7 Things We Learned From GOOP's Gwyneth Paltrow About Beauty

It's no secret that we're always trying to up our beauty game, whether we're learning new techniques, trying new treatments, or upgrading to green products. So we were beyond excited to hear that one of our clean beauty crushes has a new book on shelves today called GOOP Clean Beauty. Written by the editors of GOOP, it's divided into two sections, lifestyle philosophy and ritual, both of which are in line with our values. "Beauty from the inside out" is a philosophy we can get behind, not just for beauty's sake but as a lifestyle. We believe that beauty is energetic and biological, and what happens within shows on your skin. The mind, body, and soul all participate as part of the whole. Gwyneth has always had this down pat. She believed in green beauty before it was trendy and, given her perpetual position in the limelight, knows a thing or two about what it means to feel beautiful through life's ups and downs. Here are seven beauty truths we learned from Gwyneth from the foreword of GOOP Clean Beauty.

“The whole concept of beauty is complicated. It's kind of like love—you know it when you see it—but that only really holds true when it's in the flesh, unbiased by Photoshop, Instagram filters, Glam Squads, and really great lighting and photography.” True that, sister! We see beauty in someone who is true to herself, no matter what she looks like.

“I can tell you firsthand that the concept of beauty in popular culture is all fantasy. It can be a fun one, but the reality is a bit like pulling back the curtain in Oz—under-eye circles, freckles and all.”

Time to make the switch to green beauty! Check out GOOP's book and our green beauty page for ideas.

Turns out Gwyneth is a beauty minimalist, just like us. “I generally feel much more comfortable as the former [“everyday Gwyneth”] and can be found wiping off my makeup in the car on the way home after parties and awards shows have wrapped.”

“People are always surprised that after decades of sitting in the hair and makeup chair, I still don't know how to use bronzer.” Phew, glad we're not the only ones! We also love a natural look, and spend more time doing things like learning gua sha if we're being honest.

“Call it vanity, call it health, but I know that there's a huge correlation between how I feel internally and what I look like when I roll out of bed in the morning.”

And so does discipline. It's a balance. “The day I swear off red wine and gluten for life isn't coming—ever—but I've settled into a way of mostly clean living that lets me indulge and stay balanced while feeling really good. And when I inevitably get too far off track, I’m diligent about going back to this way of eating and living until I feel pretty brand-new again. Sometimes it only takes a week.”