Gwyneth Paltrow’s website, Goop, is a very fountain of strange advice for women’s health, along with fashion and travel tips. However, a company advertising what seems to be “healing stickers” has gone beyond the beyonds with a false claim that its product is based on NASA space suit technology, according to Gizmodo.
Healing stickers
The product is called “Body Vibes.” Apparently one places them on one's left arm, and they will rebalance the “energy frequency” in the human body. There is also a lot of new age word salad about how anxiety and stress throws off that frequency and causes a lack of internal balance.
However, Goop has gotten into some trouble by claiming that “Body Vibes” is made of conductive carbon material that NASA is alleged to use to line spacesuits to monitor the vital signs of astronauts. The stickers come preprogrammed to restore one’s internal balance.
NASA responds
One does not have to be too adept at medical science or the space program to suspect that the product is snake oil. In fact, NASA does not use “conductive carbon material” in its spacesuits, but rather synthetic polymers, spandex, and other materials.
The claim by the purveyors of Body Vibes is engaged in false advertising, using NASA’s reputation for technological innovation to try to sell its product. Clearly, the company was counting on the idea that no one would notice how false the claim was.
In any case, putting a sticker on one’s arm is not going to relieve stress and anxiety, unless it is by the placebo effect. If you believe that a sticker will restore your balance and make you feel better, then often you will be. More effective ways to deal with stress include meditation or the use of medication, though overuse of the latter option is certainly not recommended.
The Body Vibes cost a hefty $120 for a pack of 24. They are sold by a company called AlphaBioCentrix that advertises a whole product line of patches and wearables that are supposed to do everything from relieving pain to introducing antioxidants into the human body. For the latter, red wine, olive oil, and fish oil capsules are more recommended.
Goop responds
Goop, to its credit, has removed the claim that the Body Vibes healing stickers are based on NASA technology pending an inquiry with the company advertising the product. The website may be in the business of advertising new age hokum. But it recognizes that AlphaBioCentrix has crossed the line by trying to dragoon the agency that put men on the moon in selling its products.
