If you read my story on my story on a certain aggressively satisfying facial, you know that I have a newfound obsession with under-the-radar facialist (and miracle-worker) Alexandra Soveral. The treatment I received from her in London was – no joke – one of the best facials I’ve ever had. Seriously, it’s unheard of.

Besides being very aggressive with the skin, Alexandra used a specific technique that stood out to me for its innovation and effectiveness. Throughout my experience, Alexandra used marble wands on my skin. Yep, you heard me. The tools are becoming a kind of trend. Another London-based facialist Georgia Louise uses them too! She developed her own rose quartz crystal butterfly that clients are instructed to take home with them and use two to three times a week.

Why crystals, you ask? Each crystal carries it’s own healing properties. Rose quartz, otherwise known as the “ice of the gods,” has been used for centuries in beauty and healing rituals. They have a magical ability to plump, drain and massage the face. If you know me, than you know very well that I’m addicted to buying crystals, and I even like to charge them on a full moon. Well, of course.

There’s so much mystery about crystals, so I wanted to hear from a true professional about what they really do, and how we can incorporate them into our lives, at home. I spoke with Alexandra about crystals, marble and how to drain that lymph. Here’s what she had to say.

What is the point of facial massage or lymph drainage? 

The main point of facial massage is to detoxify the facial tissues, to ‘rinse’ them out and to bring nutrient rich oxygenated blood to the cells in an efficient distribution.  It is also a good way to ensure muscles and fascia are lubricated, separated and healthy.  Lymph drainage is an important part of the massage as it ensures that the toxins you squeeze out of the muscles are drained away properly.  This is why you should know where these drainage points are.

Can you describe simple steps for massaging our face at home?

As a general rule you want to first bring heat on the skin so start by massaging your glands on the neck and behind the ear, then massage the whole face in circular movements, the direction is always upwards and outwards. Be sure to use a nice light oil  or a balm to do the massage with. You should not massage the skin dry or with a moisturizer.

How often?

Twice a day, morning and evening, even if it’s just for 30 seconds.

Do you believe in the healing properties of crystals or marble? 

Marble is great at keeping a cool temperature even in hot climates, making it a great tool to cool the skin and therefore drain way lymph. I also believe that crystals have the power to pull away negative energy through their mineral content. It is now believed (since 1995) that the core of the earth may be made of a big crystal, I’m not sure if this is true but there’s good evidence towards thinking it may be. Scientists are still finding out all the properties of crystals, I believe they hold more amazing healing properties than we realize.  This is because we are becoming more and more overload with radiation and crystals may hold the answer for how we may release it from our bodies.

What is your #1 skincare tip? 

Think of your skin as a living vital organ… don’t overload it with highly synthetic products.

Now that we’ve absorbed all of that, we need some crystals. This Butterfly Crystal by Georgia Louise is my favorite.