Pranic Facials Are The Trendy Service That Use Crystals To Heal Your Energy And Skin

Facials are a staple of beauty and wellness culture, commonly given out as gifts and considered both a bonding activity and a right of passage. Types of traditional facials range from natural scrubs to chemical peels to microdermabrasion. Though they use different ingredients and tools, they all serve basically the same purpose — to cleanse, exfoliate, and hydrate the skin on your face to improve your complexion and minimize the signs of aging or sun damage.

As alternative healing modalities continue to rise in popularly, new ways to improve your appearance are finding their way into the collective consciousness. Among these alternatives is a growing practice you may have heard being used by celebrities including Kim Kardashian and social media influencers: pranic facials. These facials skip the chemicals and extractions and use energy healing to balance the chakras and meridian points that can affect the appearance of your face. If you're ready to embrace a more natural approach to your next facial, get ready to up your facial game with this unique treatment. 

Prana is the ancient concept of life force energy. You may have encountered it in the context of yoga or meditation. While the term 'prana' is primarily associated with India, similar terms such as 'chi,' 'anima,' 'ruh,' and others represent similar concepts in various regions across the globe. Prana and energy healing are based upon the belief that a separate energy body exists within each person's physical body and that this energy runs along specific channels.

Energy healing through a practitioner, such as reiki, allows a trained professional to manipulate your energy body to restore its balance. Practices such as hatha yoga allow you to learn how to activate and balance your own chakras and energy meridians through specific poses. A pranic facial is similar to a practice such as reiki where you entrust a professional energy healer to treat your energy body in the way they believe will benefit you most. 

Pranic healers believe that common skin problems such as wrinkles and puffiness can be brought on by negative energy — which correlates with negative emotions — accumulating in those areas' correlating chakras. Three of the body's major chakras reside in the face and neck — these are the ones addressed during a pranic facial. Rather than preparing for an abrasive scrub or chemical peel, before a pranic facial, you'll want to be prepared to lay flat on a table as if you were planning to receive a massage.

During the procedure, the practitioner will place different healing crystals on specific areas of your face. Each of these crystals is believed to vibrate at a different frequency, which can aid in balancing the flow of energy. The practitioner will then use their hands — hovering over your physical face — to redirect, balance, and cleanse the energy affecting the appearance of your skin. You might experience strange sensations or unexpected emotions while the practitioner is unblocking your chakras and feel slightly dazed or tired afterwards. 

Practitioners who offer pranic facials and their clients who receive them claim the procedure offers more intense and longer lasting results than traditional facials. According to these proponents, you can expect to notice fewer fine lines and wrinkles, plumper skin with less sagging, and an overall more youthful appearance. "Facial lines and wrinkles indicate accumulation of negative emotions such as anger, fear and grief, which all impact our face," India-based pranic healer Kajal Dowlani told the South China Morning Post. "When this emotional garbage is cleared out through a pranic facial, the face starts looking younger, brighter and revitali[z]ed."

The major advantage of achieving these results through a pranic facial, of course, is the lack of harsh chemicals and abrasive manual tools used for extractions and exfoliation.

An additional benefit of pranic facials is that they can be a completely touch-free service, with no hands-on contact necessary during the procedure. Even the crystals to be placed on your face can be handed to you first. This opens up a whole new possibility for self-care to people who may suffer from sensory issues or trauma that limits their ability to tolerate touch.

If you've had a pranic facial and are now looking to maintain its effects, you may wish to experiment at home between visits. This is no different than maintaining the results of a traditional facial with an at-home skincare routine. The easiest and most readily available tool for bringing the spirit of a pranic facial into your home is a jade roller. These inexpensive natural skincare tools have rocketed to popularity since the early days of beauty influencers reining over social media.

Jade is a calming, grounding crystal that can combat stress and anxiety. Other crystals to try at home to reduce negative energy in the facial chakras include rose quartz, amethyst, and moonstone. Just like any self-care or beauty routine, the best way to form your own personal practice is to experiment until you find what works best for you. Trial and error is just a natural part of the process.