NASA just schooled Gwyneth Paltrow about wellness stickers promoted on her lifestyle blog, Goop.
Goop said in a post that the stickers, which are sold by Body Vibes, are "made with the same conductive carbon material NASA uses to line space suits so they can monitor an astronaut's vitals during wear" and can target energetic frequency imbalances in the body, according to Gizmodo.
The idea?
"Human bodies operate at an ideal energetic frequency, but everyday stresses and anxiety can throw off our internal balance, depleting our energy reserves and weakening our immune systems," Goop said.
Body Vibes claims the stickers create a "calming effect" that alleviates "physical tension and anxiety." The company also says they help clear skin.
The stickers are sold in packages of 10 for US$60 or 24 for US$120.
But, as Gizmodo first reported Thursday:
A representative from NASA's spacewalk office told Gizmodo that they "do not have any conductive carbon material lining the spacesuits."
Spacesuits are actually made of synthetic polymers, spandex, and other materials that serve a purpose beyond making their wearer look like a resident of Nightmare Coachella.
NASA spokeswoman Tabatha Thompson told The Washington Post on Friday that, actually, NASA does not use carbon fibre anywhere in the spacesuits.
It appeared by Friday morning that Goop had removed the reference to NASA materials from the product description on its website.
Internet archives showed that the page had been edited both on Thursday and Friday.
Body Vibes, which sells the stickers, still had claims on its site Friday morning that the stickers use "an exclusive material originally developed for NASA".
"This waterproof, carbon fibre compound can hold specific frequency charges that naturally stimulate the human body's receptors," it said.
That description was gone by the afternoon.
Body Vibes has since apologised to NASA, Goop and its customers.
"We never intended to mislead anyone," the company said in a statement.
"We have learned that our engineer was misinformed by a distributor about the material in question, which was purchased for its unique specifications. We regret not doing our due diligence before including the distributor's information in the story of our product."
Goop said in a statement Friday to The Post that the advice and recommendations posted on Goop's website are not considered "formal endorsements".
"The opinions expressed by the experts and companies we profile do not necessarily represent the views of goop," according to the statement.
"Our content is meant to highlight unique products and offerings, find open-minded alternatives, and encourage conversation. We constantly strive to improve our site for our readers, and are continuing to improve our processes for evaluating the products and companies featured.
"Based on the statement from NASA, we've gone back to the company to inquire about the claim and removed the claim from our site until we get additional verification."
The lifestyle and wellness website has been known to offer health advice that doctors have found dubious, such as the special benefits of inserting a jade egg into the vagina.
GOOP recently launched its first wellness summit, In Goop Health, where model Miranda Kerr discussed using leeches in her beauty routine.
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