NASA has called out Goop, actress Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle brand, over the healing stickers it promotes on its website. The stickers were claimed to be made of the same conductive carbon material that the U.S. space agency used to line astronauts' spacesuits.
Wearable Healing Stickers
Goop said that the wearable healing stickers, which sell for about $60 per pack of 10, promote healing and tackle imbalances.
"Body Vibes stickers (made with the same conductive carbon material NASA uses to line space suits so they can monitor an astronaut's vitals during wear) come pre-programmed to an ideal frequency, allowing them to target imbalances," Goop wrote on its website.
NASA, however, said that it does not use carbon materials for lining spacesuits. Its current spacesuits do not even have carbon fibers.
Goop removed its mention of NASA, after its claims were debunked. It also said that the opinions expressed by the companies and experts that it profiles are not necessarily representation of its views, and that its advice and recommendations are not formal endorsements.
Body Vibes, the maker of the wellness sticker, issued an apology citing a communications error but nonetheless stands by the effectiveness and quality of its product.
It is not the first time that products endorsed by Goop has been debunked by experts though.
Jade Eggs For Vaginal Health
Goop earlier touted the benefits of using jade eggs for vaginal health. The lifestyle website said that the golf-sized eggs, which are placed in a woman's vagina for a day or while sleeping, were the secret of China's queens and concubines for pleasing the emperors.
Goop claimed that the object can boost hormonal balance, vaginal muscle tone, orgasm and feminine energy.
OB/GYN Jen Gunter, from Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco, however, cited the dangers of using jade eggs. Jade, for instance, is porous, which means that leaving the jade egg in a woman's private parts during sleep can have bacteria get inside, which can cause bacterial vaginosis and Toxic Shock Syndrome.
"People keep telling me that this is eastern medicine practiced for centuries, so how could it be bad?" Gunter said. "But there are a lot of 'ancient' practices we now know are bad. I'd rather my science be biologically plausible."
Bra And Cancer
In 2015, Goop also posted an essay about a causal link between wearing bra and breast cancer. The article claimed that wearing underwire bras for long restricts the breasts' lymph nodes and underarm area, which can cause the accumulation of cancer-causing toxins.
Health experts raised concern about this claim since the idea has long been debunked and it may scare and stress out women.
Herbal Vaginal Steam
The actress's website also posted about the benefits of herbal vaginal steam claiming that it can help rebalance the hormones and clean the uterus. Gunter also explained why this is not a good idea.
"Steam is probably not good for your vagina," Gunter wrote on her blog. "Steam isn't going to get into your uterus from your vagina unless you are using an attachment with some kind of pressure and MOST DEFINITELY NEVER EVER DO THAT. "
