Ah, hydrating toners! They are one of the most pleasurable stages of skincare, in my opinion. Essences, toners, watery serums- I’m happy to splash layers and layers of them on my face. Origins Mega-Mushroom Relief & Resilience Soothing Treatment Lotion (henceforth to be shortened to Mega-Mushroom Lotion) is one such toner. Why exactly the folks at Origins decided to call this a lotion is a mystery to me, as the product is clear and watery. But, I digress. Mega-Mushroom Lotion is, as its name suggests, meant to soothe irritated or inflamed skin. I received a sample size of this a while ago, and I decided to take it with me on my two week trip to Portugal. Since I knew the weather there was going to be warm, I figured that this toner would help calm any inflammation that might occur. I was incredibly impressed with the effect it had on my skin!
Ingredients
You can pop over to the Origins website to get a full list of ingredients! A few things to note about this formula: it does contain essential oils, which could be a potential irritant if you have sensitive skin. If you’ve had problems with essential oils in the past, then you might want to avoid this. One of the oils contained is citrus oil, which has something of a controversial place in skincare. If applied in large amounts, it can make the skin photosensitive. If you are going to use it, it should be applied in extremely small amounts, preferably at night (which is when I use this toner.) The Klog has a great post about essential oils that you can check out if you want to learn more!
There are 3 standout ingredients (all mushrooms!) in the formula that Origins emphasizes. First is reishi mushroom, which is a soothing ingredient that helps banish redness. Secondly, there is fermented chaga mushroom, a strong antioxidant that helps get rid of irritation. Lastly there is coprinus, which also aids in soothing stressed out skin.
Usage
Mega-Mushroom Lotion is pretty standard as far as hydrating toners go. You shake a little out of the bottle, and pat it gently on your face. It is easy and comfortable to apply, and you can almost immediately move on to your next stage of skincare. I think the lavender oil contributes the most dominant smell to the toner. I’m not always a fan of lavender, but this is not overwhelming for me. The scent doesn’t linger, which is generally my preference for facial products. If you are looking for a toner that is completely scentless, check out my review of I’m From Rice Toner.
Results
I get an average level of hydration from this product, but then I’m mainly using it for its calming capabilities. And WOW, does it do a fantastic job of that! Whenever I see some pimples beginning to flare up, I put on a couple generous layers of this during my nighttime routine. In the morning the redness caused by the pimple will be greatly reduced, and after another day of application it will start to shrink in size as well. I like to pair the Mega-Mushroom Lotion with my salicylic acid pimple gel (I use the Clean & Clear brand), and I find that it is much more effective than just the pimple gel alone. This toner also does a great job of managing the redness caused by my rosescea. Overall, I’m happy with the difference I see in my skin when I use this toner!
Disclaimer: All opinions are my own. This post was not sponsored, nor does it contain any affiliate links. All links provided are solely for the convenience of the reader.
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