Introducing “Come On In!” GOOD Morning Wilton‘s new sponsored segment showcasing Wilton businesses. We’ll share our experiences visiting with Wilton businesses of all stripes–apparel, gift and housewares retailers; restaurants and caterers; manufacturers and technicians; aestheticians and personal service providers; and more. Send us an email if you have a business you’d like to be considered for an upcoming “Come On In!” showcase.

Meet Michele Murphy, the owner of Eco Chic Salon and Spa in Wilton Center. Three years ago, she opened a salon to provide hair and beauty care using products and treatments that were organic, natural and better for people and the environment.

“I’ve always been interested in wellness and nutrition since I was very young. And as a hairstylist, I started to be very concerned about what I was breathing in on a daily basis when I would mix hair color. It would literally knock me back and I thought, this can’t be good long-term and I started to fear for my own health, my customers’ health, and I even considered getting out of this business altogether,” she said.

Instead, Michele searched for a way to continue doing what she loved in a healthier, more natural way–including sourcing natural products. It wasn’t as easy when she was starting out as it is now.

“I just searched and searched until I found it. It wasn’t easy to get my hands on it. I started working with it until I could feel that I could understand how the color works and that it worked well. I opened my dream salon with an eco-friendly flair in 1996, so I was probably one of the first in the area to do anything like that… one of the pioneers,” she said.

One of the most chemical-laden products in a typical salon is hair color. but even Eco Chic’s hair color products are an eco-friendly version of traditional hair color.

“It doesn’t have ammonia, it doesn’t have parabens, sulfates, resorcinol, artificial fragrance. But that doesn’t compromise our creative ability. It’s just less toxic, and it does last as long as traditional hair color,” she explained.

Michele is proud to say clients can walk into the salon and have a 100% chemical-free experience, using organic products and even getting down to just the basics.

“You can also have your hair shampooed with baking soda, vinegar, rinsed with yogurt. We also make handmade hair treatments with fresh avocado, different rinses, a beautiful organic scalp treatment that’s like a deep clean for your scalp that unclogs the sebaceous glands which secrete sebum [at] the hair follicles and hinder the growth of the hair,” she said.

With a menu of natural treatments and services, Eco Chic complements the needs many people find to address their reliance on mineral-rich well water in Wilton.

Eco Chic has continued to implement all of the COVID-safe mitigation strategies, with strict cleaning protocols, PPE, dividers and ample space.

“We’re very fortunate to have a large space, so we’re really able to spread out and always be six feet or more apart,” Michele said.

Eco Chic also prepares customized color formulas for clients who are still uncomfortable coming into the salon to use at home.

The salon is currently offering a “Membership Advantage” club for unlimited, eco-friendly, single-process hair color for just $65 a month. Participants can take part in the salon or at home.

“Everyone’s been through so much during this. People have hardships, whether it’s financial or whether it’s depression, or whether it’s fear and anxiety. And I know how quickly my roots come in. I just thought, well, what can I do to make things more available and easier for people,” Michele explained.

It’s meant to be something to help address covering roots as hair color grows out. “Anyone that joins pays $65 a month and can come in and get their roots touched up on an unlimited number of visits. That just makes it more affordable and easy. You can run in, have your roots colored, shampoo and you can be on your way,” she added, noting clients can blow dry their own hair at the salon or add on any of the other treatments too.

“It’s an easy opportunity to keep people uplifted and their greys covered at a bare minimum and have it professionally done,” Michele said.

Our Visit

In March, GOOD Morning Wilton visited Eco Chic, venturing into a salon for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Michele had offered to treat us with the opportunity to try a chemical-free, organic hair color experience using Henna that, after almost a year, was something we were definitely in need of.

To book an appointment with Eco Chic or to learn more about Michele and the salon, visit the website, which features an online booking system, or call 203.966.5655. Eco Chic is located at 16 Center Street in Wilton Center.