by Jim Cavan

On Saturday Acorn Organic Salon officially launched their new custom Acorn Organics product line with a wine, music and snack social at their downtown Dover digs.

Dozens of local business owners, customers and community members turned out to help owners Allie Degan, Laura McKay and their staff celebrate yet another milestone for a business which has, since its opening a little over a year and a half ago, asserted itself as a cornerstone in the new Seacoast green economy.

The line, which includes two shampoos, two conditioners, and two styling products, are all 100% organic and will be sold for $18 a bottle. The best part? You can bring in your used Acorn bottle and refill them on the premises for only $14. There is even talk of eventually offering the products in a variety of stores throughout the Seacoast. In creating labels for the product line Acorn turned to a familiar face, fellow Green Alliance Business Partner Pixels and Pulp, for the graphic designs.

Owner Allie Degan sees the line as just the beginning of Acorn’s foray into custom-made products. “We decided 8 months ago that we wanted to take this step,” says Degan. “We’re starting off slow, but we think the summer pedicure boom might be a good opportunity to try other things as well.”

Trying other things is nothing new to the girls at Acorn: just this past fall they acquired the space next door, tearing down the dividing wall and constructing a brand new manicure and pedicure wing – both of which, true to form, use only organic, non-toxic products and procedures.

Mayor Scott Myers, who was also present at the shop’s initial ribbon cutting in 2008, arrived early to be one of the first guinea pigs to test out the products.

“Here in New Hampshire small businesses are really the backbone of the economy,” says Myers, who was elected to a fourth term in November. “And when you have a business like Acorn who’s really involved in the community, partnering with other businesses like [Habitat for Humanity] Re-Store, donating to Locks for Love -- it really serves as a model for where the Dover is going.”