Uh oh! Gwyneth Paltrow shared her skincare and wellness tips and tricks in a Vogue video on Monday, March 30. And while she offered some solid makeup tips and using $900 worth of great beauty products, there were a few steps in her skincare routine that quickly sent dermatologist and beauty experts spiraling.
The 48-year-old actress and founder of Goop, a line of clean skincare, has received backlash about her misleading sunscreen application.
In the video, she reaches for Unsun Mineral Tinted Sunscreen SPF 30. While the sunscreen itself is a great product, Paltrow’s application — or at least what viewers are shown — renders the protection null and void.
“I’m not a sort of head-to-toe slathered of sunscreen, but I like to put some kind of on my nose and the area where the sun really hits,” Paltrow says as she dabs what looks like a pea-sized amount of SPF on her nose and under her eyes.
Given what was shown in the clip, the Iron Man star quickly received backlash on TikTok and Instagram for her application, as well as the order in which she applies her products.
Celebrity esthetician and skincare expert Renee Rouleau took to her Instagram stories to explain that Paltrow’s routine gets a “thumbs down” because her sunscreen application is “basically useless.”
“Oils and moisturizers can dissolve away sunscreen and make them less effective …” Rouleau said via Instagram Stories on March 31, noting that Paltrow uses moisturizer after sunscreen.
Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Rachel Nazarian of Schweiger Dermatology Group of New York City tells Us Weekly that Paltrow’s skincare routine has numerous “concerning” factors — namely the little amount of product she actually applies to her skin.
“Gwyneth Paltrow’s statement is the equivalent of someone saying they’re only going to brush the one tooth that has the highest risk of cavities, and not brush all of their teeth,” Dr. Nazarian tells Stylish. “Ultraviolet radiation from sunlight can damage the skin from multiple angles … Your best protection is FULL protection.”
Goop has since clarified Paltrow’s application via a statement shared with Us Weekly: “In the Vogue video, Gwyneth applies sunscreen to her entire face, though the video is edited down for timing’s sake and does not show the full application. Her comment specifically says she does not ‘slather it head to toe’ over her entire body, but she addresses the importance of sun protection and mineral sunscreen, which deflects rays off of your skin, rather than absorbing them, as chemical sunscreens do. We’re huge proponents of SPF at goop and always advise that people should consult their dermatologists to find out what is right for them.”
As a rule of thumb, Dr. Nazarian recommends applying a shot-glass amount of sunscreen to the whole body and about 1/2 a teaspoon to the face. “Trying to pick and choose what part of your face you’re going to protect is unwise, dangerous and a recipe for disaster,” she adds.
Aside from Paltrow’s sunscreen application, the actress also received backlash for her comments about clean and non-toxic beauty.
In the 11-minute video, the Goop founder says, “There are a lot of really harsh chemicals in conventional sunscreen, so that’s a product that I really want to avoid.”
Dr. Nazarian points out that the “fear mongering” about ingredients can be misleading. “The reality is that many people die from preventable skin cancers every day, which could be avoided with diligent and appropriate application of sunscreen,” she says. “The evidence supporting safety in sunscreen is increasingly reassuring — there are no ‘harsh chemicals’ in sunscreen.”
