When most people consider functional mushrooms, they think of Lion's Mane, Cordyceps and Reishi. But there’s one mushroom that has quietly been treasured for centuries and is now gaining well-deserved attention: Tremella (Tremella fuciformis), also known as the snow mushroom or silver ear.
At Mogo Farm, we’re passionate about helping you discover the very best mushrooms nature has to offer. So, let’s take a closer look at Tremella, its fascinating history, unique benefits, the challenges of extracting it, and how we make sure you still get to enjoy everything it has to offer.
A Brief History of Tremella
Tremella has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 2,000 years. It was so prized for its skin nourishing qualities that it was once a beauty secret of Chinese royalty, described in old texts as helping to “preserve youth and vitality".
Modern science now backs this up, showing that Tremella polysaccharides act in a similar way to hyaluronic acid—helping the skin stay plump and hydrated (Wang et al., 2014).
What Makes Tremella Special
Unlike tough, woody mushrooms such as Reishi or Chaga, Tremella looks like a delicate, cloud-like jelly. This unique texture isn’t just pretty, it’s a sign of its rich polysaccharide content.
In fact, studies have shown Tremella polysaccharides can hold up to 500 times their weight in water, making them natural moisturisers for both the skin and the body (Cheng et al., 2021).
The Potential Benefits of Tremella
Tremella is one of those rare mushrooms that really does a bit of everything:
- Skin Hydration & Anti-Aging - Its polysaccharides lock in moisture and help improve skin elasticity, some research even suggests they outperform low doses of hyaluronic acid (Wang et al., 2014).
- Antioxidant Support - Tremella has strong antioxidant activity, helping protect against oxidative stress, one of the key drivers of aging (Cheng et al., 2021).
- Immune Balance - Polysaccharides from Tremella have been shown to modulate immune responses and reduce inflammation, supporting the body’s natural defences (Lee et al., 2022), (Deng W. et al, 2023)
- Overall Vitality - Traditionally, Tremella has been used to nourish the lungs, support energy levels, and promote general wellness (Luo et al., 2023)
Note: Research on Tremella is still emerging. Most studies are preclinical (cell and animal studies), so while the findings are promising, more human trials are needed.
Why Extraction Is Important
While Tremella can be eaten in soups or desserts (it’s still popular in Asian cuisine), the real power of this mushroom is unlocked through extraction. Extraction allows us to concentrate its beneficial compounds and make them bioavailable, so your body can actually absorb and use them.
At Mogo Farm, we use a dual extraction process using both hot water and alcohol to make sure we’re capturing the full spectrum of compounds. We have a whole blog about this, please click here to learn more.
The Extraction Challenge with Tremella
But here’s the thing: Tremella is not an easy mushroom to work with. At high potency, its extract becomes extremely thick and gelatinous almost like jelly. This makes it difficult to blend into a tincture, and handling it in production can be a real challenge.
It would be relatively easy to produce a thinner, less viscous tincture if the extraction were kept weak. But the trade off is potency, you’d lose many of the compounds that make Tremella so valuable in the first place.
Still, Tremella is far too good to leave out.
Our Approach at Mogo Farm
At Mogo Farm, we would never create a weaker tincture just to make the extraction or bottling process easier. Our goal is always to deliver products that are as potent and effective as possible.
Rather than excluding Tremella, we’ve included it in our 5 Blend Tincture, alongside Lion’s Mane, Chaga, Cordyceps and Maitake. This way, you still get all the unique benefits of Tremella but in a form that’s practical and powerful. By blending Tremella’s rich, thick extract with other less viscous mushroom tinctures, the result is a balanced formula that’s both super potent and easy to take.
The synergy of these five mushrooms provides broad support for focus, energy, immunity, and overall wellness, while ensuring Tremella retains its rightful place in a well rounded formula.
Final Thoughts
The Tremella mushroom is more than a beauty secret, it’s a powerhouse of hydration, antioxidant protection, and immune support. Its jelly-like consistency makes high potency extracts difficult to produce, but at Mogo Farm we believe quality should never be sacrificed for convenience.
That’s why we would never dilute Tremella into a weaker tincture just to simplify production. Instead, we’ve chosen to incorporate its rich, thick, potent extract into our 5 Blend Tincture. By combining Tremella with other functional mushrooms, we’ve created a formula that balances practicality with potency ensuring you get all the benefits of Tremella in a form that’s effective, stable, and easy to use.
