Gwyneth Paltrow is standing firm in her support of one of her most controversial products from her lifestyle brand Goop, the ‘This Smells Like My Vagina’ candle. Despite the negative attention it garnered upon its release in 2020, Paltrow addressed the product during an appearance at the 2025 Mindvalley Manifesting Summit in Los Angeles.
During the summit, the 52-year-old actress shared her thoughts on the product, stating, “You know, that product is so fascinating. It took us a long time to live that one down, but I kept it on the site because there is an aspect to women’s sexuality that I think … we’re socialized to feel a lot of shame. And I sort of loved this kind of punk rock idea.” Paltrow concluded her statement with a bold declaration, saying, “We are beautiful and we are awesome and go f*** yourself.”
The ‘This Smells Like My Vagina’ candle sparked a spinoff in 2022 called “Hands Off My Vagina,” which aimed to support reproductive freedom. Paltrow explained her intention behind the original candle, stating, “You grew up getting messaging around the feminine care that was heavily scented with synthetic fragrance and all this kind of thing. I just felt like it was time to make a bit of a feminist statement around accepting who we are and our femininity.”
Paltrow also shared the origin story of the controversial candle, revealing that it came about while experimenting with different scents. “We were messing around with different scents one day and I smelled something and I was like, ‘Oh, that smells like…’, you know,” she explained. “I was joking. And then Douglas Little, Heretic perfumer and Goop collaborator, was like, ‘Oh, we should make that a candle and put it on the site.’”
The actress, known for her role in "Shakespeare in Love," has never been one to conform to societal norms. She recently opened up about her parenting style, revealing that her children, Apple and Moses, appreciate the unconventional approach she and her ex-husband Chris Martin have taken in raising them. Paltrow, who married Brad Falchuk in 2018, stated that her children are proud of the innovative ideas that have been explored through Goop, even when they were initially met with skepticism.
In a world where conformity often reigns supreme, Gwyneth Paltrow continues to push boundaries and challenge societal expectations through her work with Goop. Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that her fearless approach to empowerment and self-expression has sparked important conversations around women’s sexuality and identity.
