Moon Juice is a wellness brand founded in 2011 by Amanda Chantal Bacon, built around the idea of using plants, adaptogens, and mushrooms to support everything from stress management to skin health. What started as a single juice shop has grown into a product line spanning supplements, magnesium powders, skincare, and adaptogenic blends sold online and in retailers nationwide. The brand describes itself as “a healing force” helping people live a “holistic lifestyle,” and it has become one of the most recognizable names in the adaptogen-driven wellness space.
How the Brand Got Started
Bacon launched Moon Juice with a simple premise: bring the power of plants to people. The company initially operated as a cold-pressed juice shop in Los Angeles before expanding into packaged supplements and powders. That pivot turned Moon Juice from a local juice bar into a national brand with a cult following, particularly among consumers drawn to adaptogens and functional mushrooms as alternatives or complements to conventional supplements.
What Moon Juice Actually Sells
The product line falls into a few main categories: supplements, adaptogen and mushroom blends, magnesium powders, skincare, and snacks. Rather than organizing by product type alone, Moon Juice also markets by intended benefit, including sleep, stress and mood, energy, brain function, immunity, skin and hair, hydration, and sexual health.
Some of the most popular products include:
- SuperYou: A daily capsule combining four adaptogens for energy, mood, and focus
- Magnesi-Om: A magnesium powder designed for relaxation and regularity
- SuperHair: A hair-focused multivitamin
- Sleepy Magnesi-Om: A sleep-specific formula combining plant melatonin with magnesium
- Mini Dew: A hydration and mineralization powder
The brand also sells what it calls “Dusts,” powdered blends you stir into coffee, tea, hot water, or cocoa using a milk frother or blender. These are meant to be taken daily for cumulative benefits.
Adaptogens: The Core Ingredient Philosophy
Adaptogens are the backbone of most Moon Juice products. These are herbs and mushrooms traditionally used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine that are thought to help the body manage stress more effectively. The brand uses several specific adaptogens, each standardized to particular active compounds for consistency.
Ashwagandha appears in many of their formulas. It’s the most studied adaptogen on the market, and clinical trials have shown real effects: one published study found that participants taking ashwagandha experienced a 23% reduction in cortisol (the body’s primary stress hormone) over the study period, along with a 30% drop in self-reported stress and anxiety symptoms. Moon Juice uses a patented extraction at 250 mg per dose.
Rhodiola, another key ingredient, is traditionally used to reduce fatigue and sharpen alertness. Research supports its role in improving performance during stressful situations, both mental and physical. Moon Juice standardizes their rhodiola extract to specific active compounds at 150 mg per dose. Shatavari, used at 450 mg, targets hormonal balance, while amla (150 mg) acts as an antioxidant for skin protection.
What’s in the Magnesium Products
Magnesi-Om has become one of Moon Juice’s bestsellers, tapping into widespread interest in magnesium for sleep and stress. Each teaspoon delivers 310 mg of magnesium from three different forms: magnesium citrate (215 mg), gluconate (70 mg), and acetyl taurinate (25 mg). The formula also includes L-theanine, an amino acid found in tea that promotes calm without drowsiness.
Using multiple forms of magnesium matters because each is absorbed differently and reaches different tissues. Citrate is well-absorbed and supports digestion. Acetyl taurinate crosses into the brain more readily, which is why Moon Juice positions some of its magnesium products for cognitive function alongside relaxation.
The Skincare and Beauty Line
Moon Juice’s skincare leans heavily on functional mushrooms and plant-derived actives rather than the synthetic ingredients common in conventional skincare. Silver ear mushroom features prominently at relatively high doses (2.45 g in some products), used for its ability to support the skin barrier and deliver plant-based vitamin D. The brand also uses fermented hyaluronic acid at 2,120 mg in products like Collagen Protect and Plump Jelly, with a low molecular weight designed to penetrate skin more effectively.
Their beauty supplements take an inside-out approach. SuperBeauty, for instance, combines astaxanthin from microalgae (4 mg, targeting elasticity and fine lines), vitamin C from acerola cherry (45 mg), and liposomal glutathione (175 mg) for cellular protection. Reishi mushroom beta-glucans show up in both supplements and topical products for immune support.
Tocos, a bioactive form of vitamin E derived from rice bran, appears in several formulas as a collagen-protective antioxidant. It’s one of the brand’s signature ingredients and something you won’t commonly find in mainstream skincare.
Quality and Testing
Moon Juice states that all supplements are manufactured in GMP-certified facilities (the same standard required of pharmaceutical companies) and undergo third-party testing for identity, purity, potency, microbiological contamination, residual solvents, heavy metals, and pesticides. This level of testing goes beyond what many supplement brands offer, though it’s worth noting that dietary supplements in the U.S. are not reviewed or approved by the FDA before reaching shelves.
Potential Side Effects of Adaptogens
Adaptogens are generally well-tolerated, but they’re not side-effect-free. Common reactions include nausea, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, and allergic reactions. These tend to be mild and dose-dependent.
The more important concern is interactions. Adaptogens can affect blood pressure, blood sugar, thyroid function, and sleep patterns. If you take medications for hypertension, diabetes, hypothyroidism, depression, or insomnia, adaptogens may interfere with how those drugs work. Ashwagandha in particular can increase thyroid activity, which is beneficial for some people and potentially harmful for others. Anyone who is pregnant or planning to become pregnant should also exercise caution, as many adaptogens lack safety data for pregnancy.
Who Moon Juice Is For
Moon Juice sits at the premium end of the supplement market, with prices to match. The brand appeals to people who are already interested in plant-based wellness, functional mushrooms, and Ayurvedic ingredients, and who want products that combine multiple active compounds into single formulas rather than buying individual herbs separately. The packaging is distinctive, the ingredient sourcing is more transparent than average, and the product philosophy is rooted in adaptogens and bioavailable mineral forms rather than mega-doses of synthetic vitamins.
If you’re new to adaptogens, Moon Juice is one of the more accessible entry points because the products are pre-formulated for specific goals (sleep, stress, hair, skin) rather than requiring you to research and dose individual herbs yourself. The tradeoff is cost and the fact that, like all supplements, results vary and the category as a whole carries less rigorous evidence than pharmaceutical treatments for the same concerns.