Getty Images, Goop
Gwyneth Paltrow Reveals Her Vagina Scented Candle Was an ‘F You’ to Female Body Shamers
Gwyneth Paltrow got candid about her notorious Goop vagina scented candle during an August 30 Instagram Stories Q&A session when a fan asked the entrepreneur how she came up with the idea for the controversial item.
“This is a great question. So the thought process behind the infamous candle, essentially, was a really strong feminist statement,” Gwyneth, 50, replied.
“So many women have been raised — at least in my generation — to think there’s something wrong with themselves, or that the vagina is weird or gross or something to be ashamed of and so the candle is supposed to be a very strong punk rock kind of eff you to anyone who made us feel like that,” she continued.
Gwyneth also dispelled the notion that it actually smelled like her own body part. “It was not supposed to smell like anyone’s vagina. It smelled like roses and all kind of things and that was the point. But unfortunately, the media being what it is, and things being so clickbaity, people tried to make it about something else, which is kind of a shame cause it was really meant to be this strong feminist statement,” she explained. After shrugging she noted, “But we no longer make the candle.”
The $75 “This Smells Like My Vagina” candle was a total hit, selling out immediately out of fan curiosity. It launched in January 2020 and had to be restocked the following month.
At the time, the item’s Goop website description noted that it was a “funny, gorgeous, sexy, and beautifully unexpected scent,” with “geranium, citrusy bergamot, and cedar absolutes juxtaposed with Damask rose and ambrette seed.” The goal of the candle was “to put us in mind of fantasy, seduction, and a sophisticated warmth.”
The Iron Man star launched her “Hands Off My Vagina” candle in January 2022 to commemorate the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the United States Supreme Court decision in 1973 that made abortion legal in all 50 states. The $75 candle featured notes of coconut milk, Damascena roses mixed with raw vanilla, hinoki cypress and hints of toasted cacao “for added depth and sensuality,” according to the item’s website description. SCOTUS overturned Roe vs. Wade in June 2022.
Gwyneth has launched other vagina-related items, including the $66 Jade Egg. “Yoni eggs harness the power of energy work, crystal healing, and a Kegel-like physical practice. Insert the egg into your vagina and feel the connection with your body by squeezing and releasing the egg,” the website’s description reads. In 2015, the Oscar winner recommended vagina steaming to rebalance female hormones.
