Not every Pop Pops Pantry product starts out with the intention of becoming a product. FUNGI Face Cream certainly didn't.
About a year and a half ago, I was learning how to make creams and decided to experiment with making a face cream. It was simply a test. I made a batch and gave some to my sister-in-law to try. She loved it. In fact, she liked it enough that she wanted more.
At the time, though, I was still learning. I wasn't ready to turn that first experiment into a Pop Pops Pantry product, so the idea stayed in the back of my mind.
A year and a half later, I've learned considerably more about making creams, working with different ingredients, controlling temperatures, creating emulsions and, perhaps most importantly, getting the finished texture exactly where I want it.
It was time to make that face cream again. Only this time, I wanted to make it better.
The result is FUNGI Face Cream.
From an Experiment to a Finished Product
A lot can change in a year and a half. Since making that original face cream, I've spent a great deal of time developing other products and learning more about formulation.
I didn't simply want to reproduce the first cream. I wanted a face cream that was light, smooth and fluffy, rather than something heavy or greasy. I also wanted to bring another area I've spent a lot of time studying into the formula: mushrooms.
Why FUNGI?
Mushrooms have become an important part of what I do at Pop Pops Pantry. Through developing mushroom tinctures and topical products, I've spent a lot of time learning about functional mushrooms and how they can be incorporated into different products.
For FUNGI Face Cream, I incorporated a mushroom extract blend featuring Reishi, Chaga and Caterpillar Mushroom Extract. These mushrooms contain naturally occurring antioxidants and other bioactive compounds that continue to be studied, including for their potential applications in skincare.
I'm careful about making promises about what any cosmetic product can do. My reason for using these ingredients is much simpler. I find mushrooms fascinating, I've spent years working with them, and I wanted to bring some of what I've learned into a facial skincare formulation.
Aloe Vera and a Light, Fluffy Texture
Another important part of FUNGI Face Cream is aloe vera gel. Getting the texture right was one of my biggest goals. I didn't want a heavy cream that left your face feeling greasy. The finished FUNGI Face Cream came out exactly where I wanted it: light, smooth and fluffy. It spreads easily, so a little goes a long way. That texture is one of the biggest differences between this formulation and some of my earlier experiments.
Sometimes the Best Products Take Time!
I'm actually glad FUNGI Face Cream took a year and a half to come back around. Had I immediately turned that first test batch into a product, this wouldn't be the same cream.
During those eighteen months, I kept learning. I worked with different ingredients, learned more about mushrooms, learned more about making topical products and, most importantly, got better at making creams.
Then I returned to that original idea! That's really what product development at Pop Pops Pantry looks like. It usually begins with one simple thought: “I wonder if this will work.” Sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it does. And occasionally, someone tries an experiment and says, “I want more of that.”
Apparently my sister-in-law knew something a year and a half ago.
Introducing FUNGI Face Cream
Today, that little experiment has finally become an official Pop Pops Pantry product.
FUNGI Face Cream is available in a 4-ounce jar for $25. It's a small-batch facial moisturizer featuring aloe vera gel and mushroom extracts including Reishi, Chaga and Caterpillar Mushroom Extract. But for me, there's another ingredient that isn't listed on the jar: a year and a half of learning. And that's probably the ingredient I'm proudest of.
Pop Pops Pantry
Veteran-Owned Small Business
Sherman, Texas
HOW TO APPLY;
Apply a small amount of FUNGI Face Cream to clean, dry skin. Gently massage into the face and neck using circular motions until absorbed. A little goes a long way. Use as part of your morning or evening skincare routine.
Ingredients:
Distilled Water, Aloe Vera Gel, Jojoba Oil, Emulsifying Wax, Rosehip Oil, Reishi-Chaga, Caterpillar Mushrooms Extract, Geogard 221, Citrus & Sage Fragrance.
FUNGI Face Cream is a cosmetic product intended for external use only.
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