaining particles to penetrate and embed themselves in semi-porous surfaces such as skin. Also, like all mushrooms, tremella fuciformis is rich in healthy fatty acids which is a core naturally sourced chemical that helps to strengthen your skin balance and restore radiant complexion in the skin.

  • Anti-aging and antioxidant rich

    In addition to being an excellent moisturiser, tremella fuciformis functions as an excellent anti-aging and antioxidant rich agent. Various studies have found that tremella fuciformis is capable of repairing the imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in your skin. This imbalance, called oxidative stress, can be brought on by a variety of physical stresses on your body such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc, and can lead to tissue and skin damage. Making your skin appear worn out and aged. Studies found that tremella fuciformis being rich in antioxidants, vitamin A, C and D, was ideally placed to inhibit the production of free radicals in the skin and aid in mitigating some of the effects of stress related skin problems and turning aged skin into radiant skin.

  • Anti-inflammatory

    Inflammation is a normal part of the body’s healing process, whether it be from infection or physical trauma. It gives your body a protective layer to help it heal. However, sometimes the process can become chronic and be a major hindrance to one's life. An experiment found that tremella fuciformis had certain anti-inflammatory properties and was able to reduce inflammatory activity.

  • Improves brain health

    Some research has been made into how tremella fuciformis affects the brain and mind. It found that polysaccharides, a type of carbohydrate, in tremella fuciformis has been shown to protect brain cells against damage and degenerative diseases; reduce a build up of a Alzheimer’s linked protein, beta-amyloid; and improve memory.

  • Anti-cancer and anti-tumour

    Tremella fuciformis has been shown to have some anti-cancer and anti-tumor properties.

  • Boost immune system

    Some studies suggest that tremella fuciformis can boost your immune system by stimulating the production of white blood cells.
  • Other benefits

    Tremella fuciformis has been shown to improve blood circulation, reduce the chances of heart disease and help to regulate and lower blood sugar levels and various diabetes related complications.

Research has been made into finding the medicinal benefits and effects of tremella fuciformis. However, more research should be made into discovering the direct effects tremella fuciformis has on the human body.

 

Our Tremella fuciformis connection

We've combined a steeped tincture of this billowy fungus with two other mushrooms: reishi and shiitake, for their immune-boosting adaptogenic properties. Then we've added probiotics to support and encourage a healthy ecology of microbes on your skin. Lastly, seaweed imparts its protective minerals to give the skin respite to regenerate and heal. 

Shroom serum

Shroom serum incorporates Tremella Fuciformis extract into its naturally rich formula of aloe barbadensis leaf juice, rosa damascena extract, santalum album linn extract, cocos nucifera (coconut) extract, niacinamide, lactobacillus ferment, citric acid, potassium sorbate and lactic acid. Shroom serum helps you harness the power of Tremella Fuciformis extract making it the best face oil for sensitive skin and best body oil for sensitive skin. Helping to restore your radiant skin and luminous skin over time. 

How to apply:

  • Slowly pour a small amount into the palm.
  • Add a few drops of your preferred base oils.
  • Mix to lightly emulsify, then apply to face in circular, sweeping motions
  • Add your favourite gua sha or facial roller massage regimen for an especially lifting experience.

Take me to the Shroom Serum

 

A Note:

Tremella Fuciformis extract has no reported adverse side effects or potential downsides. However, health vulnerable people such as pregnant women should consider not using or consuming Tremella fuciformis extract. 

 

 

Footnotes for Further Reading:

1.     http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-ZSTJ201104028.htm

2.     http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-SPYK201418009.htm

3.     https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3763079/

4.     https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S175646461500554X

5.     https://www.acupuncturetoday.com/herbcentral/tremella.php

6.     https://chineseherbinfo.com/bai-mu-er-wood-ear-mushroom-tremella-white-wood-ear/

Mushroom Snow Fungus Tremella

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Featured product

$75.00 USD Sale Save
Hydrate, restore and support your skin barrier with Mushrooms, Microbes and Seaweed.

 

Adaptogenic, probiotic and antioxidant-rich serum crafted with super-hydrator Tremella, this steeped tincture of shrooms gradually restores skin health and resilience over time:

  • Deliver hydration to the dermis with the superb water-retention of Snow Fungus
  • Support the flow of cell renewal with adaptogenic Reishi and Shiitake mushrooms 
  • Nurture an ecology of beneficial microbes amidst the skin’s microbiome with probiotics

As always, designed to respect you, your space, and the natural world - No fix-it messaging, no branding, no plastic.

Vegan | Cruelty Free | 100% Natural | Zero-Waste

Made with ingredients that are organic, wildcrafted, or natural, cruelty-free and sustainable.

Contained in a 75ml plastic-free vessel.

- Massage into the skin for instant hydration, morning and night after a cleanse or rinse.

- Blend with a few drops of Base Oil for a creamier application (simply blend the two in the palm of your hand).

- Applied before your gua sha strokes, this snowy serum allows the tool glide without the need for excess oil.

Water/aqua/eau, Tremella Fuciformis (Snow Fungus) extract, Coconut extract, Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Rose Damascena flower water, Seaweed extract, Reishi Mushroom extract, Shiitake Mushroom extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, niacinamide (Vitamin B3), citric acid, potassium sorbate, Rosa Damascena essential oil.

A timeless bottle that blends gracefully into any space. Label-free with a simple, removable tag on cotton string. No fix-it messaging, no
branding, no plastic.

Made from hand blown borosilicate glass, these 75ml bottles with ground glass stoppers come wax sealed, are easily reusable or can be returned (for re-use) when you join our refill program.

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When you subscribe (below), we send you a new, full bottle with a return label for your used bottle. Just pop your empty bottle in the box and
mail it back to us for free. We make them sparkly again to cycle back
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