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active· 08 July 2026

Chaga

by Barbara Marengo
Chaga

(Inonotus obliquus · INCI: Inonotus Obliquus Extract)

Antioxidant-rich · Polyphenols · Environmental defence · Sensitive-skin suited · Part of the M-Veil mushroom complex

5 min read · One of four mushrooms in the M-Veil complex

Chaga, or Inonotus obliquus, grows wild on birch trees in cold northern climates, long used in traditional Russian and Nordic folk remedies. It's one of four mushroom extracts in Philogeni's M-Veil complex, present at 1.25% within the 5% total complex, and among the most antioxidant-rich mushrooms studied, owing to its polyphenols, melanin, and polysaccharides. Laboratory studies on cultured skin cells have found chaga extract to be a strong free-radical scavenger, though the research remains lab-based rather than clinical.

Why menopausal and perimenopausal skin changes

As estrogen declines, skin becomes drier, more reactive and less able to defend itself against environmental stress. Its antioxidant reserves thin, leaving it more exposed to the effects of everyday exposure that show as dullness and loss of vitality. Chaga earns its place here for its antioxidant compounds, which help defend against that environmental stress.

What chaga does for menopausal skin

  • Antioxidant defence: chaga is exceptionally rich in polyphenols and melanin, helping defend against the visible effects of UV and pollution exposure. This antioxidant activity is well documented in laboratory studies (see the research below).
  • Environmental protection: helps defend against the visible effects of the everyday environmental stress that dulls a complexion.
  • Soothing: its polysaccharides suit reactive, easily-irritated skin.
  • Gentle: well-tolerated and appropriate for sensitive, menopausal skin.

What the research shows

Chaga's reputation as an antioxidant is well supported in the laboratory, though, as with the other mushrooms, the work is on cell cultures and extracts rather than clinical skin trials. Inonotus obliquus is consistently one of the strongest free-radical scavengers among studied mushrooms: an early study from a dermatology department found its polyphenol-rich extracts had strong antioxidant activity across several radical types (2005), and its melanin pigments have been shown to carry antioxidant, cell-protective properties (2019). In a 2023 study on cultured keratinocytes stressed with UVB, chaga polysaccharides raised the cells' own antioxidant enzymes and lowered markers of cellular ageing. Read together, these place chaga as a potent antioxidant ingredient, studied in the lab, which is how we use it.

Ingredient profile

  • INCI: Inonotus Obliquus (Mushroom) Extract
  • Common name: Chaga
  • Key compounds: polyphenols, melanin, polysaccharides
  • Function: antioxidant and environmental defence
  • Concentration: 1.25%, its share of the 5% four-mushroom M-Veil complex, dissolved in oil
  • Suited to: sensitive, reactive and menopausal skin

Featured in

Start with the Resilience Balm, our most-loved formula, or explore the Bio-Lipid Concentrate. In both, chaga sits within the four-mushroom M-Veil complex, alongside bakuchiol and CoQ10. Read more in why mushrooms matter for menopausal skin.

Common questions

What does chaga do for skin?
Chaga is valued as a potent antioxidant, helping defend against the visible effects of UV and pollution exposure that dull a complexion over time.

Is chaga clinically proven?
Chaga's antioxidant activity is well documented, but in laboratory assays and cultured skin cells rather than clinical trials. We describe it as a strong antioxidant ingredient on that basis, not as a treatment.

Is chaga good for sensitive, menopausal skin?
Yes. It is gentle and well-tolerated, and its polysaccharides suit reactive skin.

What are the other mushrooms in the complex?
Chaga works alongside reishi, cordyceps and maitake in our four-mushroom M-Veil complex.

References and further reading

  • Chaga polysaccharides and UVB-stressed keratinocytes (in vitro, 2023). PubMed
  • Antioxidant effect of Inonotus obliquus (dermatology study, 2005). PubMed
  • Burmasova M, et al. (2019). Melanins of Inonotus obliquus: antioxidant properties. Biomolecules, 9(6), 248. DOI
  • Venturella G, et al. (2021). Medicinal Mushrooms: Bioactive Compounds, Use, and Clinical Trials. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(2), 634. DOI
  • Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) extract: antioxidant activity and skin-cell markers in cultured cells and an animal model (2025). PubMed Central

At a glance

  • Common name: Chaga
  • INCI: Inonotus Obliquus (Mushroom) Extract
  • Key compounds: polyphenols, melanin, polysaccharides
  • Cosmetic function: antioxidant and environmental defence
  • Concentration: 1.25% (within the 5% mushroom complex)
  • Found in: Bio-Lipid Concentrate, Resilience Balm
  • Status: vegan, part of the M-Veil complex

One of four mushrooms in the M-Veil complex, chaga brings antioxidant strength to menopausal skin. Shop the Resilience Balm or explore the Bio-Lipid Concentrate.