Vitamixes, Floss, and Salt Scrub: Our Desert Island Picks
The task was to choose a desert island item, no other instructions. For some of us at goop, this meant picking the products we love the most that’d we miss if we were truly stuck on an island, even if they were a bit unpractical. For others, this meant scrolling the site for actual island adventure needs—sunscreen, bathing suits, books—because, as they say, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. And then there were the few who took it upon themselves to try to survive on the imaginary island. For legal reasons: We’re joking when we say you can live off of body butter, GOOPGLOW superpowder, and Cocofloss.
THE REALISTS
“I love the G.Tox scrub’s frothy lather and how fresh and clean and soft my hair and scalp feel after I shampoo with it. It’s soothing and nourishing, it feels heavenly, and it leaves my hair shiny and bouncy. Add a little salt water from said desert island and I’ll have perfect no-styling-required beachy waves.” —Brianna Peters, assistant beauty editor
“I honestly buy Microderm the most. I’ve tried to live without it, but if I don’t use it regularly, I start noticing the effects. It helps exfoliate away dead skin cells and smooths out my forehead. It turns back the years for me. I try to use it once or twice a week when I have it.” —Renee Rupcich, art director
“This was a very hard choice for me to make, because I have become extremely fond of goop’s face cream, body butter, and salt scrub shampoo. Imagining myself on a desert island, obviously I have to have the face cream, which is super rich and nourishing. But I also have to have the generous tub of luscious body butter. And what about the addictive fragrance of the shampoo? I’m craving it right now just thinking about it. I guess I’ll have to settle for a failing grade on this question.” —Gerda Endemann, senior director, science and research
“This is a very difficult question. Emotionally, I want to say GOOPGENES superpowder because we’ve been through so much together, from the first sip in the development cycle to when I got three free packs with my last order. GreenPan is an option. Actually, I was looking through my order history, and I think it’s the Buffy comforter. We don’t have it on the site anymore, but it is pretty great. If anything, I wish it were heavier.” —Julian Ordaz-Fernandez, manager, merchandise operations
“I’d choose my Vintner’s serum. I’ve been using it for years, it works all year round, and at the end of the day, it’s all my skin needs.” —Simone Kitchens, senior features editor
“I can’t leave home without my infrared sauna blanket. Just kidding. I actually use the Shiso perfume as my cologne. But to be honest, the Theragun is the thing from goop that I use the most. It helps with everything. If you do any kind of physical activity that makes you sore, it’s good to have on hand.” —Justin Cefai, web developer
“The goop vitamin C is my favorite. And I also love the ZIIP. I just turned four women in my family on to the mini nanoccurent device. It does wonders for your pores. I like the lymphatic drainage routine and do it while I watch TV. Your face does look different afterward—it’s like getting a facial.” —Sandra Slusarczyk, associate fashion editor
“My boyfriend got me a weighted blanket for the holidays last year, and I don’t know what life was before I had this thing. Normally, I’m a big fidgeter. I toss and turn and shuffle around my pillows over and over before I finally feel settled, and I wake up to move throughout the night. It’s not much fun, and it’s probably super annoying for anyone who has to share a bed with me. But there’s something about a weighted blanket that squishes you down in just the right way. I feel comfortably tucked in. Not so compelled to move every fifteen seconds. My legs aren’t itching to rearrange themselves. Going to bed isn’t so frustrating. I fall asleep and stay asleep. And as you might guess: My boyfriend likes it, too.” —Kelly Martin, associate editor
“Has anyone said the GOOPGENES body butter yet? Otherwise, I Iive for Dr. Goldfaden’s face scrub. I’m on my third or fourth jar.” —Kate Wolfson, VP of content
“I would pick the Himalayan salt hair scrub and the Slip pillowcase. The silk pillowcase isn’t for my hair—it’s for my skin. I have linen sheets, which are rough on my face. The silk feels soft on my skin, and I don’t wake up with sheet imprints on my face.” —Diana Ryu, chief of staff
THE SURVIVALISTS
“I would be the one who got voted off the island first. I would try to survive on Cocofloss and books.” —Kiki Koroshetz, wellness director
“Has anyone said body butter? Dry skin drives me crazy. Or a Vitamix! Hopefully the island has fruit.” —Paige Olson, associate buyer, fashion and home
“A face roller would double as my mini hammer to flatten out my fish when I cook it. But the roller does do wonders for my face. Also Birkenstocks because my feet are key in surviving the rough terrain, and GOOPGLOW superpowder because boiled water might get old-tasting.” —Alexis Antoniadis, social media manager
“I’m somehow stressed about my desert island pick. Am I alone? Do I have Wi-Fi? Or will no one see me ever? If I have Wi-Fi, I need to worry more about my skin and clothes, so maybe a chic Natalie Martin caftan. I was going to say the peel pads, but I probably can’t use them and be in the sun that much. If I don’t have Wi-Fi, then I need something to pass the time, so maybe downloaded episodes of The goop Podcast or a 50,000-piece puzzle. That G. Label Southampton shirtdress would be great for a desert island.” —Noora Raj Brown, SVP communications and brand marketing
“I would have to say Youth Dew to keep my face hydrated in those harsh conditions. It’s so good. It might keep me alive longer if I run out of food and supplies.” —Nick Geller, manager, technical operations
THE ENJOY-IT-WHILE-YOU-CAN CREW
“If I were literally on a desert island, obviously priority number one would be sunscreen. The Organic Pharmacy SPF 50 is the best, best, best clean mineral formula out there because it sinks in like magic, moisturizes, and works for both face and body. And it has to be mineral because I don’t want to be killing coral every time I jump in the ocean (that’s what chemical sunscreen can do). And I don’t want to irritate my skin; I want to soothe it.” —Jean Godfrey-June, executive beauty director
“A swimsuit, obviously. But not just any suit—I’m talking about a G. Label suit that’s made in Italy from the softest stretch-jersey fabric that doesn’t hug, tug, or rub. Because as much as I’d like to channel a rather bronzed-looking Brooke Shields in The Blue Lagoon, some of us require coverage. Extra points for bringing along the Himalayan salt scrub (although, I guess if you were really stuck on an island you could just whip up a salt scrub yourself).” —Alyssa Nelsen Geiger, senior creative copywriter
“You say desert island, and I immediately—reflexively—squint. I don’t think I would
survive long in general (and
would quickly need to embrace Drake’s maxim: here for a
good time, not a long time). Anyway, I would need
sunglasses, and these are my favorite of all time. They somehow make me look cool, which through years of
personal testing and research I’d estimate applies to only 1 out of every 10,000 pairs of sunglasses I try on.
And oversize sunglasses protect the skin under your eyes from sun exposure, too, which makes these extra
appealing. Speaking of sun exposure: I would obviously try to smuggle in some moisturizing SPF 50 mineral
sunscreen, because that’s my brand.” —Jessie Geoffray, senior editor
