As creatine sheds its muscle-bound reputation nationwide, a new St. Louis supplement brand is introducing the once-niche compound as a singular, everyday wellness staple.
Aetheria, a new St. Louis-based supplement brand launched by Christian Civello and Kate Buer, is reintroducing creatine not as a hardcore fitness aid but as a daily wellness tool aimed at cognitive clarity, longevity, and women’s health.
A new perspective
“Creatine typically is geared toward people who are regulars in the gym—bodybuilders and, specifically, men,” co-founder Kate Buer says. “But over the past 10 years, there’s been a lot of research that has been coming out about how everybody, regardless of what your physical activity level is, can benefit from creatine. It has a million different health benefits.”
In addition to its long-understood muscle-related benefits, Buer explains, creatine is also proven to boost everyday exercise routines, cognition, brain health, energy levels, and more. “So we thought that there was definitely a space that was missing to brand it to everybody, targeting more people who are wellness conscious,” Buer says. “If you are somebody who is interested in wellness, then this product is for you, and you will see benefits from it, regardless of your activity.”
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Targeting anyone from yoga practitioners to pilates enthusiasts to avid runners, Buer says Aetheria’s packaging and branding is intentionally elevated and sleek, with a distinctly feminine edge. “We believe it should sit with your vitamins as a supplement versus your pre-workout and protein toters,” Buer says.
In a wellness world crowded with powders and promises, Aetheria’s message is that one clean ingredient can do more with less. “The cleaner you can get into an ingredient, the better it is for your body to break those things down and use them for what they’re actually designed for.”
What is creatine?
Creatine is a natural compound made by the body and found minimally in food. “Our body uses ATP (adenosine triphosphate) to convert everything to energy, and what the creatine is doing is making that process extra enhanced,” Buer explains. “So it’s giving your body that extra energy, that extra little boost, for whatever activity you’re doing in your day-to-day life.”
So when people say creatine helps with muscle-building, Buer says, what it’s actually doing is fueling that ATP when you do a workout. “It’s essentially flooding that ATP into your muscles to help you get a better workout.”
The exciting part to Buer is that it’s the same function as if you’re sitting and working at your computer all day. “What are you getting that brain function from? It’s coming from the ATP that’s flooding to your brain. It’s the same effect.”
Creatine aids in better brain cognition to fuel your body throughout your day, Buer says: “The biggest change I’ve noticed for myself personally is the cognitive benefits. My brain just feels a little bit sharper and more aware as I go throughout my day.”
Although Buer takes a scoop in her water every morning, she says creatine can be added to your routine whenever it makes sense throughout the day. However, she notes, you’ll only see the benefits build if you’re taking it consistently every day.
For women who are hesitant to try creatine for fear of “bulking up,” Buer adds: “Women can’t really get bulky unless you are a bodybuilder and are training to do that. It’s just that education piece of continuing to help people to understand why these things are so beneficial for them, to just change tiny little tweaks in their life to help with longevity and overall health and wellness.”
What makes Aetheria different
As a monohydrate product—which uses one simple ingredient—Buer says the supplement is flavorless, meaning you can add it to anything—water, smoothies, coffee—and there are no known side effects. “Creatine is actually the No. 1 most studied supplement on the market,” Buer says.
In line with the brand’s holistic perspective, all of the packaging is recyclable. “We are actually, I believe, the only company that is doing glass jars for creatine; most come in plastic containers,” Buer says.
As a a full-time personal trainer and nutrition coach, Buer explains, she consistently emphasizes that clean is always better, from the grocery store to skincare. “The simpler you can get, the cleaner you can get, the better it is for your body, the easier it is for your body to break those things down and use them as fuel or whatever your body needs it for,” she says. “So when you start adding additional things into it, it’s not necessary and it kind of deludes the entire point of taking it.”
Buer says that if you’ve experienced bloating and inflammation from using creatine before, it’s likely the additives that did it. By zeroing in on the creatine only, Aetheria aims to supply all of the benefits and none of the downsides that come with additional ingredients.
Each jar, priced at $49.95, holds two months worth of products, and customers can enroll in a subscription membership for 20 percent off and other perks, which they can renew or cancel at anytime. Orders can be made through the Aetheria website.
Next up
In the future, Buer and her business partner, Christian Civello, hope to continue to introduce additional products in the market. “When we introduce new supplements, they will all be one-ingredient supplements as well,” Buer says. “You will be able to add them all to your daily routine. You’ll always know what you’re getting. It’s clean and pure, for your body.”
After launching at the end of 2025, Aetheria has plans for extensive community outreach via local events and pop-ups starting in early 2026. In the meantime, Buer hopes that Aetheria helps reframe the creatine conversation through education.
“Creatine itself has a lot of negative connotations for people who aren’t in the fitness world, and I hope that Aetheria can educate people on why these things are important and how they can use it in their daily lives,” Buer says. “You don’t have to take a million different supplements…mixed with all these other things. Use the simplicity of it, ground yourself in what it’s actually doing for you, and pay attention to your body and how those things change.”
It’s how Buer approaches all of her wellness business ventures—clean nutrition, getting outside, moving and strengthening the body, taking in electrolytes—it’s all about going back to the basics.
“The more that we can get in front of people and educate them on why health, wellness, and creatine are important is what’s really going to help us grow in this community,” Buer says.
