Beneath pine trees, Poria cocos forms a dense underground mass called a sclerotium. Long used in East Asian medicine, this fungal structure has a much more modern skincare story: researchers are now studying how its compounds interact with the channels skin cells use to move water. [Park et al., 2022] [Barrier-function study, 2019]
That history is interesting. For skin, though, the more useful question is what the research shows. One answer involves aquaporin-3, or AQP3. AQP3 helps regulate the movement of water and glycerol through skin cells, making it directly relevant to how researchers think about hydration. [Park et al., 2022]
In a 2022 study, researchers treated cultured human keratinocytes with an ethanol extract of Poria cocos sclerotium. The extract increased AQP3 expression. By using inhibitors to interrupt cell-signalling pathways, the team traced the response to a pathway known as PI3K/Akt/mTOR. The work gives researchers a specific mechanism to investigate when exploring Poria and skin moisture. [Park et al., 2022]
Another study looked at dehydrotrametenolic acid, a compound isolated from Poria. In human keratinocytes, it increased the expression of several markers associated with the formation and function of the skin barrier, including involucrin, transglutaminase-1 and caspase-14. These markers help researchers follow how cells develop the structures and processes needed for the outer skin layer. [Barrier-function study, 2019]
Together, the studies offer two connected lines of inquiry: how cells manage water, and how they develop into a functioning barrier. That is a more revealing reason to be interested in Poria than simply calling it an ancient remedy.
In SpecKare EyeS100, Poria sclerotium extract is paired with two peptides, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5 and Dipeptide-2. Spec-Chem’s supplier brochure also describes a four-week evaluation of an eye cream containing 5% EyeS100 in 15 women aged 25 to 55. With twice-daily use, the supplier reported lower measured under-eye bag volume over the study period. [Spec-Chem supplier research]
The distinction matters: the cell studies examine Poria extract or an isolated compound, while the supplier’s eye-area evaluation concerns a cream containing the complete EyeS100 blend. Its public summary presents before-and-after measurements without a placebo comparison. These findings help explain the ingredient’s appeal, while Apple Of My Eye’s performance belongs to its complete formulation.
For Earth & Halo, Poria’s water-management biology is part of that appeal. Discover EyeS100 within Apple Of My Eye Eye & Lip Contour, where fungal extract research meets peptide-based contour care.
