Here’s How to Supercharge Your Bath for Total Mind-Body Relaxation
Photo: Patrick Demarchelier.
Slipping into a bath at the end of a long week is something of a reset button—an opportunity to leave the cares on the bath mat and start fresh. But in this age (or New Age) of optimization, is there a way to supercharge the healing quotient? According to Negin Niknejad, the New York–based esthetician behind the natural skin-care line JustBe, there is: crystals. Yes, those crystals populating bookshelves and Instagram feeds now also belong in the bathtub, where their good vibes are in good company with calming essential oils and mineral-rich bath salts. Whether you believe in their beneficial properties—or wish you did—consider it an easy way to put yourself on the path toward total serenity. “Crystals can guide us through destructive patterns that may be a hindrance towards our higher self, or clear blockages in our body,” Niknejad says, adding that she regularly uses them at her practice. Here, she offers up a primer on the next DIY frontier in wellness, from choosing the right crystals to spiking the bathwater with aromatherapeutic oils.
Find Your Crystal Match
When choosing the right crystals for your bath, Niknejad recommends tuning into your needs. If stress is running high, she turns to turquoise. “Whenever I am overwhelmed with life’s ups and downs, its calming effect is instant,” says Niknejad of the blue-green mineral known for its soothing properties. Black tourmaline, she explains, is believed to draw negative energy and electromagnetic rays out of your body, while rose quartz is thought to have the ability to heal emotional wounds. “Rose quartz is so simple yet powerful,” says Niknejad, who sees the material as a means to support feminine empowerment.
Soak With Intention
There is no crystal quota when it comes to crafting the perfect therapeutic bath. “If you only have one crystal, use one,” Niknejad says optimistically. She arranges the crystals on the tub floor before drawing warm water; she then tries to soak for a full 30 minutes. “The crystals emit positive energy, leaving you in high spirits,” she says, citing a state of “bliss.” During the soak, Niknejad suggests holding the crystals or even placing them on your body according to a specific chakra. She pairs the turquoise with the heart chakra; rose quartz she suggests laying on the womb, breast, or heart center.
Spike the Bathwater
“I use essential oils because they are extremely relaxing and soothing for the senses,” Ninknejad says. Her go-to aromatherapeutics for winding down are lavender or jasmine; consider adding two to three drops of Radha Beauty’s pure lavender oil into the water, focusing on slow, deep breaths to inch closer to that state of peace. She also suggests magnesium salts (good for aching muscles) and rose petals for “added healing and beauty—all these extra items will raise the vibration of your bath.”
Crystal-ize Your Beauty Regimen
There’s no reason to stop at the bath when it comes to harnessing some mineral magic. “I love using crystals to apply my face oils,” explains Niknejad, who has been incorporating them into her facials for years. She leans toward rose quartz and jade for their cooling, calming effect. One summertime trick: Look for a jade roller (like Herbivore Botanicals’s dual-sided one), and store it in the refrigerator to help calm inflammation and boost circulation. Finding your heat-wave chill—even in a piping-hot bath—just got easier.
This story originally appeared on Vogue.
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