When she decided to create her new skincare range—O’O Hawaii, a natural, superfood-level line of balms, serums, and scrubs named for the now extinct Hawai’i ‘ō ‘ō bird—integrative nutritionist Holly Harding knew micronized crystals of rose quartz and sapphire would play a starring role in her ingredient list. But while both benefit the skin in concrete, specific ways (rose quartz helps minimize fine lines and redness, and sapphire is believed to have astringent and anti-inflammation properties), there was a lot more factoring into her decision to go the crystal-centric route than surface matters like that.
“Nearly everything in nature has both an electromagnetic field and a vibration,” says Harding, who is based on the North Shore of Oahu and also runs a whole foods-based nutritional counseling service called the H Lyfe Method. “Vibrations resonate at different speeds. As human beings, we pick up vibrations, as do crystals. The electromagnetic energy from a crystal can transmit to balance, heal, and energize the skin, as well as promote healing of the mind and body.”
And of course, the gua sha stone used in the O’O Hawaii facial at the Kahala Spa at the Kahala Hotel & Resort in Honolulu is crafted from—what else?— rose quartz. “It’s associated with self-love, calming, and comforting,” notes Harding, pointing out that on a more practical level, the petal pink stone boosts circulation, too.
Increased circulation = glowing, rosy skin.
“Just by taking the time to steam your face once a week with a bowl of beautiful herbs and a quartz crystal in it can be a form of meditation, a way to give yourself that space to go within—all while cleansing and purifying your outer self.”
Inner and outer beauty, that’s the promise of crystal-infused skincare, bath brews, and even makeup sold in the spa space. From Herbivore’s Amethyst Exfoliating Body Polish to Epicuren’s citrine-spiked Sol Exquisite Gem Oil and Āether Beauty’s Crystal Grid Gemstone Palette, crystals are charging ever larger portions of our beauty routines.
For sure, at least some of the crystal beauty brands are taking a page from spa treatments like the Lux Indulgent Facial at the Four Seasons in Florence, Italy, which deploys 24-karat gold and citrine crystals to blast free radicals and other skin-aging effects of pollution, or the Couples Journey at the Six Senses Zil Pasyon in Seychelles, in which a grid of clear quartz, carnelian, and black tourmaline is laid-out to open the heart chakra, followed by a massage involving still more crystals.
When you’re not trekking to your next exotic spa excursion, know that you needn’t venture any further than your very own bathroom to replicate a crystal-enriched beauty experience. For inspiration, treat yourself to a copy of Herbs and Crystals DIY: Use Plant Medicine and Crystal Energy to Heal the Mind and Body (Page Street Publishing) by Ally Sands, the owner and founder of Aquarian Soul, “The Original Gemstone Infused Apothecary” brand sold in spas across the country.
A feast for the eyes and a genuine primer on the ability of crystals to generate both beauty and wellness, Sands’s book features a treasure trove of recipes for body balms, intention mists, massage bars, lunar bath soaks, and more.
“Making your beauty routine into a sacred ritual is our brand’s tagline and also an act I highly believe in,” she writes. “There are many ways you can do this, and it’s a simple mindset to put yourself in. I used to do yoga and meditate every single day, and now I find myself doing these things much less often. It’s something we all do: moving in and out of healthy practices, starting, stopping, and finding that motivation again. But washing your face, bathing, and applying moisturizer is something we all do on a daily basis. This is something you can transform into a different kind of experience.”
The trick, says Sands, is to not overthink it and merely weave crystals into your self-care routine. “Just by taking the time to steam your face once a week with a bowl of beautiful herbs and a quartz crystal in it can be a form of meditation, a way to give yourself that space to go within—all while cleansing and purifying your outer self,” she notes. “This means taking five extra minutes out of your day to give yourself a crystal face massage while you let go of all the clutter that builds up over the day. This means pouring a handful of lunar bath salts into your tub and letting your thoughts drain out into the water. Set up some crystals on the edge of your bath, and make that extra effort to really fill your space with magic.”
In other words, it’s easy—as long as you’re mindful. Have we made that crystal clear?
Dana Wood
Dana Wood is the Contributing Beauty Editor at InsidersGuidetoSpas.com. She has been writing about beauty and wellness for decades, and no matter how many times she taps the words “hyaluronic acid” or “healing modalities” into her keyboard, it never gets old. Dana spent a total of 20 years at Condé Nast, serving as Beauty Director for W, Cookie, and Brides. A transplanted New Yorker, Dana now lives in St. Petersburg, Florida. Her peak spa experience? Dana says it’s impossible to decide between the Coco-Mango Body Buff at the Driftwood Spa at Jakes in Treasure Beach, Jamaica, The Land of Beautiful Waters Anti-Aging Facial at Four Seasons Nevis, and the 80-minute 5 Senses massage at the Spa by JW in Marco Island, Florida.