Rose quartz, amethyst, jade… It’s official: we’re a nation obsessed with all things crystals. Some experts claim that crystals can help in finding love, encourage us to ditch bad habits and even attract a better fortune, but while many of us keep crystals on our desks, windowsills and shelves for decoration, lots more of us are finding ways of incorporating them into our skincare routines.
On Instagram, the hashtag #jaderoller serves up over 17k posts as influencers, beauty brands and skincare obsessives alike use them to make their shelfies prettier, but it isn’t all about good looks. Crystal healer and psychic Kim Alexis suggests that crystals – in the form of face rollers – are becoming more and more popular because of our desire to go back to basics in skincare. “It makes sense for the beauty industry to incorporate the natural, organic feeling of crystals into their products and skincare routines as more consumers are shying away from things like chemicals in the products and techniques they use. As well as this, many crystals hold an energy healing vibration which can relax, soothe, uplift and rejuvenate.”
Nausheen Qureshi, biochemist founder of skincare brand Elequra, thinks manual tools made from crystals like rose quartz are more beneficial for the skin than electronic alternatives, which can often be costly. “Used daily as part of a regular skincare regime, I believe crystals like rose quartz are more effective,” Nausheen – who recommends Elequra’s Rose Quartz Sculpting Tool, £33 – tells R29. Kim elaborates: “Crystal face rollers made from these stones are useful to help the ingredients of creams and moisturisers to be absorbed into the face and neck,” she says, and if you think about it, a lot of product goes to waste on our hands.
As well as channelling products into the skin more efficiently, whole body facialist Fiona Harlowe says that crystal face rollers are brilliant at facial massage. “They are super simple to use and have an immediate impact on the fluid tissues of the face, including blood and lymph. By rolling them across your cheeks, chin and forehead, you’ll slowly open up pathways, and improve lymphatic flow, which reduces puffiness and inflammation. The best way to use a crystal facial roller is always at room temperature – there’s no need to cool it as it will already feel cool to the skin. Using light pressure, always start on the décolleté and neck as this opens up pathways and creates flow for effective drainage. Simply glide your chosen crystal roller from the centre of the face out to the side and down the neck. Work all the way up the neck and face and then back down and return to areas where there is any superficial facial tension, such as the jaw.”
Crystal face rollers sound pretty promising, but do they live up to the hype? R29’s beauty editor put three to the test over the course of a week – here’s the verdict.
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“Jade has been used for thousands of years in Chinese skincare,” Fiona explains. “Like all facial rollers jade improves fluid tissue circulation, thus reducing puffiness and supporting lymphatic function. However, a true jade roller will have a little more resistance on the skin as it is not as silky smooth as other crystals, like rose quartz or amethyst. Because of this, it will have more impact on the solid tissues of the face (like the muscles) so it is better for ‘contouring’ and ‘lifting’.”
The verdict: A facialist once told me that I hold lots of tension in my jaw and lately, I’ve been getting some pain on my right side, so I’m optimistic about this. It’s Monday and my skin feels a bit dry, so I pick up the Liz Earle Skin Repair Gel Cream Moisturiser , £23, for a vitamin E hit and slather it all over after cleansing with Avène’s Cleanance Cleansing Gel, £7.50. Rolling the jade tool over my skin so early in the morning is a shock because it’s absolutely freezing even though I literally just got it out of the box. That said, it doesn’t feel rough (although it does squeak a bit) and I feel like it’s really working to unravel any knots and my jaw feels a little looser. In all honesty, this is better (and cheaper) than any professional facial I’ve had. When my face is clean and dry, I use it again in the evening and again the day after that, this time rolling it all over my face, including my cheeks, chin and forehead, but I don’t notice a ‘contour’ effect at all. I think I’ll stick to bronzer for that.
Here’s something to remember. Fiona suggests doing some research to make sure that your jade roller is made from real jade. “Beware many crystal facial tools claiming to be jade. Many are simply dyed quartz or even synthetic and will not have the same qualities as true jade. These materials could also cause skin flare-ups and irritations if used regularly over time.”
Yu Ling Rollers Jade Facial Roller Medium, $, available at Cult Beauty
Avène Eau Thermale Cleanance Cleansing Gel, $, available at Boots
Liz Earle Skin Repair Gel Cream, $, available at Liz Earle
“If you struggle with sensitive or reactive skin, a rose quartz facial roller is perfect for you,” Fiona says. “It is ideal for inflammatory skin conditions such as rosacea, because it’s so cooling. On a physical level it pulls inflammation from the body, calming and regulating microcirculations, and if you have partied a little too hard then rose quartz will restore instant calm.”
The verdict: I may not be much of a party girl, but I do have a habit of sleeping on my front (wild, I know) so I’ve woken up with a puffy nose, eyes and cheeks. I’ve also noticed the odd spot this morning, so I pick up Medik8’s Balance Moisturiser & Glycolic Acid Activator, £45, dot it all over my face and roll it in with the rose quartz roller. It’s so cold, I gasp out loud, but I remember what Nausheen, who believes that flatter rose quartz tools are just as good, once told me: “Rose quartz has a hexagonal stacked crystal structure which means it retains heat and cold more effectively, and temperature gradients affect the delivery of actives into the skin.” That means it’s working, right? This moisturiser has a silky gel-cream feel to it but even using fingers, I really need to massage it into the skin. With the roller, it absorbs properly in around 90 seconds but my skin gets used to the cooling sensation and it feels super relaxing, so I don’t mind that it’s taken longer than usual. I look in the mirror and my face looks much less swollen.
I try it again in the evening, this time accompanied by The Ordinary’s Retinoid 2% In Emulsion, £8, to blast those spots, and find that rolling it over my skin as I zone out to EastEnders (don’t judge my telly habits) makes me feel a hell of a lot more chilled out. Plus, this one is so pretty.
Herbivore Rose Quartz Facial Roller, $, available at Space NK
Medik8 Balance Moisturiser & Glycolic Acid Activator, $, available at Medik8
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion, $, available at The Ordinary
On a spiritual level, Fiona believes that amethyst “brings clarity to a clouded vision and relieves the stress and strain associated with living a life that is misaligned to our soul purpose.” Interesting. Crystal healers also argue that amethyst opens our intuition and helps us to tune our thoughts and learn to follow our ‘gut feelings’. In skincare? “Like the others, amethyst regulates microcirculation in the skin, but it can pacify angry and uncomfortable inflammation, often associated with adult acne,” Fiona adds.
The verdict: It’s just as well, then, that I wake up on Friday with an absolute blinder of a spot on my chin and do the very non-beauty editor thing of squeezing it to death, leaving the area sore and throbbing uncomfortably. So I cleanse my skin with Boots’ Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Foaming Face Wash, £4.19, grab the amethyst roller and, well, roll. The stone is much smoother than the others and I lose track of time, eventually realising I’ve been doing it for three minutes straight, but the cooling, rolling effect has actually brought the eruption down a touch, so it’s less angry. Still there, though – I guess it can’t work miracles…
This roller has a smaller bead on the opposite end for hard-to-reach areas. If spots weren’t annoying enough, I have eczema underneath both eyes and on my lids. The steroid cream I’ve been prescribed burns and my usual eye cream isn’t cutting it, so as part of my bedtime routine, I bring out the big guns and pat on Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Hydrating Mask with Avocado & Swiss Glacier Water, £24, (which I also use on my lips and hands – the avocado and apricot kernel oils quench parched patches in seconds) and roll it in with the tiny stone. The cooling aspect cancels out the burning sensation and my eyes are much less dry and inflamed. I’m going to stick with this one for the skincare benefits as I’ve seen the most difference using it, but as for bringing clarity and relieving strain, I don’t think it’s done much.
Skin Gym Amethyst Crystal Facial Roller, $, available at Selfridges
Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Foaming Face Wash, $, available at Boots
Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Hydrating Mask, $, available at LookFantastic
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