Gwyneth Paltrow Feels More 'Confident' After Turning 50: 'I've Never Felt Better in My Own Skin'

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Before Gwyneth Paltrow's 50th birthday on Sept. 27, her team came to her with an out-of-the-box idea for how she should celebrate.

"They said, 'Let's get you naked!' " the Oscar-winning actress and Goop founder recalled to PEOPLE at a Los Angeles event celebrating her Copper Fit partnership on Oct. 19.

Paltrow went on to pose nude, while covered in gold paint, to mark the milestone.

"I feel so happy being 50," she said. "I really flipped out when I turned 40, because I thought, 'My life is over. I'm not going to be attractive anymore, and society isn't going to want me.' I really panicked. Turning 50 was the polar opposite. I was like, 'I've never felt better in my own skin, and I don't care if people think I'm attractive or not. I love myself.' It's a great feeling."

Since turning 50, Paltrow said she's felt even more "confident."

"There are things that can still throw me off, and I can get self-doubt, but I think for the most part I know who I am," she said. "I like who I am. And I know the direction I'm going in. There's an ease that has happened."

RELATED: Gwyneth Paltrow Says Husband Brad Falchuk 'Definitely Feels Love When I Cook for Him'

During her chat with PEOPLE, Paltrow also opened up about her happy home life with her husband of four years Brad Falchuk, 51, and their kids (Paltrow shares daughter Apple, 18, and Moses, 16, with ex-husband Chris Martin, while Falchuk has daughter Isabella, 18, and son Brody, 16, from a previous marriage).

On a typical morning, Paltrow said she and Falchuk will "wake up, meditate, have coffee and read the news."

"Then our sons, who are still at home, will wake up, and after we get everybody out the door, I'll work out," she continued. "I'll either go to the Tracy Anderson studio or Pilates."

Gwyneth Paltrow Instagram

Every Saturday morning Paltrow continues her tradition of cooking a "boyfriend breakfast" for Falchuk.

"Brad loves breakfast, and he definitely feels the love when I cook for him," she said. "We were talking about this at Goop: Can you be a feminist if you still want to cook? I really derive so much grounding and pleasure from cooking. If you ask my kids, it's the way I express love. It's like, 'Oh, you're home. Can I make you a quesadilla and some guacamole?'"

RELATED VIDEO: Gwyneth Paltrow Shares Rare Photo with Her Two Teenage Kids as She Reflects on Summer 2022

Coooking isn't just how Paltrow expresses love — it's also a way for her to destress. "It gets me in a completely different headspace," she said.

Asked how it's been parenting teenagers these days, Paltrow said she's learned to be "grateful for the transitions."

"My daughter went to college in the fall, and my son is growing up every minute," she said. "He's taller than me. Especially as a mother, I've really cherished every chapter of their lives."

"It's funny, when they were born, I was like, 'It's never going to be better than this,'" she continued. "But then they were 2, and then 5, and every stage I've been like, 'This is better than the last.' And I feel that way now."

RELATED: Gwyneth Paltrow Says She Burst 'Into Tears' When Daughter Apple Went to College: 'It Was Horrible'

What was harder for Paltrow to manage was sending Apple off to college.

"It was horrible. It was truly horrifying," she said. "I was sick to my stomach, bursting into tears."

Since Apple left though, Paltrow said though she's been "getting more and more used to" having her away from home, especially after seeing "how happy she is and settled" during a recent parents weekend visit.

At least one other visit has happened since. "She came home for October break just last weekend, so that was amazing," Paltrow said. "I see her, but not as much as I'd like. I'd like to see her every day, but I'm so happy for her. She's doing great."

gwyneth paltrow/instagram Gwyneth Paltrow with kids Apple and Moses

Between motherhood and growing her business at Goop, Paltrow said she's not interested in getting back into acting right now — but "never say never."

"If I've learned anything, it's that there's cyclical aspects of life, and things ebb and flow," she said. "It wouldn't surprise me if in 'x' amount of years I was like, 'Oh, I really am desperate to do a great role.' But for right now, my day job is totally overwhelming. There's only so many hours in the day!"

For all the details on Gwyneth Paltrow's life at 50, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands everywhere Friday.