Gwyneth Paltrow Wants You to Stop Judging Other People's Wellness Practices

"I and many women I know think of ourselves as wellness warriors: we're strong, we're feminists, we eat really clean, we exercise — and we want to age gracefully," says Gwyneth Paltrow, who believes that all of these components encompass a new idea of wellness. "It's not only about taking care of your health or taking care of your looks. It's the intersectionality of inner and outer beauty, and embracing nutrition, hydration, movement, and topical products to get there."

Here, the Goop founder and Xeomin spokesperson shares the secret sauce to feeling her best, and yes, injectables are part of the equation.

The Injectables Debate

Paltrow's wellness routine includes Xeomin injections, a form of botulinum toxin A, which temporarily blocks muscle contractions to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles and prevent them from worsening. The elephant in the room is a criticism Paltrow's likely heard iterations of before: are injectables hypocritical for someone who embraces such a clean, holistic lifestyle?

"I think of it as a spectrum. We don't have to be or do all one thing," she says. "Take my hair. It's frizzy and color-treated and for a long time I had to use some products with silicone and I still use bleach." Each person is empowered to decide what they are and aren't ok with. Adds Paltrow: "We're aspiring to do the things that make us feel great. Sometimes that's eating really clean. And sometimes that's getting rid of deep lines. A dermatologist I follow on Instagram made the point that no one is going to get some special prize or something on their epitaph for never trying injectables." (

Stop Judging Others

Calling out women's choices — about treatments or otherwise — is destructive, the star says. "I think it's important to recognize that when we judge people, it's coming from something un-healed in ourselves and has nothing to do with them," says Paltrow. "In my 20s, when I was being judged, it'd hurt my feelings. But now I feel compassion and think that they must be in pain."

Prioritize Your Physical and Mental Wellbeing

"I love my Tracy Anderson — I've been working out with her for over 15 years at this point," Paltrow shares, adding that she's also been walking. "A tour guide at the Pompidou museum told me that walking connects the soul to the body and I think about it all the time."

She's also starting her day with a 20-minute meditation with her husband, writer and producer Brad Falchuk. There's weekly body work, too. "I used to feel spoiled to want this, but I've realized that it helps so much," she says. (See: What Is Energy Work Anyways?)

"That, and after a lot of eating and drinking in quarantine, I'm following an anti-inflammatory diet: no sugar, no grains, no alcohol, no fun. But I feel really, really good because of it," the 49-year-old says.

And dinnertime is still plenty great and has become a source of joy: "We've always had family dinners, but the pandemic made us linger at them and have the most amazing conversations. My son is really geopolitical, my daughter is a total feminist, my step-son is like an encyclopedia, and I find that if I curse or share something a bit shocking they're so thrilled and compelled to join in," she explains. 'Besides, I'm too old to find joy in going dancing!"