The following article was compiled from a press release.
Green Maid, an all-organic, natural and vegan beauty and home care product boutique, had its grand opening in Wilton last week. The store–both a retail outlet and manufacturing lab–features products made by hand in the store’s state-certified lab in view of the customers.
The store celebrated with an official ribbon cutting with town officials and the Wilton Chamber of Commerce at its north Wilton location at 991 Danbury Road (Rt.7), in the Toozy Plaza next to Toozy Patza Pizza.
The business was started by Chantal Gaasrud, the proprietor and CEFO (chief executive and formulating officer), but it began as an extension of Gaasrud’s first business–Green Maids, the Southbury-based cleaning service that uses organic products exclusively.
Searching for quality natural cleaning products for servicing her upscale clientele, Gaasrud decided to make her own.
“There was nothing I could find that worked well enough or if it did, the scent was not what I wanted to present to my discerning clients. It took some doing but I had finally created the products we needed and wanted. Adding to that I came up with a line of linen sprays and kitchen scents that my clients adore,” she says.
Gasruud says her customers were definitely satisfied, so much so that the cleaning service is expanding to Wilton, Ridgefield and Redding.
Expanding into cosmetics and personal care products was a natural next step for her. She has been working on her formulas and testing her products for five years, and says they are now ready and available to the public.
“As a user of high-end expensive cosmetics and skin care products myself, it dawned on me, why can’t I create those as well? I have and I’ve been extremely happy with them. Now I can’t wait to see lovely ladies and men (as there are men’s products too) enjoying my line of La Pomme hand-made skin care products,” Gasruud says.
The Green Maid store features a cosmetic skin care line, La Pomme, and Green Maid home care products, as well as organic soaps, candles and pet supplies. Uniquely, Green Maid offers its customers the choice to pick their product, pick their container and have a personalized label made making Green Maid products a perfect gift.
Green Maid and La Pomme products are hand made in the store in view of patrons. According to Gasruud, there is nothing like this anywhere else in the state, and Green Maid is the only state-certified cosmetic manufacturer of its kind in Connecticut.
She also says all organic products and natural ingredients are from FDA certified suppliers, and that most of the products are vegan. Green Maid’s philosophy is that there is no animal testing ever.
Green Maid is open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m..