Gwyneth Paltrow’s Latest Wellness Habit Might Be The Easiest Yet

Few are as equally synonymous with the red carpet as they are with modern-day wellness as Gwyneth Paltrow. Years before cold plunges and adaptogens became the cornerstone of health-conscious influencer content there was Paltrow, already advocating for alternative practices as a go-to in her everyday routine. And while self-care progressively becomes one with an intimidating list of protocols, treatments, and frustratingly contradicting do’s and dont’s, the Oscar winner’s own habits, by comparison, are relatively grounded these days.

If you’ve paid attention to even a handful of headlines over the past decade, you likely know Paltrow isn’t one to shy away from brow-raising wellness takes — we were all there for the vaginal steaming era — but it turns out the practices the film darling-turned-entrepreneur returns to most often are surprisingly more familiar.

To culminate a chill weekend of skiing in Vail, Colorado, Paltrow kicked back apres-style with a glass of Meiomi red wine in hand, which some may call a self-care ritual in itself. Indeed, ask Paltrow about her current mantras for wellness and resetting and you’ll find they’re surprisingly simple, not to mention easy to adopt.

Ahead, Paltrow lifts the veil on her current wellness routine for The Zoe Report, from her holistic take on beauty to whether or not she’s actually into the whole six-minute ice bath trend.

Turn Up The Heat

There’s no more apt time for a recovery strategy than after a strenuous activity. During ski season, for instance, or at the end of a long day, Paltrow says her first thought is to gravitate toward warmth. “I love to be by a fire,” she says, explaining that after a day on the slopes, she’s all about soothing the muscles. “I also love an outdoor hot tub,” she adds. “They’re so ’80s to me.” When neither are a readily available option, Paltrow turns to her old faithful, a sauna, attesting that, in opposition to her husband Brad Falchuk, who she says is partial to ice baths, she remains a “big sauna person” on the day-to-day.

Minimize The Cold

Speaking of cold therapy, those with an appetite for endurance-testing are no doubt hip to the various immersion forms of the trend, and (shocker) Paltrow is no stranger, either. However, she says it’s something she approaches with considerable restraint. “I’ve been doing research on ice baths for women,” she says, “and there's actually interesting research [supporting a] not too long, not too cold [method].” For the entrepreneur, the more extreme versions of the exercise, widely circulated in health circles on the internet, hold little appeal. “I’ll dunk in for a minute, but I don’t do six minutes at 33 degrees. That’s too gnarly for me.” In practice, the goal is simply a quick reset for the body. She notes, even a quick cold shower can yield similar effects.

Special Occasion Spirits

Although famously against processed and inflammatory foods, Paltrow still allows the indulgence of a buzzy drink or two, though she describes alcohol as something she approaches more selectively these days. “For me, a glass of wine is a special thing,” she says. “The older I get, the harder it is to drink alcohol and recover, which is such a bummer.” While a glass with every dinner may not feel quite on par with her lifestyle, Paltrow is all for reaching for her favorites on occasions that feel worthwhile. “I really pick my moments,” she explains. Her preferences, over time, have not changed so much as her habits. “I love whiskey and red wine, they’re my two things.”

Holistic Beauty

Surely, Paltrow isn’t lacking in a detailed beauty regime to run by you, but her first instincts on the subject of physical appearance are all about returning to the basics. “My two biggest things for beauty are exercise and hydration,” she says, noting the solid non-negotiables, even as the conversation around beauty rapidly cycles through everything from mouth taping to baby Botox. The very Goop-like approach treats beauty and wellness as two parts of the same equation, emphasizing the fundamental maintenance that allows the body to repair itself from the inside out before leaning on any single product or treatment.