The Crystal ingredient library
Reishi
One of five mushroom extracts
Discover reishi, a mushroom with a long place in East Asian wellbeing traditions. Explore how it appears in our Five Mushroom Dual Extract and Neuro Night formulas, and what to look for on each label.
What is reishi?
Reishi is one of the most recognisable mushrooms in traditional wellbeing culture. Its familiar red-brown, fan-shaped fruiting body has a glossy appearance and a woody texture. In our range, reishi appears in two different multi-ingredient preparations.
The name is used for certain mushrooms in the Ganoderma genus. You may encounter different scientific names in books and on labels, so the common name alone should not be used to infer an exact species or product specification.
- Ingredient familyMushroom
- Genus associated with reishiGanoderma
- Our liquid formatFive Mushroom Dual Extract Tincture
- Also listed inWell.Actually Neuro Night 5-HTP+
A mushroom with a long traditional history
Reishi has a long association with East Asian wellbeing traditions. That heritage is part of its appeal for people exploring mushrooms alongside familiar herbs and botanical ingredients.
The mushroom pictured in ingredient guides is generally the fruiting body: the visible structure produced by the fungus. The broader fungal organism also includes mycelium, a network of thread-like growth. These terms describe different materials and should not be treated as interchangeable when reading a specification.
A photograph helps make an ingredient recognisable, but it does not establish which material, extraction method or proportion is used in a bottle. For that, read the finished product's ingredient list and supporting information.
Understanding dual extraction
Our Five Mushroom Dual Extract is described as a water-and-alcohol extraction of reishi, chaga, lion's mane, cordyceps and turkey tail. Both liquid media are used in preparing the blend.
“Dual extract” describes the process. It is not another way of saying double strength, and it does not specify how much of any particular mushroom compound is present. Those figures require separate product information.
The same care applies to extraction ratios and percentages. A ratio, a bottle volume and a measured constituent level describe different things. Compare like-for-like information and avoid judging strength by the darkness of a liquid or the intensity of its taste.
Our guide to alcohol in tinctures explains more about liquid preparations. This mushroom tincture contains alcohol, even when a serving is diluted in water.
Reishi in our range
Liquid mushroom blend
Five Mushroom Dual Extract Tincture
Reishi joins chaga, lion's mane, cordyceps and turkey tail in a liquid preparation with alcohol and purified water. Follow the current bottle label for serving, alcohol content and suitability information.
The listing names all five mushrooms without declaring equal proportions. Their presence should not be interpreted as a one-fifth share for each mushroom.
Explore the five-mushroom blend →
Multi-ingredient supplement
Neuro Night 5-HTP+
Reishi is also listed in this Well.Actually formula alongside ingredients including 5-HTP, magnesium, vitamin B6, zinc and other botanicals. Read the complete label rather than selecting it solely for one mushroom ingredient.
This is a different preparation from the liquid mushroom blend, with its own serving instructions and suitability information.
See Neuro Night's full formula →How to compare mushroom products
A useful comparison begins with the full formula. A single-mushroom product, a five-mushroom tincture and a supplement containing vitamins and botanicals offer different ingredient combinations.
- Check the mushroom name: look for species information where supplied.
- Check the material: fruiting body, mycelium and extract are different descriptions.
- Check the preparation: powder and liquid extract have different directions.
- Check declared amounts: the presence of an ingredient does not tell you its individual proportion.
- Read every ingredient: suitability depends on the whole formula, including its liquid medium or other active ingredients.
When a detail is not declared, ask rather than assuming. You can contact us with questions about the current label or product information.
Using and storing the finished product
Follow the directions on the product you choose. For the tincture, shake gently as directed and use the labelled serving. Do not transfer a serving from another mushroom extract: concentrations and formulas can differ.
Keep the tincture securely closed in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and out of reach of children. Keep its dropper clean and retain the original label and batch details.
Check suitability before use during pregnancy or breastfeeding, with medication or under medical supervision. Neuro Night includes 5-HTP, so its own medicine-interaction advice is particularly relevant; it should not be combined with antidepressants without advice from the prescriber. Its listing also advises against use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Choose one product by its complete label and intended use. Sharing reishi as an ingredient does not make two preparations interchangeable.
Reishi questions answered
What is reishi?
Reishi is a common name used for certain Ganoderma mushrooms with a long history in East Asian traditions. The exact species and preparation should be checked on the product specification.
What does dual extract mean?
For our Five Mushroom Dual Extract Tincture, it means both water and alcohol are used in extraction. It does not mean double strength or specify a measured amount of any one compound.
Which products contain reishi?
Reishi is listed in our Five Mushroom Dual Extract Tincture and Well.Actually Neuro Night 5-HTP+. These are different formulas with separate directions.
Are the five mushrooms present in equal amounts?
The product listing names reishi, chaga, lion's mane, cordyceps and turkey tail but does not state equal proportions. Do not assume each makes up one fifth of the blend.
Is the mushroom tincture alcohol-free?
No. Alcohol and purified water are listed in the Five Mushroom Dual Extract Tincture. Diluting a serving does not remove its alcohol.
Can I use the same directions for Neuro Night and the tincture?
No. Neuro Night contains other ingredients, including 5-HTP, and has its own suitability information. Follow the label for the particular product rather than transferring directions between them.
Explore the other mushrooms
Continue with chaga, cordyceps and turkey tail, or return to the Learn ingredient library.
For fungal naming background, see Kew's Ganoderma lucidum record. A general species reference does not confirm the exact material in a particular commercial product.
For complete ingredients, allergens, suitability and directions, read the current product label. A guide to one ingredient does not describe every possible effect of the finished preparation.
