Mushrooms are the wellness trend du jour, turning up in coffee, supplements and even beer. Now, consumers are being told to slather them on their heads after Dyson revealed they could be a secret weapon in the age-old battle with frizzy hair.

Dyson researchers have discovered that fungal chitosan – which is found in the cell walls of oyster mushrooms and commonly used in skincare products – can be used to tame unruly hair.

Named after this “hero” ingredient, Chitosan will go on sale in the company’s stores and on its website on Tuesday. Customers will have to dig deep – the styling cream and serum, which Dyson claims “reduces frizz by up to 50 percent”, both cost £50 ($66) for 100ml.

Chitosan is “delicate yet strong, it’s what gives the fungi its shape and provides the basis of Dyson’s flexible hold,” the company said.

Its engineers have “rigorously tested to find the optimum percentage of chitosan for all-day, flexible hold, while maintaining natural movement.” The company added that each bottle “harnesses the power of up to eight oyster mushrooms.”

“Whilst some other styling products use simple polymers that stick the strands of hair together like glue. Dyson’s formulas work differently,” said James Dyson, who remains the company’s chief engineer. “The complex macromolecule helps create flexible bonds that support hair strand by strand, for twice the hold, with movement and shine.”

The company, which since its founding by the British inventor James Dyson in 1991 has made billions from innovations including bagless vacuum cleaners to bladeless fans, has in recent years been trying to conquer the lucrative beauty market with products such as a “supersonic” hairdryer.

Dyson is not the only company attempting to cash in on fungi – with the ingredient turning up in so many products that the consumer champion group Which? was compelled to look into the evidence base for the “mushroom mania” sweeping the high street.

Describing some mushroom products on sale in health food shops, the group said: “While they do have potential benefits, there isn’t enough evidence yet to suggest they work, and the vast majority don’t have authorised health claims in the UK.”

By Zoe Wood

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