Before the wellness craze hit mainstream, there was Moon Juice, a trailblazer that set the stage for what’s now a billion-dollar industry. But here’s where it gets controversial: after over a decade of cult-favorite status, the brand is at a crossroads. What happens when a pioneer outgrows its roots?
Founded in 2011 by Amanda Chantal Bacon, Moon Juice began as a Los Angeles juice shop offering quirky, high-end wellness products like colloidal silver-infused Strawberry Milk and $30 bags of activated cashews. It quickly evolved into a venture-backed brand, selling supplement ‘dusts’ for libido, sleep, and more. Yet, despite its success, Moon Juice is now closing physical stores—including its flagship Venice Beach location—and parting ways with retail giant Sephora, which is exiting the supplements category altogether. Is this the end of an era, or a strategic pivot?
Bacon admits the closures were tough but necessary. ‘The daily juice production was labor-intensive and didn’t align with our bigger goals,’ she explains. Those goals? Expanding globally, doubling down on direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales, and growing on platforms like Amazon. With new CEO Federico Troiani—a veteran of Ritual and Bulletproof 360—on board, Moon Juice is betting big on digital and wholesale. But in a wellness industry fueled by hype and skepticism, can they keep up?
And this is the part most people miss: Bacon, often dubbed ‘The Millennial Gwyneth,’ has always been a polarizing figure. Her 2015 viral Elle article detailing her esoteric breakfast routine—cordyceps, reishi, and quinton shots—sparked both fascination and backlash. Critics called her regimen elitist, while fans hailed her as a visionary. ‘It’s always been polarizing,’ Bacon reflects. ‘For every person charmed, there’s someone saying, ‘I hate what you’re saying about wellness.’’ Yet, the controversy fueled growth, with Moon Juice raising $10 million and landing partnerships with Ulta Beauty, Revolve, and Erewhon.
But the wellness landscape has shifted. The rise of anti-science movements and vaccine skepticism has fractured the community, pushing brands like Goop away from supplements and into beauty and fashion. Is wellness losing its luster, or is it just evolving? Bacon argues it’s the latter, pointing to Moon Juice’s success on Amazon, where its Magnesi-Om powder went viral thanks to the ‘sleepy girl mocktail’ trend—a concept she claims her team created. Yet, the trademark for ‘sleepy girl’ was abandoned in 2025, raising questions about the brand’s ability to sustain trends.
Bacon isn’t chasing fads, though. After surviving a traumatic brain injury, she’s refocusing on Moon Juice’s brain-boosting products, aiming to build a ‘100-year-old brand.’ She resists the pressure to follow trends like CBD or animal-based powders, instead prioritizing long-term vision over quick wins. ‘We’ve never chased trends,’ she says. ‘It’s about staying true to our mission.’
But here’s the real question: Can Moon Juice thrive in a wellness world that’s increasingly skeptical, fragmented, and trend-driven? And what does its evolution say about the future of the industry? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—is Moon Juice still a pioneer, or is it losing its edge?
