Crystal Elixirs Bring You Good Vibes In A Gorgeous Bottle, But There's A Catch
Just when I thought wellness drinks couldn’t get any prettier than mugs full of moon milk, Instagram hit me with visions of water bottles decorated with stones. If you just pictured green-tinted rocks piled at the edge of a creek, you’ve got the wrong idea. I’m referring to gorgeous crystals locked into the bottom of pricey glass bottles to transform average H2O into a healing elixir. If you’re anything like me, aka nowhere near up to speed on this whole crystal phenomenon, you might be wondering what a crystal elixir even is, and whether you should get one for yourself. Let's just say I'd much rather you fork over $100 for this rock than watch you sip on raw water with your pinky up and your stomach in pain.
To understand what a crystal elixir is, you first and foremost should know the significance of crystals in general. I never hopped on the crystal bandwagon myself, but from what I understand, these naturally pigmented stones have been used as earthy healers for centuries. According to MindBodyGreen, each crystal is unique because of how it looks and what it has to offer someone in terms of well-being. Amethyst, for example, provides its owner clarity, rose quartz attracts love, carnelian sparks creativity, and so on.
Usually, crystals are collected and displayed around a person’s home or, if they’re small enough, kept close in tote bags or pockets. Wearing crystals as jewelry is also a thing but, evidently, now the cool kids don’t just soak up a crystal’s magic powers; they drink ‘em down.
Crystal elixirs are believed to infuse plain water with healing powers to improve a person's health and overall well-being.
Crystal Elixir Water Bottle, $80, Free People
Still skeptical? Let me break it down for you: Crystal elixir water bottles are pretty, pricey, dishwasher-safe, and could be the difference between pouting while you sip a store-bought bottle of water, or uplifting your spirits à la colorful sip-on accessories that don’t fade.
Crystal elixirs are just another way of benefiting from the healing powers people believe these stones give off. It's also more direct because, supposedly, the energy from them is being directly absorbed into your body according to the holistic wellness site Remedy Grove. Plus, they're travel-friendly, so you can reap the necessary benefits at the gym, work, while you're watching Netflix, etc.
I can’t speak from personal experience, but Goop’s own Megan O’Neill credits her newfound focus at the office to, as she calls it, “crystal-water-chugging.” She wrote,
I got up and out as usual, walked into my office, sat down at my laptop…and had the most epically, uncharacteristically productive day: no scrolling Insta as a “reward” between answering emails, no distractedly tossing back handfuls of popcorn every few minutes.
I was engrossed—and it was magic. My fingers flitted across the keyboard, barely able to keep up with my thoughts.
How's that for an afternoon pick-me-up? No added sugars, no boozy buzz, just water and crystals. It almost sounds too good to be true, but that's because it is (duh).
Not all crystals are safe to put in water, so make sure you do your research before hopping on the trend.
As with any of these Insta-famous trends, you really have to do your own research to make 100 percent sure anything you’re about to put into your body is a) safe for human consumption in general and b) makes sense for you. I'll admit, before diving into the world of crystals myself, I would have assumed any stone would be fine to be add into water as long as it was clean, but, evidently that’s far from the truth.
In fact, online crystal commerce site Healing Crystals published a “Crystal Safeguards” page that lists what kind of crystals to avoid when experimenting with DIY elixirs. Some pretty stones contain extremely toxic chemicals, while others, like selenite and Himalayan salt, will actually dissolve into the water. Spiritual lifestyle blogger Jess Carlson suggested experimenting with crystals like rose quartz, jade, and amethyst, as they are all non-toxic, and rank at least seven or higher on the Mohs Hardness scale, which measures how tough the stone is and its ability to resist scratching or dissolution.
Unlike many other social media wellness trends I'd describe as downright horrifying (looking at you, raw water), crystal elixir water bottles sound pretty cool to me. Again, just make sure to do your research, and make sure you're willing to shell out the cash. Note: There's no real scientific research to suggest crystals have healing powers, but what you put your faith in is 100 percent up to you. As for me, I've got one in my shopping cart right now in the name of clickbait.
