Confused about crystals? We’re giving you the low-down on what they are and how they can benefit your wellbeing!

With the rise in popularity of alternative healing therapies, crystals are no longer just a hippie’s delight! Their healing properties are slowly being exposed to a wider audience thanks to the booming wellness industry, so we thought we’d uncover a little more information on what they are and how you can use them in your daily routine to maximise your inner beauty and take your healthy glow to new levels!

The science behind crystals and their healing powers:
Crystallization occurs when liquid cools and starts to harden. As a result, the molecular structure of a crystal is fixed and repeated in a particular pattern.

Laurey Simmons, crystal guru and author of The Inner Beauty Bible, says “crystals heal because, through their highly consistent molecular structure, they bring inconsistent energies back into harmony.” This is known as entrainment. We can synchronize with a crystal’s specific vibrational frequency, which is why different crystals are known for different healing properties. It may seem a bit kooky, but there are plenty of examples of this process – as Laurey points out, one being when fireflies manage to flash light in perfect harmony.

In today’s society, where it seems there isn’t a single person who DOESN’T complain about being too busy, crystals can help bring your body back into harmony. The big question is… How can you slot their uses into your daily life?

Create A Sacred Place:
Having a space filled with crystals and objects linked to happy memories can be great for focussing your mind, especially when your busy life is calling. But where do you start in making a space that’s sacred to you?

Laurey Simmons, says that ‘making my sacred space beautiful always makes me feel more beautiful on the inside.’ We recommend finding a place where you already feel peaceful, like your bedroom, or a windowsill that overlooks a garden.

Choosing your sacred objects definitely calls for a good rummage in your box of sentimental goodies that currently gathers dust under your bed! You might like to use a shell from a beach trip, or a candle whose scent reminds you of a relaxing moment. Whatever gives you that warm, cosy, happy feeling!

Next, the crystals.

It’s worth deciding how you want to feel when you visit your sacred place and sourcing crystals that match those energies. We’ve put together a list of our five favourite crystals and how they might help you:

Amethyst – Amethyst is associated with peacefulness, contentedness and is known to eliminate impatience. Its healing powers are said to include sobriety and personal losses. We suggest you try adding a few small tumble stones to your day cream to help improve your skin’s moisture retention.

Rose Quartz – We think everyone could do with some Rose Quartz in their lives! It holds qualities of nurture and compassion – it’s not surprising this crystal is the most widely used in skincare products. Pretty in pink, you could wear this stone in jewellery from to be connected to its caring properties.

Hematite – If you’re a nervous traveller, try taking a hematite tumble stone with you – they’re said to strengthen your connection with the earth to make you feel more secure. This can help keep you grounded while on the move, and can also help with jetlag!

Turquoise – Turquoise is connected to water energy. If you struggle with dry skin, or even eczema, you might like to wear turquoise jewellery. The stone’s energy is known for regulating your water balance and keeping moisture in your skin.

Opal – We like to think opal as a mindful stone. Its glistening rainbow colours reflect qualities of enhancing imagination, creativity, memory and is even thought to decrease confusion! By carrying an opal tumble stone with you, you might find you’re more productive and your spirits heightened throughout the day.

Crystals in your Beauty regime:

While crystals can help radiate your inner beauty and wellbeing, they also have great effects on your outer beauty and wellbeing too! Laurey suggests applying your daily face cream with a smooth, palm size rose quartz to ‘help blood flow circulation, bringing a glow back to the skin.’ When warmer weather starts to set in, a nifty trick is to keep the crystal in the fridge overnight to refresh skin and tighten pores. While on-the-go, you might like to add some smaller crystals to your face or body cream to enrich it with crystal energies, then easily apply to your face.

We’ve sourced some great beauty products infused with crystals that you can seamlessly swap into your daily beauty routine.

Eve Lom Crystal Foundation Powder – 100% natural ingredients, this powder has Amethyst, Ruby and Rose Quartz particles to illuminate your skin, while connecting to calming energies.

Aveda Tourmaline Charged Radiance Fluid – A great serum for your skin infused with tourmaline energizes and gives you a healthy glow.

Prismologie Rose Quartz & Rose Body Balm – We love this moisturizer because the Rose Quartz gives comfort and the Arctic Rose helps to increase endorphin levels. Perfect before bed!

Aoes Skincare Range – This range is made with hand-picked crystals, which are then made into an elixir, to make your skin wonderfully radiant!

Quartz Treatment Room – If you want to fully submerge yourself in crystal healing, head to Galgorm Resort & Spa in Ballymena, Northern Ireland and discover their newly launched Quartz treatment room! This world class spa now houses a state of the art quartz bed for which two new quartz therapy treatments have been developed. This remarkable new concept in spa treatment tables, the MLX Quartz, uses a base of alpha-quartz sand, which is warmed to the desired temperature, generally 107 degrees. Derived from the ancient Greek concept of ‘psammotherapy’ (hot sand therapy) MLX Quartz is the modern version of a unique treatment which is guaranteed to not only dissolve tension but it also has proven therapeutic benefits for anyone suffering with rheumatic and muscular conditions. These benefits include improved circulation and metabolism as well as stimulation of the lymphatic and immune systems.

words by Katie Hafner