These days, the actress Gwyneth Paltrow, 43, is perhaps better known for her website, Goop.com, where New Age meets wellness meets urban bourgeoisie. Not content with, well, just content, she has been developing makeup products with Juice Beauty and has introduced her Goop skin-care line. Ms. Paltrow, who is also mom to Apple, 11, and Moses, 9, lives in Los Angeles. Here, she shares beauty, hair and life advice.
Skin Care
In general, I love serums and face oils and body oils. I’m a real oil kind of girl. There’s a myth that oil is not good for your skin. I don’t believe in that at all. So lately I’ve been using my Instant Facial — it has some gentle fruit acids in it, and you feel it go active because there’s a little tingle — and seeing great results. There are also some beads in it (obviously not the plastic microbeads), and it leaves me glow-y. I think you’re supposed to use it only three times a week, but I’ve been using it more. Then I’ll use the day or night cream, or our oil, and the eye cream.
Sometimes, I’ll use a clarifying mask. I like this blue one by May Lindstrom. We did a big story on clean, nontoxic S.P.F.s last summer, and there’s a great one by Drunk Elephant. I also like the ones by Coola and Honest. I only use mineral sunscreens, never the chemicals one. I don’t understand why anyone would put on carcinogens.
I also love Tammy Fender body oil. It has a lavender scent, and it’s smooth and really absorbs. I find oil on skin really helps the appearance. And Organic Pharmacy has a body oil I like. Sometimes I’ll just use the organic coconut oil in my kitchen on my legs.
When I’m on the go, I use Ursa Major face wipes. Also, oil is really good for getting off eye makeup. You don’t want to use a harsh chemical.
Makeup
In the day, I generally don’t wear that much makeup. The culture in L.A.: You’re outside a lot, there’s hiking and swimming. It feels in a way that you’re more engaged with nature. I usually use a little bit of Tata Harper or RMS. They each have a little cream blush for lips and cheeks. Also Olio e Osso. It’s a beautiful olive oil balm with color in it, and I’ll stain my cheeks with that. Juice Beauty does a great nontoxic mascara and also these liquid lip glosses. It’s less and less hard to find nontoxic stuff. It’s kind of amazing how much selection is available.
I often go out with just mascara and a little cheek. I don’t use bronzer. You need technique to use bronzer, highlighter and BB cream, all these things my daughter tells me about. She watches YouTube. She’s very vocal about what she likes and doesn’t like. I sort of let her do her own thing at home. She loves experimenting. I obviously don’t let her out of the house with a full face. But I think she’s going to be way more into beauty than I am.
Fragrance
I collect some fragrances, but recently my head of beauty said you have to stop wearing fragrance because it’s unregulated and all that. We’re having a fight about it. The problem is, I think essential oils haven’t mastered the art of being subtle and layered. So I’m on the fence about fragrance right now.
Hair
I generally use Shu Uemura shampoo and conditioner. I like a lot of the Japanese ones. I have dry, damaged, bleached hair, and they work for me. That’s the one area I can’t find a nontoxic product that works well. I do put the Rodin by Recine hair oil on my ends. For my color, I go to Tracey Cunningham, and for cuts I normally get a trim when I’m doing a photo shoot. The last one was with Adir Abergel. He’s amazing.
Other Services
I’m always the guinea pig to try everything. I’ve got to try them all. I love acupuncture. Also, I just heard of a service called a sound bath, which might be too hippie-ish even for the likes of me. It’s some new healing modality. I might not be able to handle it.
But generally, I’m open to anything. I’ve been stung by bees. It’s a thousands of years old treatment called apitherapy. People use it to get rid of inflammation and scarring. It’s actually pretty incredible if you research it. But, man, it’s painful. I haven’t done cryotherapy yet, but I do want to try that.
Diet and Fitness
I definitely believe in exercise being an important part of your routine. I’m a die-hard Tracey Anderson fan. I do boxing occasionally. I have a membership at a little boxing gym. It’s pretty down and dirty. I have to go back. I haven’t gone since Christmas.
But I have a slightly easier philosophy, all around, than 10 years ago. I think I see now that life is really a balance. And it’s great to eat nutrient-dense organic food, if you can. It’s also really great to drink a vodka and have French fries. Your metabolism does slow as you get older, though. If I have to get into tiptop shape, I have to be more careful. But I also don’t seem to care as much as I did.
