The past two years of pandemics have altered people's beauty habits considerably. Consumers are now replacing makeup practices in favor of a more organic approach to beauty. One such major trend of the moment is the increasing use of gemstones and crystals.
Gemstones like quartz, ruby, jade, and moonstone are growing in popularity,
increasingly making their way into the mainstream beauty regimes in the form of rollers, facial skincare, and even makeup.
Though they’ve been of interest for a long time, gemstone beauty treatments saw a boom from the start of this year, that’s still going on. Hailing straight from Asia, particularly from China, these ancestral beauty rituals have been appreciated for their purported healing benefits for centuries and are now becoming popular even in the west.
These stones are no longer the preserve of goldsmiths or jewelers, making inroads into the cosmetic industry with their supposed energy and virtues.
Exponents of this practice believe that these have lots of skin benefits ranging from promoting a youthful appearance to healing blemishes and reviving a dull complexion. Brands and chains, as well as beauty salons, are all starting to offer products and treatments based on stone and crystal extracts, but do they live up to the hype?
How Does it Work?
Skincare expert Sharon Hilditch says that these crystals contain vibrational energy, which constantly fluctuates at differing frequencies to work at a dynamic level. These stones have the potential to influence our energies at both material as well as non-material levels.
While there isn’t any strong proof, proponents believe that this high vibration energy has the power to cure skin woes, like wrinkles, breakouts, dullness, inflammation, redness, and fine lines.
Some people even like to pronounce a set of affirmations while using these products, in a belief that doing so improves the usefulness and boosts any purported benefits.
What Does Science Say?
One popular school of thought proposes that the reason behind healing experienced as a result of using gemstones could be a placebo effect.
An older study conducted in1999 and 2001 concluded the same results.
In the research, 80 partakers received booklets explaining what impact they might experience while holding crystals.
Half of the group received real crystals, while the other half received fake ones. The conclusion drawn was that the participants holding a fake crystal were just as likely to report sensations as the group who received the real gemstones.
Many experts also claim that even though there’s no scientific evidence that supports the healing properties of gemstone beauty products, they may be an effective exfoliant and useful when combined with other ingredients.
Moreover, the elements contained in the stones may have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial characteristics, though it is not backed up by evidence.
Market players are too gradually getting into the play. Jade rollers or rollers made of rose quartz etc. have now become so popular that major brands such as Sephora now sell them.
Even big market players are gradually getting into the game. Rollers made of jade, rose quartz, and amethyst—which helps fight the signs of aging—have become commonplace in the cosmetics industry, to the point that major chain stores like Sephora now sell them.
The same is the case with another latest beauty tool called a Gua Sha stone. It gets its name from an age-old traditional method, whose anti-aging qualities are also gaining many adherents across the globe, and comes in various versions such as rose quartz, jade, and obsidian.
Some Common Gemstones Used in Skincare Products Include:
Amethyst
This purple-hued stone is said to have a soothing effect on skin inflammation, promotes relaxation, and serves as a great source to calm redness and soreness, ideal for those who suffer from stress-related skin problems.
Pink tourmaline
It is believed to calm down your skin, maintaining the appropriate level of moisture by preventing excessive sebum secretion, thereby promoting harmonization. Best suited for oily skin, it energizes, boosts radiance, and soothes blemishes.
Rose Quartz
This gemstone has become particularly popular for its rollers in recent years, it however can be found in creams and serums too. Considered a master healer, it is believed to be connected to the heart chakra and known for amplifying the effects of other stones.
Onyx
A black color stone, known for having a range of benefits such as healing infected wounds, sunburn, inflammation, and fungal infections. Known for having excellent cleansing properties, it stimulates cellular regeneration and completely purifies the skin. It is specifically popular among people with sensitive skin prone to allergies.
Takeaway
Even though many people swear by the healing characteristics of these stones there’s no scientific support to verify these claims, however, these crystals can be used as effective exfoliants. Interest in these cosmetic rituals does not seem to fade anytime soon, evidenced by the innumerable such products that can be found in just a few clicks on the internet.
Written by - Priyanshi Deolal
Edited by - Akanksha Sharma
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