Instagram is making a once luxury product go mainstream

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Juice generation juice

Juice Generation

A few years ago, some people might have argued that having access to information about wellness was a privilege strictly reserved for the elite.

But now, it's becoming more mainstream - and it's likely a boon to businesses like Juice Generation, which launched in 1999, before wellness was chic. (As a reference point, SoulCycle didn't come for another seven years.)

"In the past, only wealthy people had access to these kinds of things, and I think now more and more mainstream people have access to these health and wellness tips," Eric Helms, founder of Juice Generation, said in a phone interview with Business Insider.

As for juicing, he says that even people who don't have access to purchasing a fancy, made-for-you juice could make their own at home.

Though some may disagree with the accessibility level of juice, there may be one thing they can agree on: that Instagram and social media has helped ideas - and imagery of healthy eating - proliferate.

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This has specifically helped Juice Generation's business: For instance, Helms says that the company's acai bowls' sales have skyrocketed since the growth of Instagram.

The company has even figured out how to capitalize on it by putting photo booths in stores, where people take photos of their acai bowls and then get them automatically updated to Instagram.

It boils down to the fact that people like sharing the fact that they're living healthy lives, he said.

"[People are] aware [of] nutrition and how it can benefit you, and I think people are proud of taking care of themselves, and I think they like to brag about treating themselves well and taking care of their body," he said. "And people like to post Instagram pictures of themselves working out or having an acai bowl or drinking green juice. It feels good. That's just sort of the climate that we're living in now, which is great."

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Interestingly enough, consumers are less enamored with dieting than ever - rather, there's been a shift in focus, wherein people are focused on their health.

In tune with that notion, Helms said that the most popular juice cleanse the company sells is a one-day cleanse (versus a weeks-long detox), which is more about resetting after an excessive weekend than anything else. (For what it's worth, full-on juicing has been criticized, as the liver and kidneys can do the job of "detoxing.")

In fact, this feel-good notion is why he thinks juice has gotten a boost.

He thinks juice, in particular, has caught on because - surprise - it makes people feel good.

"I think where we are, culturally now, I think juicing really fits into a lot of things people are looking for," he said. "I think certainly juicing is something that tastes good. It's something that makes you feel good you have energy. It's all natural." He said more people are open to eating plant-based diets, now, too.

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