Taking inspiration from “Chinese concubines and royalty in antiquity,” Gwyneth Paltrow’s new-age “health” brand Goop recently started hawking $66 egg-shaped lumps of jade designed to be inserted in the vagina. And as of Thursday afternoon, they’re sold out.
Goop claims the eggs, when inserted in the vagina and worn daily, work to “increase chi, orgasms, vaginal muscle tone, hormonal balance, and feminine energy in general.” The idea is similar to doing kegels—exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor muscles—but with the addition of a weight. Plus, like, the power of crystals or something.
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The chi/energy/feminine power nonsense is not based in any science, but is there anything wrong with using a weight to add some extra oomph to your kegels? Well, when they’re jade eggs, there is actually, according to Dr. Jennifer Gunter, an OB/GYN. Gunter wrote on her blog that because jade is porous, it could house bacteria, which could lead to infection or even toxic shock syndrome. And overdoing it on kegels can cause pain or damage to your muscle, Gunter wrote.
But apparently enough customers were convinced to buy into Paltrow’s latest health hoax and sell out of the eggs. Hopefully Goop’s next product has antibacterial “properties” to help fight off the bouts of bacterial vaginosis.
