While we may think that if we plan our lives to the dot, then maybe we may have control over it, but more often than not, it rarely is the case. The same thing happens with people in the Hollywood industry, where stars are made from something that isn’t remotely connected, to stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, who change career paths after giving it their all in the film industry.

Gwyneth Paltrow
After making a name for herself in the film industry, she shifted career paths when she decided to become a successful entrepreneur with her health and wellness company Goop. But it’s not like it has been all smooth sailing for her, in fact, when she created one of her most recent products, it was such a topic of ridicule that its meaning was lost to everyone until the actress had to reveal it herself.

The Vag*na Candle Made By Gwyneth Paltrow’s Company Was Supposed To Be A Feminist Move

Gwyneth Paltrow promoting her company Goop
Just like many actors and actresses from the film industry have stories of how they found themselves in the limelight when they weren’t even looking for it, there are stars who have left that life behind in pursuit of something else. The best example of this is none other than Gwyneth Paltrow, who was once iconic for her role as Pepper Potts in the MCU, but now is iconic for her image as a health and wellness icon due to her brand Goop. And although her approach to health may be controversial, it was nothing compared to the product she released a year back.

Just a few years ago, she released an incense candle that was named “This Smells Like My Vag*na” and released a successor named “Hands Off My Vag*na” in 2022 to raise money for the ACLU Foundation’s Reproductive Freedom Project. This was a very controversial name, which was memed and ridiculed the hell out of on the internet. Seeing so much negativity towards her product, she revealed on her Instagram that it was actually to raise awareness about the female genitals and the stigma that surrounded them. She said:

“So, the thought process behind the infamous candle essentially was that it was a really strong feminist statement. 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 was supposed to be a very strong, punk rock, kind of f-you to anyone who ever made us feel like that. It was not supposed to actually smell like anyone’s vag*na. It smelled like roses and all kinds of things. And that was the point.”
Therefore, while this incense candle was supposed to be for a noble cause, the internet and people’s thirst for attention ruined the actual meaning behind the product’s existence.

What Is Gwyneth Paltrow’s Company Goop About?

Gwyneth Paltrow in a promotion image for her company Goop
While it may have started as a newsletter in 2008 founded by the Avengers: Endgame star herself, Goop has now successfully diversified into physical products related to the health and wellness industry. With the actress backing the company with her name and influence while also promoting it as a wellness and lifestyle brand aimed at modern and empowered women, the company has seen a meteoric rise in the market and shows no sign of stopping.

Source: @gwynethpaltrow