A Partner in Business and in Life
At Janet St. Paul Studio for Hair and Beauty, Director of Operations Natasha McMillen helps bring her wife Janet St. Paul's vision to life, elevating every system from education to operations.
by Stacey Soble
Natural in New Jersey
For Aurora Marks, establishing the first organic salon in her area proves to be a sound business strategy.
June 22, 2012
3 min to read
For Aurora Marks, establishing the first organic salon in her area proves to be a sound business strategy.
Aurora Marks, owner of Salon Botanique Eco-Chic in Morristown, New Jersey.
BEFORE OPENING Salon Botanique Eco-Chic in Morristown, New Jersey, owner Aurora Marks had far more experience as a salon and spa client than she did as a beauty professional, but extensive travels overseas opened her eyes to a unique spa niche and she was convinced the idea would fly in her community.
While pursuing an organic and natural business model hasn’t always been the easiest route, she’s proven it was a successful business strategy, and now counts herself as one of the ‑first trailblazers in a growing industry niche. Here, she talks to SALON TODAY about the journey:
ST: What drove you to open an organic and natural salon and spa?
Marks: Prior to opening the salon, I’d done quite a bit of traveling through Europe and Japan and discovered that salons and spas in other countries had been using healthier, eco-friendly products for years. Knowing there was a drive in our area for people to eat more organically, and being interested in that myself, I wanted to offer a healthier salon and spa alternative for both clients and the staff members who worked there.
ST: How did eco-consciousness factor into the design of your salon?
Marks: Our love of the French Caribbean directed the feel and design of our salon. Our entire 200-year-old building was redesigned with a customized water purification system, which is better for clients and the community at large. In the design, we used low-VOC paints, flooring made of bamboo, and furniture from reclaimed and recycled wood. And, all our spa robes and sheets are 100-percent organic cotton.
ST: Does being an organic salon make it easier to attract talent?
Marks: Actually, at first, it was more challenging, because stylists were more familiar with conventional product lines. The lines we were focusing on were paraben-free, sulfate-free and ammonia-free and they were just being introduced into the market. Many staff members weren’t convinced they’d be as effective, especially the hair color. But as our experience with them grew, and these lines are growing themselves, stylists realized that organic products can deliver great results. Yes, they can be more expensive, but often because the quality of the ingredients is so good, you can use less product.
ST: What lines do you carry?
Marks: For hair, we carry Sojourn, Milkshake, Kevin Murphy and Neuma— and we recently introduced Original Sprout and it’s flying off the shelves because it’s a family line with a nice, natural scent and clients love to buy it for their babies and children. For skin care, we use Eminence Organic Skin Care and Malie Organics. And, for color, we use Organic Color Systems, which is an ammonia-free line.
ST: Who is your target market, and how have they reacted to your concept?
Marks: While we target any client interested in an upscale salon or spa experience in our area, we do tend to attract clients who are label readers, those who either have allergies or sensitivities, or cancer patients who can’t tolerate certain ingredients. For most clients coming into our salon for the first time, they comment that Salon Botanique doesn’t smell like a normal salon, that it smells nice and fresh. After they’ve been with us awhile they will comment on what a difference the products have made in their skin and hair.
The setting for the salon is one of comfort and Asian-inspired elegance.
SALON BOTANIQUE ECO-CHIC
salonbotaniqueecochic.com
OWNER: Aurora Marks
ESTABLISHED: 2007
SQUARE FOOTAGE: 2,000
PRODUCT LINES: Sojourn, Milkshake, Kevin Murphy, Neuma, Original Sprout
COLOR LINE: Organic Color Systems
STATIONS: 9
TREATMENT ROOMS: 2 facial rooms, 1 massage/couple room
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
More Salon Management
Back to Business with the Pinstripe Trend
Expand your color service menu with the Pinstripe technique. Brooks and Brooks' Marlon Hawkins walks you through the technique.
by Stacey Soble
5 Essential Hair & Beauty Industry KPIs And How to Master Them
The strongest salons, spas, and med spas know which numbers tell the real story of their business. In this practical guide, Phorest breaks down the five essential KPIs every business should track to improve retention, boost revenue, and make smarter decisions with confidence.
Sponsored by Phorest
Bella Style Salon's Ride or Die
At Bella Style Salon in Slidell, Louisiana, Director of Operations Angela Meyer tackles inventory, team management, and guest relations. Read all about her in our latest Meet the Manager.
by Stacey Soble
The Constant
Starting at Impressions front desk in 2006 when he was 19 years old, General Manager Paul Petrowsky is a seasoned professional who owner Sarah Taylor says is responsible for much of her own success.
by Stacey Soble
The Most Wonderful Time in Salons and Spas
Planning is in full swing for the most anticipated events and promotions for the 2026 holidays. As owners share their favorite ways to celebrate, they prove that a carefully planned event can also build culture, increase client loyalty, boost sales, and set a business up for a successful 2027.
by Stacey Soble
Leading with Empathy, Humility and a Mastery of Systems
When things run amok at Mane Attraction Salon, Owners Chris and Jenny Knudsen say General Manager Sami Hernandez is their go-to resource and ultimate sounding board. Meet Sami in this installment of Meet the Manager.
by Stacey Soble
Pagoda Brings AI-Powered Operations to Skinovatio Medical Spa Locations
Pagoda, a new AI-native operating system for scheduling, payments, patient records, marketing, and client communications, launches at Skinovatio Medical Spa in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
by Staff
How Women are Rewriting the Rules of Grey Hair
At a panel discussion hosted by L’Oréal Professionnel in Paris in early July, French Philosopher Sophie Galabru explored the cultural shift where women are increasingly choosing natural, personalized color results over traditional grey coverage. In an exclusive interview with SALON TODAY, Galabru and L’Oréal Professionnel Colorist Pierrick Beringer discuss this shift and how salons and colorists respond.
by Stacey Soble
Warm Leadership and Analytical Precision
At Salon Blonde, Director of Operations treats the staff as the salon's most important guests, while her wonderful 'nerdy' side, loves data, systems, and numbers. Find out how she makes Salon Blonde tick.
by Stacey Soble
Trotting the Globe, Forging Connections, Fostering Artistic Creativity
In an exclusive interview with SALON TODAY, Salon Owner Salvatore Minardi reflects on his past 18 months as Intercoiffure America Canada's World Talent Exchange Ambassador and how his experiences will help encourage cultural and artistic exchange and support greater engagement between ICA and the global organization Intercoiffure Mondial.
by Stacey Soble
Client Retention Guidebook
Everything you need to know about client retention as a salon owner.
Success Grown from Within
Owner Shelby Bills says her general manager, Sydney Osborne, reminds her of the power of leading with heart. Find out how Osborne became a great leader in our lastest installment of Meet the Manager.
by Stacey Soble
How Salon Leaders Can Process the Pain and Lead Forward When a Team Members Leaves Unethically
In her latest blog, Kati Whitledge identifies the five stages salon owners go through when a team member leaves the salon unethically, offering advice for each stage.
How AI Is Closing Revenue Gaps for Salons and Spas
The beauty and wellness businesses pulling ahead aren’t just working harder—they’re using AI to capture demand, personalize pricing, and convert more of every guest interaction into revenue. Here’s what the benchmark data reveals about the growing gap between AI adopters and everyone else.
Sponsored by Zenoti
The Premium Talent Magnet: The Modern Salon Playbook for Attracting Six-Figure Stylists
Stop chasing recruitment ghosts on generic job boards and start curating an elite team. Discover the framework that top-tier salons use to bypass phone tag, automate visual portfolio vetting, and attract high-earning, culture-first beauty professionals directly through real-time messaging. Turn your recruitment process into an exclusive brand invitation that keeps your highest-ticket chairs permanently filled.
Sponsored by Beautista
Five Revenue Leaks Hiding in Your Salon
Your calendar looks full, but is all of that demand actually converting to revenue? From phantom rebookings to underpriced peak hours, the 2026 Benchmark Report exposes five revenue leaks that most beauty and wellness businesses don’t even know they have.
Sponsored by Zenoti