I’m always struggled to understand the audience for Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop and her general lifestyle shill. Is she mostly just trying to appeal to rich, bored housewives and wealthy socialites? And if so, isn’t that a really niche audience? Gwyneth has a new profile in the New York Times and it’s all about how Gwyneth travels, what it’s like to fly Goop-style. While I doubt Gwyneth is regularly flying commercial, she deigns to impart some of her travel and travel-beauty tips and thoughts to the peasantry. Some highlights:
Whether she exercises while on the road: “Recently, no. If I’m in Paris, I’d much rather take a walk and discover something amazing than be stuck on a treadmill at my hotel. If it’s more than a few days, I will work out because my body is so used to it, but my last trips have been short ones, and I haven’t.”
Her flying routine: “I drink tons of water, and I have a vitamin sachet that I put in it. Also, I moisturize my skin and put on a mask. I try not to eat rubbish either. I’ll pack salad and fruit. If I’m going on an overnight flight, I’ll drink whiskey or a glass of wine and then go to sleep, but on day flights, I try not to drink. When I land, I try to find a sauna to sit in for 20 minutes to help me sweat out all the germs from the plane.
Whether she indulges in carbs while traveling: “Absolutely. When I’m traveling, I would rather eat what I want and come home and tighten it up. I don’t want to be in Paris and not have a croissant or goose fat potatoes. I love pasta in Italy, bread and cheese in Spain and wine everywhere. You don’t have to indulge all day, every day, but I think it’s important to your psyche to have flexibility and genuinely enjoy the food wherever you are.”
What makes a good hotel experience: “Service and food are important. Also, good sheets and a comfortable bed. It doesn’t necessarily have to be fancy. Some of the best hotels I’ve stayed in were basic in terms of the physical room but had great food and service.”
Check-in luggage or carry-on? “Carry-on. The only time I check in is when I am going to a cold destination and have to bring lots of warm clothes.”
The “sweat out all the germs” comment is getting a lot of notice. While I too feel germy, dirty and gross whenever I’ve been on the road or flying or whatever else, my instinct is to, you know, take a shower and change clothes, not sit in a sauna. I actually think sitting in sauna and sweating my ass off for 20 minutes after a long flight sounds like hell, and it also sounds unhealthy to me – most people are probably already somewhat dehydrated after a flight, because they’ve had a few cocktails or an Ambien or soda, so a sauna is going to make you even more dehydrated and tired. Plus, most medical professionals – not the “doctors of crystals and positivity,” whom Gwyneth prefers – say that saunas aren’t actually doing anything for the toxins or germs in your body. When you sweat in a sauna, you’re not actually sweating out germs and toxins.
As for Gwyneth just having carry-on bags… LOL. I just happened to come across these photos of Gwyneth and Brad Falchuk returning from their Paris trip in January, and look at how much crap Brad is lugging around. Yes, Gwyneth only does carry-ons, but she makes her boyfriend/man-servant schlep all of her checked bags.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
I just realized something, while Goop has money, she wished she was in the stratosphere of the people she wants to cater to. You should not have to hustle that hard if you are already that rich.
Is it “stupid celebrity advice” day on CB today?
Bahahaha live this comment! Made me laugh peasant water out my nose!
My husband treated me to a much needed spa day a few weeks ago and I had my first sauna experience… I didn’t last more than 3 minutes in there! It was just toooo hot. Also my usually big fro shriveled up to about an inch long lol. I’ll have to try it again though.
I actually love saunas (I prefer the steamy ones, not the dry ones) but I can’t stay in them for very long because I’m prone to getting really bad headaches if I do. That said, one time I was in a sauna with eucalyptus vapor and maaaan, did it clear my sinuses. LOL.
Of course, I’ve never once believed that you could “sweat out toxins” in a sauna…yet another silly Goop suggestion.
Ladymtl, help me 😩 Teach me to enjoy saunas. I felt so stifled and then I was like omg I can’t see I can’t breathe lol and I left out. My sinuses are the worst though and if it’ll help them then I’ll do it again.
The trick is AlmondJoy is to put a lot of water on the coals, getting the steam going. Most saunas are great, then a nice swim. Nice hubby though, wish I had one.
Rene, I’ll heed your advice. Thank you 😊 And yes we all deserve some time to unwind and relax. I want you to get a chance to do that very soon!
AlmondJoy give it another go! I feel like a million bucks after a sauna. It does feel sort of counter-intuitive, I know, to just sit there sweating in a really hot little room. Eventually I worked my way up to 2 sessions (20 min. each) with a cool shower in between (on a recommendation of a Finnish doctor-friend) I really couldn’t believe how good I felt. Millions of Scandinavians can’t be wrong.
I can’t stand it either – I don’t like being hot, and I really don’t like hot and humid.
Ever try a Neti pot for your sinuses?
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7108546
This article put me on the path to improved sinus care; now I flush with warm salt water, often.
I’m prone to sinus infections (especially during Texas cedar season), so it isn’t a ‘cure all’ on it’s own. But it certainly helps.
AlmondJoy! The secret is to ease in, ie. stand in a less hot area for a while, and slowly work your way to more intensity as your body adapts. The second secret is to just tough it out until it feels better. Give it a couple of minutes sitting there just breathing in and out, and it will start to feel amazing. Perhaps the third secret is to condition yourself to discomfort through exercise where you get sweaty and uncomfortable. I couldn’t handle saunas at all before I started to run and lift weights, but now they are THE BEST. There’s something great about being in a sauna, not thinking about anything, inhaling intensely steamy air that brings you right to the present moment, and when you leave, the outside world seem a little sharper and clearer.
My janky local YMCA has a spa and a steam room. I live for the steam room and feel so fancy when I use it. Even though it’s kinda grimy.
Word. Sauna and coconut water. Love it like crazy.
Genuine question (I don’t fly that much): What are those red Saran wrap things on the suitcases? Does she put those on the suitcases to prevent the riffraff from getting in and stealing her expensive clothes? Do they put that on before or after the security screening?
You can get your bags wrapped at the airport if you are concerned that your bags might get damaged in transit. (or the contents). My parents always do this, because my mom has LV luggage and she doesn’t want it scratched. If someone really wants to steal your stuff, and a locked suitcase wont deter them, I doubt a layer of plastic wrap will:-)
I see. Thanks! Good to know for the future.
@vauvert: Thanks from me as well. My curiosity has been satisfied.
That’s the first thing I noticed. Anybody know what the deal is with the red plastic wrap?
I’ve seen it done in airports for a small fee. They will wrap your suitcases for you to “protect” them from accidentally opening, someone stealing something out of a suitcase, or to just protect them from damage. I am sure her luggage probably costs thousands. I don’t know if it’s really necessary to do it but I’m sure she has some crazy personal reason for it.
I thought the red plastic was to protect luggage from picking up bed bugs at the airport.
And I take an Epsom salt bath after long flights to detox. I have health issues and issues with methylation and detoxification so a wet hot sauna sounds like a good idea in my opinion.
Goop uses the platinum grade wrap. I did some research on it and have a few facts and Gwen gossip that may be of interest:
#1. The saran is made with an antibacterial agent that disinfectants the skin.
#2. This agent’s chemical makeup is unique. It creates a tension in the polymer molecules that, when in contact with most human DNA, produces a momentary “zap” of elation. Scientists have yet to figure out how this is possible but evidence shows the average person describes it as an adrenaline rush akin to what it might feel like when a very wealthy person spends FU money. And that’s the catch for Gwenny. Only average people, i.e., those that earn/have an active trust fund of less than ten million a year are captivated. She’s attracting everyone she despises!
And yet, she won’t settle for less. Its been scientifically proven to eradicate 99% of poor people germs and common microorganisms that form airport grime. It tickles her fanciness when she places her fingertips on the closest corner. She knows the surface of each hand is once again purified.
Recently, a full time guard has been hired to do the shooing. She tires from repeating a word more than three times and she can’t afford to purse her lips hard with frustration (wrinkles). Also, when cameras are snapping away she refuses to break her concentration. That’s the time she, with every step, admires her shoes and reminds herself she’s special. Back in the day Harvey Weinstein said she was particularly ahem, skilled. She’s never forgotten his compliment.
Lastly, she has a designated attraction-resistant man (pictured above) that acts as the sole handler from start to finish. It’s been quietly reported she’ll highlight the product in a future GoopHAUT*
Hope that helps!
Oops. Forgot:
*invitation only edition
I never thought I would even kind of agree with the Goop but..I swear I get sick almost every time I fly. It sucks. Of course, that could be due to my peasant DNA.
I used to get sick all the time when I flew – then I discovered ColdFX. I start taking it a couple of days before I fly then continue a couple of days after, haven’t caught a cold since!
Well it’s easy to get sick on a plane because there are plenty of people coughing and sneezing. We’re all breathing in the same air. I’ve heard it’s a good idea to have the fan above you on the whole time, it helps keep those germs in the air away…but then you have to deal with feeling cold. Also, a small tip, when you get on the plane, wipe down everything first, especially the arm rest/head rest and the food tray.
For sure there are lots of germs on planes, however sweating them out in a sauna is not quite the solution to that Goopy…. but of course doing commonsensical things like wiping down your tray table area are not luxe enough for Goop.
Of course, her vitamins are in a SACHET.
I live in Finland but I am not originally from here. Finns are CRAZY about their sauna. I can stay in for about 20 minutes but it is lovely when you come home on a cold day (-35 celcius) to warm up and relax.
Im a Finn and I have to say this is the most reasonable thing Goop has said in ages! X-D I don’t think that you can sweat out the toxins though, but a long sauna sitting is the one thing I do when I come back home from my travels! Be it a weekend away at my relatives or a two-week vacation in a muddy cave (not that I have had a vacation like that, but for the contrast… X-D)
I am a Finn as well and going to Sauna this evening so that’s great. I do not think anyone should think they have great health benefits on their own, but they are very relaxing so that is rather beneficial. I do not find public sauna’s usually to be that good however, but 20 minutes in a public sauna not that long since usually they are not that worm, and they are warmer you can take a shower breaks.
Is she still an actress?!
When check-in luggage is wrapped in cellophane (as Falchuk’s seems to be), is the reason simply to keep luggage from getting wet? I notice plastic-wrapped luggage more often these days. Goop doesn’t mention wrapping your luggage in cling wrap. 😉
This girl is the definition of: born on third base, thought she hit a triple.
She just seems awful and gross.
Post-air travel is the last time I’d use a sauna – the plane is so dry that I leave it dehydrated already. Put me in a sauna after that and I’d pass out.
I hate to tell her, but you can’t sweat out toxins..only kidneys, liver and intestines handle their filtration and removal. Actually, forced sweating signals your kidneys to hang onto liquid, keeping the bad stuff inside longer. Of course, real science has no place for the Celebtrician/Goopologist.
Don’t talk facts to her! She lives in a magical land where everything removes toxins.
My husband has entries into several clubs for frequent fliers/elite travelers. The idea of a sauna before a next flight is not that off for international flights. It is way beyond me but I hear things like, “showers, massages and saunas,” all the time while he travels. Those things are absolutely available for international and some US travel. She’s just one of us. 🙂
How many bags does she carry on? Thought there was a limit of 2. Last couple times I have flown, they have asked passengers if anyone was willing the check their carry on for free because there wasn’t enough room for all the carry ons. Does she buy all her clothes when she gets there or does she cram them in her carry on? I mean when I travel with my grandchildren to Disney World I have them pack an extra outfit, swim suit and 1 set of pj’s in the carry on so that we can go swimming or at least change if need be before the luggage gets to the hotel room or in case the luggage gets lost.
I love a good sauna because it’s relaxing and loosens me up if I’m stiff. Probably because of increasing circulation.
Seems kinda silly as wet, warm saunas are a nice breeding ground for germs, no? Doesn’t stop me from enjoying them myself but there’s no need to fool ourselves.
I find the idea of saunas gross. God knows who’s been in there before you and what they’ve left behind. Pools use chlorine to help kill germs but what do they put in saunas? Surely they can’t just be relying on the heat of the water? That is not enough to kill germs.
I think the audience is rich socialites, yes, but also a certain segment of upper-middle class women who wish they were socialites. This is not all upper-middle class women by any means; I think of them as the “Eat Pray Love” demographic.
“Sweat out toxins” is New Age bunk that has killed people: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Arthur_Ray. 20 minutes in a sauna is not dangerous, but it isn’t going to get rid of “toxins” either.
Paltrow is completely focused on the supposed personal purity of her body; when did she last do anything to help other people?
She is obsessed with detoxing. I do seasonal detoxes and some mild things but my doctor said overly detoxing can make a person nutritionally deficient when done in extremes. I do like saunas for my skin and to relax but I never heard it gets rid of plane germs.
Her reputation at Spence was the same as hers as a adult. Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck complained of her snobbish attitude. Her Goop stuff is so self important and smug it is annoying as all get out. I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt but her smug never ends.
For someone who doesn’t shut up about their health and skincare, she certainly doesn’t look good for her age. For an average woman down the street, yes but with all that money and desire to look young? No.
Her skin is severely sun damaged, her hair looks fried and limp. She doesn’t strike me as glowing with health.