The short answer: these two are not rivals, they are different jobs, so the cheaper box is not automatically the right one. Nu Skin prints CordyMax Cs-4 as a supplement that "promotes stamina and vitality while reducing fatigue," and ReishiMax GLp as one that "supports healthy immune system function" — so buy the claim you actually want. CordyMax Cs-4 is $48 here and ReishiMax GLp is $140, no membership needed for either.
Side by side
| CordyMax Cs-4 | ReishiMax GLp | |
|---|---|---|
| Mushroom | Cordyceps sinensis, Cs-4 strain | Red reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) |
| What Nu Skin prints | "promotes stamina and vitality while reducing fatigue" | "Supports healthy immune system function." |
| Price at NuBodyRx | $48 | $140 |
| Size | Bottle (capsule count is not printed on Nu Skin's current US page) | 60 capsules |
| Nu Skin's directions | "take two capsules two or three times daily with food and drink" | "take two capsules daily with food and drink" |
| Qualifies alone for free US shipping ($99) | No | Yes |
What each one is actually for
CordyMax Cs-4: the energy-and-stamina one
CordyMax Cs-4 is a standardized extract of Cordyceps sinensis using the Cs-4 strain. Nu Skin's own US page describes it as "a proprietary, standardized extract of the Cordyceps Sinensis mushroom that promotes stamina and vitality while reducing fatigue." That is the whole of the claim, and it is worth noticing how modest it is — stamina and vitality, not performance figures.
Nu Skin is also unusually specific about the timeline: "Mild effects may be evident within one week, while significant effects may take 3 to 6 weeks to become evident." If you are the sort of buyer who wants to know by Thursday whether something is working, this is not the product for you. It is a six-week trial or nothing.
ReishiMax GLp: the immune-support one
ReishiMax GLp is a red reishi extract built around what Nu Skin calls its "cracked spore technology." Its printed bullets on nuskin.com are: "Supports healthy immune system function." / "Promotes the proliferation and activity of your body's own defensive immune cells." / "Boosts your body's natural defensive immune cells." Nu Skin also says the product carries "one of the highest levels of active ingredients" and that other reishi products "often lack the triterpene compounds."
Those are immune-support claims, not illness claims, and we are not going to stretch them. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
What they cost to actually take
ReishiMax GLp is the straightforward one to cost out. The bottle holds 60 capsules and Nu Skin's directions are two capsules daily, so one bottle is a 30-day supply: $140 a month, about $4.67 a day. Over a year that is roughly $1,680. That is a serious line item, and you should decide on it as one.
CordyMax Cs-4 is cheaper per bottle at $48, but the dose is a range — two capsules two or three times a day, so four to six capsules daily. Nu Skin's current US page does not print the bottle's capsule count, so we are not going to invent a cost per day for it. What we can say is that it is the lower-risk way to find out whether a Pharmanex mushroom supplement does anything for you, at well under half the outlay.
If you want both, you are looking at $188, which clears the $99 threshold for free US shipping. Most people should not start there.
Who should not buy these
This is the part Nu Skin's own marketing will not lead with, so here it is plainly.
- Anyone with a known fungal allergy. Nu Skin's own wording: "Individuals with known fungal allergies should be cautious when taking Reishi products." Both of these are mushroom extracts.
- Children. Nu Skin prints that CordyMax Cs-4 "has not been evaluated in children and should only be used by adults."
- Anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, unless a doctor says otherwise. Nu Skin's wording for CordyMax: "Because there are not adequate and well controlled studies in pregnant or lactating women, this product should not be used during pregnancy or lactation without the advice of a physician."
- Anyone taking prescription medication — particularly anything affecting blood clotting or the immune system. Ask your own doctor before adding either, not a website.
- Anyone who wants a fast, obvious result. Nu Skin itself puts CordyMax's significant effects at three to six weeks. Reishi is not a stimulant either.
- Anyone whose basics are not covered. If you are not eating or sleeping properly, a mushroom extract is the wrong place to spend first. A daily multivitamin is the more sensible foundation, and our LifePak Nano vs LifePak comparison walks through those options.
- Anyone shopping purely on price. See below — be honest with yourself about this one.
Versus a generic reishi or cordyceps capsule
You can buy reishi or cordyceps capsules from any supplement shop for a fraction of $140. That comparison deserves a straight answer rather than brand loyalty.
What you are paying the premium for is specification: a named strain in CordyMax's case (Cs-4), Nu Skin's cracked spore technology and triterpene content in ReishiMax's, and the Pharmanex 6S Quality Process behind both. Generic mushroom capsules frequently do not tell you the strain, the extract ratio, or what is standardized — and Nu Skin's point that other reishi products "often lack the triterpene compounds" is a fair criticism of a real problem in that aisle.
What you are not paying for is a printed promise that these outperform a well-specified generic on results, because Nu Skin does not make one. If a known, consistent specification matters to you, the premium is defensible. If it does not, a cheaper standardized extract is a reasonable choice and we would rather say so than pretend otherwise.
Buying either one here
NuBodyRx is an Independent Nu Skin Brand Affiliate. You do not need a membership, a distributor account or a sponsor to order — you add it to the cart like anything else. Sealed stock, shipped from Nu Skin's own warehouse. Free US shipping starts at $99, so ReishiMax GLp clears it on its own and CordyMax Cs-4 does not. First order, WELCOME10 at checkout.
So which one?
If what you want is the energy and stamina claim, start with CordyMax Cs-4 at $48 and give it the six weeks Nu Skin asks for. If what you want is the immune-support claim and $140 a month is a cost you are comfortable with, ReishiMax GLp is the one that carries it. If neither claim is the thing you were actually looking for, buy neither — that is a perfectly good outcome from reading this.
Related reading
- ReishiMax GLp: How to Decide If It Is Worth It
- Is Pharmanex Legit? An Honest Look at Nu Skin's Supplement Brand
- How to Build the Complete Pharmanex Anti-Aging Supplement Stack
Prices shown are the live NuBodyRx prices on the day of writing, October 10, 2026, and can change. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.