Gwyneth Paltrow has addressed the origin of her famously named "This Smells Like My Vagina" candle, clarifying that its provocative title stemmed from a humorous remark she made during a product development meeting.
Paltrow, 53, shared the story on Benny Blanco's Friends Keep Secrets podcast, explaining that she was working with perfumer Douglas Little to develop an "earthy" fragrance. She described her personal preference for unusual scents, including "woodsy" and "leathery" notes, and mentioned Goop's first perfume, "Church," which is incensy. While sorting through ingredients like tomato leaves and seaweed, Paltrow made a joke to Little.
"So I have a very body sense of humor, and nobody really knows that side of me," Paltrow said. "And I said to him, 'Well, this one smells like my vagina.' As a joke."
Contrary to her intention, Little reportedly considered the comment a "brilliant" idea and created a candle with that exact name. Paltrow stated that her team then purchased the candle. The $75 candle was released by Goop in partnership with Heretic in 2020 and sold out immediately. The fragrance itself is composed of notes such as bergamot, geranium, Damask rose, cedar absolutes, and ambrette seed.
"I thought I was joking and, anyway, the rest is history," Paltrow remarked on the podcast, adding for clarity, "It definitely did not smell like my vagina."
Despite its initial success, Goop discontinued the product after three years. Paltrow explained that the candle's notoriety became so significant that it began to overshadow the company's other endeavors. "It became such a big thing that we actually stopped selling it because it was distracting people from what we were doing," she said.
Paltrow's recent explanation follows comments she made at the 2025 Mindvalley Manifesting Summit, where she also recounted the candle's creation story. Videos from the event led some social media users to question her level of involvement in the day-to-day operations of her brand, Goop, leading to accusations of a "fake PR story."
Some online commenters expressed skepticism, with one Redditor suggesting it was possible she had minimal involvement in the business. Another user questioned whether it was plausible for accidental product launches to occur from casual remarks in meetings.
In 2020, when the candle first launched, Paltrow stated on Jimmy Kimmel Live that she intended the product to be a "punk-rock, feminist statement" aimed at removing shame associated with female anatomy. She also shared the anecdote about joking with Little, assuming it would remain a singular, private joke. "All of a sudden, it was literally on the website," Paltrow recalled.
Goop, founded by Paltrow in 2008, has evolved into a multi-million dollar company that has previously faced controversy. In 2017, Goop sold jade eggs intended for vaginal insertion, which were advertised with unsubstantiated health claims such as balancing hormones and preventing uterine prolapse. This led to a lawsuit in 2018, resulting in a $145,000 settlement and the removal of the eggs from the website, though they were later reintroduced with a focus on Kegel exercises.
Paltrow's ventures have often included wellness products and trends that have drawn public attention and scrutiny over the years.