Using unconventional ingredients and alternative ideas, this beauty brigade is trying to remind the world everything about real beauty that matters and works; and that which has been, lazily, forgotten. The power of plants!
On an early morning in Northern California, she was embarking on a new day just when a beautiful vintage bus came out of the clouds. It had the beautiful mural of a full moon in the night sky. She was transfixed, stood there as the bus drove by and the epiphany shot right into her heart. ‘Oh my god, Moon Juice!’. Everything inside her was like, ‘that’s the name’.
Who is she? Amanda Chantal Bacon. The founder of Moon Juice. A cult brand that is gaining both traction and attention in a world disillusioned with mainstream, reckless, clueless and conscience-less beauty and wellness products. It is a basket packed with bizarre, but beckoning, wellness answers like dusts, tonics, powders, tonics, and yes, even snacks and super-mushrooms. You heard that right.
But how do quinton shots and bi-directional energies (the same thing can calm one person at a certain time and can pump-up another person at a certain time) work in a space strewn with creams, surgeries, fragrances and face-masks? What has adaptogens or homeostatis got to do with beauty and skin-care after all? Except that this stuff is leading to a mushrooming (pun intended) industry – one that is a prolific sector of the $four trillion wellness industry.
Turns out people are tuning in and leaning in to a new, radical, fresh and responsible way of thinking about beauty. It no longer lies in the eyes of the beholder alone, but in the eyes of the bottle-holder too. Picking with discretion and introspection is an important part of the new-age, brave and breakthrough beauty regimen here.
Moon Juice is, understandably then, more than Goop controversies and Gwyneth Paltrow now. And interacting with Amanda, who – by the way- has been writing ravishing cookbooks too, opens the lid on the jar of recipes here. Talking about plants in the context of beautiful nails, brain-fog and collagen – now that’s some juice.
Let’s squeeze what we can.
Tell us a bit about your journey and how Moon Juice started and evolved?
I was sick as a child and the western medicine offered no relief. At the age of five, an Ayurvedic doctor in a healthfood-store told me that I needed to cut out sugar, wheat, and dairy. Within 72 hours of making those adjustments to my diet, I felt like a completely different person. It changed my life.
Amanda B, Founder, Moon Juice
As a young adult, I traveled the world, went to a culinary school and eventually wound up in fine dining, working under amazing chefs. I was working in kitchens and on the side, studying the power of raw plants and herbs to heal conditions I’d had since I was a teenager. Working in restaurants was an amazing experience, but I eventually felt a pull to bring the plants that had helped me so much to a larger audience, which is where Moon Juice comes in.
I started Moon Juice because I wanted to bring the power of plants to people. My job is about being a manager, cheerleader, salesperson and marketer for these plants that have saved my life.
Moon Juice itself is a mission-based project, all the momentum we gain goes right back into the project in hopes of reaching a larger audience. We are truly committed to bringing health and happiness to people and the planet through plants.
Give us a peek into the concept of adaptogens and why are they significant? What about the criticisms, skepticism and fears they have spurred so far?
Adaptogens are super-herbs and super-mushrooms that expand the body’s capacity to handle stress, whether the source is mental, physical or emotional. They help regulate stress hormones, like cortisol. Chronic stress negatively affects our beauty and wellbeing, so adaptogens are vital to self-care – for increased strength, health, calm and resilience.
What has been your experience and reckoning of the industry – challenges and future goals?
One of the biggest challenges has been this – having to give up time with my kid. The work is, and was, all-encompassing– especially in the beginning. When we opened our first store in Venice I was a single mom to an infant, and I was doing it all – managing the store, making the juice, interviewing and training employees. Now I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by an amazing, dedicated team which has lifted a little bit of the pressure off me, but I am still incredibly involved which takes me away from family, friends, life and normal human-stuff.
I wanted to bring the power of plants to people – Amanda’s Moon Juice is on a mission
The biggest reward is getting to see how the products are changing people’s lives. Women with babies will stop me on the street and say, “This is a sex dust baby!”. Customers have reached out and said that taking SuperYou has allowed them to stop taking anxiety medication. I know from personal experience how life-changing these plants and herbs can be, and it is so beautiful to see them resonating with and helping people all over the world.
What product from Moon Juice’s basket has been the best-loved, so far, and why? Which super-herb gets your personal favourite spot?
Shatavari, Amla, Rhodiola and Ashwagandha – the four ingredients in SuperYou!
I love Shatavari because women can take it in every phase of life for hormonal-balance – it wakes up energy and is one of the most powerful adaptogens for reproductive health – beneficial for both men and women. Amla is great for the visible signs of stress, how it shows up on hair, skin and nails because it helps preserve natural collagen by fighting oxidative stress. Rhodiola helps power up the mind and body, increasing focus and energy and clearing up brain-fog. And Ashwagandha is incredibly effective at balancing out mood, calming anxious nerves and reducing irritability.
Is it tough to influence users to lean towards alternative, responsible and conscious wellness choices? Do celebrities help in eking out initial attention here?
We have a product that actually works and there is a real need for it – that’s what draws people to Moon Juice, and we have incredible customers with even more intriguing backgrounds. Social media and celebrity-love can help in the moment, but if the products don’t live up to the hype, it doesn’t matter. We’ve never paid influencers and we are blessed with a loyal following of people that believe in the power of plants. Social media and specifically Instagram has always been important to me because I get to interact with people and hear their stories, and as a brand, we are able to illustrate our specific point of view.
Pratima H
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Ref:
https://moonjuice.com/pages/our-story
https://www.thecut.com/2018/10/how-i-get-it-done-amanda-chantal-bacon.html
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