Mushroom Cosmetics: The Present and Future

The document from 2016 reviews the beneficial properties of mushrooms in the cosmetics industry, emphasizing their potential in skin and hair care products due to their bioactive compounds like phenolics, terpenoids, and polysaccharides. These compounds are known for their antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-wrinkle, skin whitening, and moisturizing effects. The review suggests a vast potential for the discovery and use of new mushroom species in cosmetics, given the small percentage currently utilized. It also discusses the role of mushrooms in various cosmetic applications, including their comparison to traditional ingredients and their use in hair care products to improve scalp hair density. The document indicates that interdisciplinary studies could further integrate mushrooms into the cosmetics industry and acknowledges funding support from the Korea Forest Service and the China Scholarship Council, with no conflicts of interest declared by the authors.