Gwyneth Paltrow, the actress who founded the lifestyle brand Goop in 2008, recently shared the meaning behind one of her most infamous products, the "This Smells Like My Vagina" candle.

In an interview with Willie Geist, Paltrow revealed that these candles are all about provocation and female empowerment. She explained that they serve as a reminder that it's amazing to be a woman and to embrace the power that comes with it.

While the candles have a deeper message now, Paltrow initially admitted that the idea began as a joke between her and Douglas Little, the owner of Heretic Perfume, during fragrance testing. Paltrow shared that the whole concept of a vagina-scented candle started as a humorous joke during a fragrance testing session with Douglas Little, the owner of Heretic Perfume. The actress and Little, who are close friends, were casually sampling various fragrances, and she jokingly suggested the idea. Although she was joking, Paltrow said Little ran with an idea and made one for her. She said that she thought he had just made one as a prank, but to her surprise, it ended up on the Goop website.

The Goop website describes the scent of the candle as a blend of "geranium, citrusy bergamot, and cedar," juxtaposed with "Damask rose and ambrette seed."

Since its release in 2020, it has garnered significant attention and even led to the introduction of new versions, including the "Hands Off My Vagina" candle. This particular candle is part of Goop's effort to support the ACLU Foundation’s Reproductive Freedom Project with proceeds from each sale. Paltrow also expressed gratitude for her role as the CEO of Goop, which is valued at $250 million, as it has allowed her to spend more time with her children.

Akanksha Nigam, Bachelor of Pharmacy (final year), Uttar Pradesh, on MedBound (a medical networking platform for medical professionals and students), shared her opinion on Goop's product, "This Smells Like My Vagina". According to her, society is not bold enough to consider this to be empowering, and she described the product as definitely provocative.

Gautam Juneja, MBBS final year, JSS Medical College, remarked, "I never imagined someone will go this cheap for selling one product." whereas Sonali Pradhan, a social media Intern at MedBound, considered it as a wrong way of empowering women.

"Useless is what it is... I just think she wanted some attention for her wellness and lifestyle brand and company, Goop." Subha Maheswari, Program Coordinator at MedBound, remarked.

(Input from Various Media Sources)

(Rehash/Opinion/Dr. Shelja Chauhan)