@thebibliosphereâ is totally correct in this instance; not all âcrystalsâ are created equal!
While quartz- the three crystals in the advertisement above are all derivations of quartz- is relatively benign (sand, the primary ingredient of glass, is mostly ground up quartz), you have no guarantee that the crystals on the ends of these straws are going to be both quartz and only quartz, as opposed to some closer look-alike or a dyed stone or just glass.
The big issue with the âcrystalâ supply chain is that it is almost entirely unregulated, a rabbit hole that starts with âcheap glass dyed to look like amethystâ and ends with âliteral slave labour was used to strip these stones from the earth in the most damaging way possibleâ (which, okay, wonât poison you, but should be a factor!)
In general, stones that are in any way green or blue will leach arsenic and/or toxic copper compounds - while very pretty, turns out copper isnât very good for the human body in most forms. Stones that are at all metallic probably have lead in their chemical components somewhere so please donât put them in your mouth. Stones that have pretty âinclusionsâ - a different type of crystal inside of another - could have wildly different solubility conditions (the quartz is fine in your drink! the rutile inside of it significantly less so - to quote my mineralogy textbook, âwhen cleaning, avoid transferring material from hands to mouthâ). Softer stones will chip, often microscopically, or dissolve depending on their chemical makeup.
A secondary issue here is anyone who actually buys and uses these straws: What are you drinking out of these straws? Is it always just water? You swear? Not lemon water, not electrolyte water, not sprite or some other soda, not any other liquid that may or may not react with the crystals in a way water doesnât?
How are you cleaning them? Bleach is extremely reactive with certain minerals in a way that the cute crystal water is not. Pretty much all cleaners can induce a chemical reaction that you probably donât want happening on something that goes into your mouth/body: vinegar, ammonia, alcohol, detergents, and common household soaps are all on this list.
And again: how are you cleaning these straws? A dishwasher is prrrrobably not a good environment for a lot of different crystals over time, not to mention the structural integrity of the things. Handwashing prrrrrobably isnât doing the trick when it comes to bacteria, which are already a problem with reusable straws that are a single piece tub with no extra cracks for hiding out and multiplying.
I know, I know, theyâre super cute (Iâd wear them in my hair, personally!), but generally speaking itâs not a good idea to put a crystal in your body; this goes for... all your holes, folks, please by all the gods
If you have to have your crystal water, try something that is crystal-adjacent instead of crystal-immersive. There are (expensive) water bottles out there whose bases can be filled with the mineral of your choice and are much safer alternatives.
With my Witch Hat on, I can say this has pretty much the same energetic effect that the straws do, without chances of accidental lead poisoning!
a) Most minerals/crystals are toxic
b) The mineral/crystal industry is wildly unregulated so quality will pretty much always be suspect
c) Keeping these straws clean is a nightmare
d) Just... Donât Do It?
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