It's no secret that Gwyneth Paltrow's wellness website, goop, sometimes publishes questionable health claims (usually attached to an expensive product). Remember that one time Goop was called out by NASA for endorsing $60 to $120 Body Vibe stickers that supposedly “rebalance the energy frequency in our bodies"? Or that time the company claimed that a $55 jar of pine pollen would boost your sexual energy? Or how about that time Gwyneth Paltrow herself admitted that she doesn't know "what the fuck we talk about," (with "we" being goop?)
It should come as no shock that goop is once again paying for one of its health claims. Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas announced Tuesday that Paltrow's company settled a complaint that three of its products, the Jade Egg, Rose Quartz Egg, and Inner Judge Flower Essence Blend, "were not supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence." The company will pay $145,000, refund the full price of each product to any customer who requests a refund, and remove any claims about the health benefits of all three products.
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Goop's popular Jade Egg ($66) and Rose Quartz Egg (also $66) — both of which are egg-shaped stones meant to be inserted into the vagina — were first introduced in 2017 and sold out almost immediately. In addition to claims that the eggs "cultivate sexual energy, clear chi pathways in the body, intensify femininity, and invigorate our life force," goop advertised that their vaginal stones could balance hormones, regulate menstrual cycles, prevent uterine prolapse, and increase bladder control, according to Rackauckas' statement. Goop also advertised that the Inner Judge Flower Essence Blend ($22) could help prevent depression. Since the settlement, the company has removed these claims from their website, but still plans to sell all three products.
"While goop believes there is an honest disagreement about these claims, the company wanted to settle this matter quickly and amicably," goop said in a statement shared with Refinery29. “Goop provides a forum for practitioners to present their views and experiences with various products like the jade egg. The law, though, sometimes views statements like this as advertising claims, which are subject to various legal requirements,” Erica Moore, Chief Financial Officer of goop, said in the statement.
Yet, health care professionals have always been wary about goop's Jade and Rose Quartz Eggs. When the eggs first dropped, Jen Gunter, MD, an ob/gyn who's been outspoken about goop's questionable health claims, wrote a public letter to Gwyneth Paltrow saying "your jade eggs are a bad idea." Jade is porous, Gunter wrote, and that means that bacteria can easily get inside the egg and would be almost impossible to disinfect. And you sure as hell don't want any extra bacteria inside your vagina, because it could cause bacterial vaginosis or toxic shock syndrome.
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Even if there wasn't risk for serious vaginal infections, the eggs' health claims aren't sound. "The claim that they can balance hormones is, quite simply, biologically impossible," Dr. Gunter wrote. "Pelvic floor exercises can help with incontinence and even give stronger orgasms for some women, but they cannot change hormones. As for female energy? I’m a gynecologist and I don’t know what that is!?"
Bottomline: It's probably best to steer clear of goop's vaginal eggs. And if you've already bought one, you're entitled to a refund.
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