With an impressive knowledge of medicinal ingredients and an expanding range of tonics and dusts, Moon Juice – a holistic food pantry and apothecary based in Venice – is helping people understand the connection between beauty and nutrition. And with sleep enhancing ingestibles like Dream Dust on their menu, we were intrigued. We asked Moon Juice founder (and former chef) Amanda Chantal Bacon, to tell us about natural sleep enhancers and how to elevate beauty from within. Here she shares her morning mantra, nighttime rituals and more.
When and how did you become obsessed with ingestible beauty?
I wasn’t planning on it, I swear! I started with a few tricks and a couple of herbs for all over well-being, and it really worked – very quickly. There’s been no turning back.
What ingredients should we incorporate into our diets for the ultimate beauty sleep?
I love chamomile, which is featured in our Dream Dust, and magnesium oil sprayed on the skin at night.
Managing your own business – and parenting – can be very stressful. What do you do at night to clear your mind and decompress before bed?
Sometimes I make a soothing tonic with the likes of ashwagandha and read a book (usually a geeky health related one) or submerge myself under warm water with salts. But let’s be honest, a lot of nights I fall asleep with my kid’s legs slung over me and my inbox glowing in my face.
Walk us through your nighttime beauty routine.
I’ve started actually brushing my hair, which I never did before. I used to let it do its own thing! But with all the beauty foods, my hair has grown really long and wild. I started to do a nightly brush, and I have found that the scalp stimulation along with a little puddle of Brahmi Hair Oil is extremely relaxing, puts the day behind me and encourages luster. Then I drink my night cap of Beauty Dust in warm water, and a couple time a week I will throw on a mud mask while I brush my teeth.
We doubt that you’re a midnight snacker, but if you suddenly find yourself with a late-night craving, what do you grab?
You’d be surprised! I love Medjool dates dipped in our stone-ground almond butter.
What’s your go-to Moon Juice for unwinding? For starting your day?
Goodness Greens at the beginning, middle and end!
Do you have a morning mantra to help you start your day?
I tune my ears to hear the birds. I think of nothing and just listen to their sounds for a moment…then it’s go, go, go.
Describe your perfect breakfast in bed.
A big, fluffy cappuccino with almond milk, ghee and a bunch of adaptogens.
Bedside tables can reveal a lot about a person. What’s on yours?
A stack of books, a crystal sri yantra [Ed note: A positive energy symbol], and a vase my little boy made me with a feather in it.
You grew up in New York and have now lived in L.A. for about 10 years. How do these extremely different cities affect your sleep?
I’m a good sleeper, always have been, but I’d say waking up in L.A. has been a lot more charming!
You’ve talked a lot about being an avid traveler. What are some of the best views to wake up to around the world?
It’s always the shack right on the beach with blue water and sky framed by a palm frond.
The original Moon Juice outpost is just down the street from the Parachute store in Venice. What are your other favorite spots in the neighborhood?
The Moon Juice Cookbook is described as “cosmic alchemy for a thriving body, beauty and consciousness.” What does this mean?
It means feeding your power and bliss with foods that specifically nourish your body, beauty and consciousness.
Which recipe from The Moon Juice Cookbook would you recommend as a healthy alternative snack for a party?
Go for the macadamia nut cheese and rainbow crisps! They’re the perfect addition to any holiday spread.
What would you say to the missing crystal if you had the opportunity?
I love you.