Why Crystals Are Taking Over the Beauty World

If you lift up NYC celeb facialist Ildi Pekar's spa bed, you'll find a piece of clear quartz — meant to ward off negative energy. Meanwhile, at Manhattan alternative medicine studio Modrn Sanctuary, you can take a nap on a $9,000 crystal bed. Crystals are in makeup too: ColourPop just launched a Crushed Crystal collection. Celebs are also talking up the power of crystal energy, and not just Spencer Pratt. Supermodel Miranda Kerr says she always carries a piece of rose quartz in her bag. Crystal and precious minerals may have reached a tipping point right now in the beauty world.

"It seems to be kind of trending. I didn't know if it ever would," says Själ skincare co-founder Kristin Petrovich. Kristin's a gem beauty pioneer: she founded Själ in 2001 with the goal of looking at anti-aging skincare from an Eastern and a Western standpoint, and she wrote a book called Elemental Energy on the energetic powers of crystals and gemstone on beauty.

"Eastern medicine's been using gemstones and minerals for thousands of years," explains Kristin, and her products are “charged” with precious minerals and gemstones, through processes like a superfine dust, a colloidal suspension or even “programming the vibrational frequency” of a gemstone in a cream or serum.

Kristin says she's not sure why crystals are taking over in 2017, but she's been seeing momentum build for awhile. "I think it's part of a wellness movement, maybe it was one of the later ones to follow. People are very open to the idea of energy and it's starting to be used in Western medicine now too," she says. "It's got the feel-good, spiritual, hippie side to it, but when you start to think about the Western implication and it's been used in medicine now, I think that's a turning point for some people."

The crystal craze is nationwide too. Here's how three spas across the country incorporate crystals into their beauty treatments:

In Los Angeles, The NOW’s gorgeous massage salons feel like a mini-vacation, with boho wall hangings and canvas tents for treatment rooms. Crystals fit in seamlessly with the decor, but their presence goes much further than that. "Crystals are even embedded into the foundations at our boutiques, it sets the tone and serves as a talisman of sorts for each new location," says The NOW co-founder Gara Post.

In addition to Swedish and sport massages, guests can add on a crystal treatment. “For a crystal healing enhancement added-on to a table massage, one can expect placement of charged healing crystals on all seven chakras. Crystal therapy benefits are known to facilitate healing, alleviate emotional stress and balance the body and spirit,” says Gara. “For a crystal soak foot bath during one of our journey room shoulder and foot massages, we use charged crystals in the water to balance energy, soften skin, and center the soul.

Besides tucking a clear quartz under her spa bed and around the spa, celeb facialist Ildi Pekar in NYC created her own Hungarian Thermal Water Tonik infused with clear crystal quartz. Ildi has it that clear quartz draws off negative energy of all kinds, and fights electromagnetic smog.

Spa patrons at Chicago's Ruby Room can shop at the spa's "crystal bar" to recreate their experience at home. "Our clients come to us because they are looking for an experience that extends above the physical and leaves them feeling energetically balanced and revitalized," Ruby Room owner Kate Leydon says.

Each service begins with an energy reading, and spa techs spray one of Ruby Room’s 14 Flower and Gem essences based on that reading. There’s also the Crystal Eyes treatment. “It uses Arcona's crystal-infused product to deeply moisturize and help penetrate the product deeply into the skin leaving an iridescent glow,” Kate explains.

Forget highlighters. Crystal glow sounds like the best kind of glow.