Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop Settles 'Unsubstantiated' Vaginal Egg Health Claims For $145,000
Gwyneth Paltrow鈥檚 lifestyle brand, Goop, has agreed to pay $145,000 in civil penalties in a settlement in California after an investigation found its claims about some of the products it sells were not backed by scientific evidence, the Orange County district attorney鈥檚 office said. The settlement involved three products that Goop had promised would deliver medical benefits. Two items were 鈥渆ggs鈥 for vaginal wellness 鈥 one made of jade and another made of quartz 鈥 that the company said would balance hormones, increase bladder control and regulate menstrual cycles. Goop said the third item, Inner Judge Flower Essence Blend, 鈥渃ould help prevent depression,鈥 according to the district attorney鈥檚 office. (Garcia, 9/5)
Specifically, the suit called out Goop's jade egg, its rose quartz egg and its 鈥淚nner Judge Flower Essence Blend鈥 as products 鈥渨hose advertised medical claims were not supported by competent and reliable science,鈥 according to the Santa Clara County district attorney's office. For example, the flower essence blend had been marketed as a blend of essential oils that could ward off depression. And the jade eggs? They had developed a reputation 鈥 and a backlash 鈥 of their own. Last year, the Goop website published a Q&A with 鈥渂eauty guru/healer/inspiration/friend Shiva Rose鈥 touting the products under the headline 鈥淛ade Eggs for Your Yoni.鈥 Rose described the use of the eggs as 鈥渁n incredible, secret practice鈥 by concubines in ancient Chinese temples. (Wang, 9/5)