Ahead of launching Moon Juice at BEAUTY BAY, we caught up with founder, Amanda Chantal Bacon to discover the brand’s story. As a pioneer within the wellness industry Amanda is passionate about health, self-care, and sustainability. Read on for our exclusive interview.
What inspired you to found Moon Juice?
Moon Juice was born from my experience being diagnosed with an autoimmune condition and putting it into remission with diet, lifestyle, and herbs. I sought out experts and educated myself on diet, lifestyle, spirit, and traditional wisdom. I saw radical changes in my blood and hormone panels. On paper, I started to read biologically younger than I had a decade prior. It all came down to relying on easy and natural ways to manage stress on a daily basis.
Moon Juice started as a tiny shop in Venice, California, with cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and raw foods that all incorporated adaptogens and herbs. Now we’ve grown to be a global source for supplements and skin care—it’s been over a decade!
Why do you think wellness is important?
Self care has gotten a bad rap as being selfish, but without advocating for our well-being we can’t expect to show up for anyone or anything. It’s important to believe that taking care of yourself doesn’t mean you’re weak. It’s smart. I couldn’t do half the things that I do—run a company, have presence in my relationships, mother, and have energy for what the world asks for—if I didn’t support my body’s and spirit’s needs. I’m not talking about radical life changes and time-consuming, esoteric habits; it’s about small daily habits that bring us power, strength, intuition, intelligence, and resilience.
What makes Moon Juice different?
The source, dose, and form of our supplements. It’s a huge focus for us. Our ingredients are traceable, potently dosed, and bioactive and bioavailable, which simply means your body can absorb and put them to use—rather than peeing them out.
What is Moon Juice’s approach to sustainability?
The word ‘sustainable’ itself has issues. I don’t think any brand that’s out there selling something is really sustainable. For true sustainability, we need to move into a non-capitalistic world.
As a brand that is selling stuff, we take sustainability very seriously. We put a lot of time, attention, and energy behind it, but we won’t use broad strokes like ‘sustainable’ and ‘earth-friendly’ because they are really vague. We think it’s best to focus on tangible examples. For instance, our Super Supplements are available in compostable refill pouches, which eliminates the use of hundreds of thousands of glass bottles and lids per year.
Everyone should be pushing their favorite brands to come from a more responsible and conscious place. The best way for companies to do this is to ditch the overarching terms and really show your work, be transparent with what you hope to improve. Consumers have to recognize that the path is a long one and will take iterations. It can’t happen overnight.
What are the key ingredients that feature in Moon Juice’s formulas?
Adaptogens are what fill all the amber glass jars on the shelves of our shops, and they’re in our Super Supplements and Skin Care. They’re super herbs and super mushrooms that help your body both heal from and ward off the damaging effects of stress. Adaptogens have been used for centuries in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, and their benefits are now being clinically studied and confirmed by western science.
In essence: If stress is dragging you down, adaptogens will boost you up. If stress drives you to the point of a fight-or-flight response, adaptogens will help you stay calm and collected. Adaptogens don’t quash stress: rather, they promote the body’s ability to cope with stress and recover from it by boosting the adaptive stores in every one of your biological systems.
