Goop, Teens, and Wellness Myths with Hayley Krischer

The beauty and wellness industry promises healing, glow-ups, and self-love—but what happens when those promises come wrapped in pseudoscience, toxic messaging, and culty marketing tactics? This week, Sarah and Nippy are joined by culture journalist and author Hayley Krischer, whose latest novel You Belong to Me explores the power and peril of the wellness world—especially for women and teenage girls. Together, they unpack how this booming, often unregulated industry thrives on physical insecurities and mental vulnerabilities, pushing pricey products and questionable advice under the guise of “self-care.” From celebrity brands like Goop to TikTok trends targeting teens, this episode is a deep dive into the cult-like tactics behind the glossy packaging—and a reminder that critical thinking is your best defense. To learn more about Hayley’s work, visit hayleykrischer.net. Also… let it be known that: The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad. Check out our lovely sponsors Join ‘A Little Bit Culty’ on Patreon Get poppin’ fresh ALBC Swag Support the pod and smash this link Cult awareness and recovery resources Watch Sarah’s TEDTalk CREDITS:  Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony Ames Production Partner: Amphibian.Media Co-Creator: Jess Tardy Writer: Kristen Reiter Associate producers: Amanda Zaremba and Matt Stroud of Amphibian.Media   Audio production: Red Caiman Studios Theme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel Asselin