Surprisingly, Gwyneth Paltrow Doesn’t Know What A Vagina Facial Is

The queen of cutting edge (weird?) sexual health and beauty trends, Gwyneth Paltrow, has shocked us all by confessing that she doesn’t know what a vagina facial is. The guru admitted in an Instagram live that she had no idea about the intimate craze, which comes as a bit of a surprise, as the 46-year-old’s lifestyle website Goop first posted about steaming your vagina in 2015. (The site also used to sell vaginal eggs, before some major legal drama.)

As reported by MailOnline, it was a fan’s question about the procedure which left Gwyneth confused. “A vagina facial? I've never even heard of that,” she responded in the candid chat with the site’s followers, where she looked fresh-faced and radiant. “Whoever asked, let's go get one together,” she continued. “Let's go straight to the vagina facialist and then we'll write a piece together on Goop.”

So, while we have this content to look forward to, what actually is a vagina facial? Or, as some like to call it, a vajacial? According to Healthline, the treatment is meant to ‘tackle ingrown hairs, clogged pores, acne, dry skin with processes like steaming, extractions, exfoliation, masking, and moisturising.’ But Dr. Leah Millheiser, a professor at Stanford University Medical Center, wouldn’t advise jumping to book a treatment, as she told the site: “I do not recommend vajacials. They are not medically necessary and women should not feel like they need to get them done.” She also noted that opening pores down there can leave women at a heightened risk to infection. In the UK, the treatment even made daytime television here back in 2015, when a 74-year-old got a vajacial live on This Morning. (Obviously Gwyneth isn’t a Philip Schofield fan, then.)

Vaginal steaming – which is, admittedly, different to a vajacial – was first mentioned on Gwyneth’s cult site in 2015, in a review of Tikkun Spa in LA. (At the time, some confused it with a vagina facial.) ” Recommending the service, the review reads: “The real golden ticket here is the Mugworth V-Steam: You sit on what is essentially a mini throne, and a combination of infrared and mugwort steam treats you to an energetic release." More recently, Goop got into some hot water (or steam) following claims about jade and rose quartz vaginal eggs. It was said the eggs – which were sold on the site – could do wonders like regulating menstrual cycles and balancing hormones. But ultimately, the brand had to pay £110, 000 in civil penalties – and offer refunds – as the medical claims weren’t supported by science.

Over the weekend, in nicer news, Gwyneth hit the headlines by wishing her ex-husband Chris Martin a happy 42nd birthday on Instagram. In a sweet snap, the Oscar winner posed with the Coldplay frontman outside a house with the number 42 printed on the door. She captioned the post: “Happy Birthday CAJM. This is a special one. We love you so much. #42.” Along with their fourteen-year-old daughter Apple, Gwyneth also made sure she was a guest at Chris’ birthday party on Sunday.