You most likely have heard the names, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kourtney Kardashian. Not only are these women known for being an actress and reality television personality (respectively), they are also known for being “queens of wellness.”
Besides being an Oscar-winning actress, Paltrow is well known for her lifestyle and wellness brand, Goop. Goop covers everything beauty, food, wellness, sexual health, travel, and style; Goop publishes articles on these topics and sells products. They are well known for selling items like an $84 water bottle with a crystal inside.
As someone obsessed with celebrities and trying to figure out what in the world the word wellness really means, my true life goal is to figure out why the heck we are obsessed with celebrity wellness brands. To start, what is the true meaning of wellness? According to Pfizer wellness is, “the act of practicing healthy habits on a daily basis to attain better physical and mental health outcomes.”
If this definition is indeed true, then why are we constantly being told that items such as a $1,049 Gemstone Heat Therapy Mat will help with our personal wellbeing. This in no way is a rip on wellness or the items being sold to us; I personally frequent websites like Poosh and Goop to get new “wellness” tips, if I’m honest.
As someone obsessed and deeply confused by the wellness industry, I have noticed that most new wellness brands are run by celebrities or have them as ambassadors. Why are we taking our physical and mental health notes from celebrities? I mean, it is understandable. They live these picture-perfect lives with good bodies, great food, and sound meditation habits. However, they are still celebrities. However, if you are someone who looks to celebs for wellness help, you are not alone. I, too, follow people like Alicia Keys, Kourtney Kardashian, Kate Hudson, and Miranda Kerr, all known for their unique journeys and ideas about personal wellness.
Social media seems to play a big part in this conversation. In the ’00s, would we be as quick to rush and buy a Led Light Shield Mask? Probably not; however, that’s because we wouldn’t have seen the effects on celebrities themselves. When you see Kourtney Kardashian’s ‘perfect life,’ on yachts, eating healthy delicious food in a bikini, toned with glowing skin. It is easy to buy into what she is selling. By using a celebrity as the head of companies, we look at these “amazing lives” then see that they are selling a light shield mask. Understandably, you could think buying these items could be your first step to being as healthy as Kourtney Kardashian.
To be honest, there is no way that we can be Kourtney Kardashian or Alicia Keys, or Gwyneth Paltrow. I do not have access to the same personal trainers, holistic experts, dietitians, chefs, and the many wellness experts they use. It’s great that they have access to these people. However, most people do not have the time and the financial ability to live the same life. So, why are we being sold a lifestyle that we most likely cannot achieve?
I will most likely not stop going to these wellness sites and adding these expensive products to my shopping bag for when I can afford them. However, I think it is important to remember that everyone’s life is different on and off-screen. Everyone has different levels of access. Just because I can’t afford a private chef does not mean I can’t work on my wellness journey. I can take a walk outside, cook some reasonably healthy food, do yoga in my room, or even just talk with a friend. It is OK to continue to follow these wellness individuals and read and buy these items. Just remember no person is the same as someone else, and your wellness journey will not and does not need to follow the same journey as anyone else.
Whether buying a Rose Derma Roller makes you happy or taking a nice walk gives you peace, do what makes you feel good. Always remember wellness is about practice and not perfection.
Words by Annika Petersen.
Graphic by Shreya Dhar.