Photo courtesy of Graham Dunn/The Licensing Project
Editors’ Picks:
What’s New in the Wellness Shop
Our wellness editors spend their days discovering and testing new products—the best of them make it into the goop shop. Here are the new discoveries—from herbal coffee alternatives to buzzy new bullet vibrators—that captured our attention over the last few months.
Kiki Koroshetz
senior wellness director
“The team went all out this fall to refresh our sex shop, and I think they aced the assignment. One new gem is the compact bullet vibrator from Kiki de Montparnasse. It’s powerful for a bullet-style vibrator—you can cycle through five intensities and five different patterns. And it’s a satisfying weight in your hand—the inside is stainless steel, and the outside is plated in eighteen-karat gold, which is a fancy little touch. Also, it comes in a convenient travel pouch. Sorry to the security officer at the Berlin airport who did not see it coming.”
“It started with the one-pound bangles. Then came the three-pound hand weights. And after a year and a half of online Pilates, it’s time for the ten-pound Bala ring. You can curl it, press it, swing it, twist it. You can also lunge with it, but I’m not there yet. The ring is covered in super soft silicone, so it’s comfortable to hold and grip and it doesn’t slip. This color—a light peachy tone—launched just in time for our wellness gift guide.”
Gerda Endemann
senior director,
science and research
“‘A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down’ comes to mind here, but it’s entirely inappropriate when talking about FX Chocolate. First, because there’s no actual sugar in these chocolate squares to sabotage your paleo intentions. What there is: allulose, a sweetener found naturally in some foods. The taste is dark—nice and dark. What a way to get your daily dose of L-theanine and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). These are not medicines—another reason why the quote doesn’t quite work. They’re supplements designed to support calm and well-being, which can help with focus or just chilling.”*
“A stiff neck is one of those things we tend to accept as inevitable, whether it’s from sitting in uncomfortable airplane seats or trying to nap on a long car trip. But it doesn’t have to be this way—your neck deserves some thoughtful support. The Go Neck Pillow is just the right blend of soft and supportive with a high-density memory foam core and high enough sides and back.”
Samantha Saiyavongsa
senior programming manager
“I’ve been thinking about getting a humidifier for a while now but was a little intimidated by all the options out there. This one from Canopy fit the bill. It looks cool enough that I don’t mind it hanging out on my nightstand, and it’s extremely simple to clean. You can put the water tank and tray into the dishwasher, and it all comes apart and can be put back together in seconds. What I love, though, is the auto mode: It reads the ambient light in the room, so during the day, the humidifier uses a lower setting when you’re away. At night, when the lights go down, the humidifier—which is self-dimming—automatically kicks into a higher setting. The aroma puck is also genius. You just add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to a ceramic puck that sits on top of the humidifier, and if you want to go scentless, you can pop the ceramic puck off without needing to replace a whole tank of water.”
Kelly Martin
associate editor
“Other than some lactose issues, I’ve always had a healthy gut. So probiotics weren’t ever a priority on my supplement shopping list. But then I had to take antibiotics last summer, and I was worried it would mess with my digestion. My pharmacist gave me his blessing to start taking probiotics. After an initial run with Seed’s Daily Synbiotic, I switched over to Gut Microbiome Superpowder. It’s made with Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (LP299V®), a probiotic that’s been shown in clinical studies to promote digestive health and function. Plus it has prebiotics, digestive enzymes, L-glutamine, and aloe juice concentrate. I like that it’s odorless and flavorless. And when I took GOOPGLOW Morning Skin Superpowder for the first time—I know, I’m way late to the game—I found this mixes right in without changing the taste.”*
“My body holds a lot of tension in the legs—after exercise, of course, but also when I’m trying to fall asleep and especially in the week leading up to my period. I’ve found compression is the best relief. My friends all know that my perfect relationship would be with someone willing to squeeze my calves for me every day. So when I finally got to try the Therabody boots a few weeks ago, I was like, Oh, these are my soul mate. Here’s how they work: They have four sections that fill with air—like a blood pressure cuff, but all the way around your legs—starting at the feet and moving up toward the hips before deflating and starting over. That process encourages circulation and relieves minor muscle soreness, and it’s heaven after a day on your feet or an intense workout.”
Jessie Geoffray
senior editor
“I’ve tried a lot of different brands of powdered electrolyte mixes, and I can finally stop shopping around. These packets are, of course, formulated to replenish electrolytes lost during exercise better than water alone would—but they don’t use added sugar or artificial sweeteners. There’s just a light touch of stevia and monk fruit extract, and each formula tastes as great as the next. The matcha green tea packets are especially clutch in the mornings for a small caffeine boost.”*
“I love our Knock Me Out sleep chews, but I reserve them for nights where I want to be truly knocked out. They’re serious business; I have a whole ritual around them that involves winding down at 9 p.m. So I was curious about Remrise’s Sleep Vitamins, which are formulated with ingredients to provide support for occasional stress and everyday anxieties, too. They don’t contain melatonin—just tryptophan and vitamin B6, precursors to the body’s natural production of melatonin and serotonin. They’re gentle, but I don’t even use a full dose.”*
Denise John
senior science editor
“My hubs and I have been together for ten years, and as close as we are, we’re still getting to know each other as we evolve. Date nights are our dedicated time to do it. During our last at-home date—which we do when we can’t get out—we brought out Best Self’s Intimacy Deck. It was fun talking about things that haven’t come up in a while and discovering new (intriguing!) things about each other, too. We chose conversation prompts from all six categories—intimacy, relationship, past, life, about you, and random—and enjoyed how each one had a unique angle for discovering more about your partner. And with 150 prompts, we’ll continue to discover for many date nights to come.”
“Dark chocolate is of one my pantry staples. I’m always searching for new bars to add to my stockpile, but it’s not always easy to find ones made without dairy or soy lecithin. So when I found Ritch’s Array Ménage à Trois? I was on chocolate cloud nine. It comes in three flavors: Orange Peel, Mint Condition, and Deep Dark. All are 73 percent cacao—my sweet spot—and they’re vegan and paleo. Their ingredients are sustainably sourced, too. Most importantly, they have that decadent texture that melts smoothly on your tongue. My favorite is Mint Condition. It has the perfect amount of mint for me—not overbearing, but not too subtle either.”
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
LP299V® is a registered trademark of Probi AB.
This article is for informational purposes only. It is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice. To the extent that this article features the advice of physicians or medical practitioners, the views expressed are the views of the cited expert and do not necessarily represent the views of goop.
