Photographs: product By Jon Van Gorder and Portrait of Gale by Erinne Finlayson
above: Hashish Rose Candle, Floraco Candle, Magnolia Mint Candle all $58.
Floraco is a brand that prides itself on consciously crafted botanical products. Floraco began from Kerry Gale’s passion for a healthy lifestyle and mindset and the importance of quality. She wanted to create products that prioritize well-being, self-awareness and living in the present while also having the products smelling amazing without harmful chemicals. Gale was a teacher for two years, a freelance artist and then worked for a company selling essential oils. After three years of selling essential oils she left the company and she started to play around with making and selling her own. Gale and two friends, who are no longer a part of Floraco but great supporters, started creating hand and dish soap formulas which eventually turned into Floraco being born. Floraco is currently run solely by Gale with the help of local manufactures, a recently hired assistant and her three kids.
Floraco’s products are made in small batches in Fairfield, Connecticut. Products are always phthalate free, toxin free, mutagen free, vegan, cruelty free and carcinogen free. Their products include candles, perfume oils, laundry supplies, aromatherapy blends, dish and hand soap, all-purpose cleaner/concentrate, and household items. She recently partnered with the hotel Dune in Fairfield to create a line of shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion. The lotion is available for purchase and the shampoo and conditioner hopefully will be available for consumers in the fall.
This summer, Gale took an 8-week course with the Women’s Business Development Council in Connecticut to help her learn the tools and resources that help a business thrive. “I was just kind of winging it in the beginning and it’s been humbling and so hard doing all the things that I’m not really good at like writing. But it’s given me so much perspective and they have been such a great resource,” Gale said.
Floraco is available in 12 U.S. states but ships to all 50 states and is working on accommodating affordable international shipping. Locally, you can find Floraco at Eleven 11, Marea, Middlemarch, Outdoor Design & Living Store, Serena & Lily, and The Finish. “We’ve been really welcomed by our local community. Women, men too, but mostly women have reached out just to connect us to someone. I feel like that’s how we have grown. It’s been amazing just how we’ve organically grown,” said Gale.
Floraco has an ambassador program where ambassadors are people who already love and use the products and just embody the values of Floraco. Gale features the ambassadors on the website calling the display “Her Story.”
Gale finds the importance of organic connection through her products. Her products not only are healthy and great-smelling but they also bring people together. Gale’s next goal for Floraco is local refilling stations, “I would like to have luxury refill stations that retail stores could purchase because I love the idea that when you go into refill it, you’re building community within that town,” Gale said. “And then hopefully that would help that store owner. The customer could be in there refilling their hand soap, but maybe they are also picking up a birthday card or a candle for someone.”