NORTH BRANFORD -
Through the manufacturing and sale of natural products, Seaside Naturals LLC is working to
promote a cleaner environment and healthier lifestyles. Short Beach resident Linda Zielski, who
founded the company alongside her husband David, derived the moniker for the company,
which had formerly been named Harmony Health and Wellness LLC, through her love of living by the
ocean.
She attributes the success of their business to growing interest in the area. "People are just starting
to get it and so that's part of our mission," the 40-year-old said. "Our mission is right on the bottle and
that's what we want to do is make this mainstream. We need to change how we are treating the earth.
We need to change how we are treating ourselves." According to www.seasidenaturals.com,
informing "people of the importance of using non-toxic all natural cleaning products in their homes,
schools, and work places," which, "are better options which are safer for our health," is part of the
company's mission statement.
While emphasizing these words written on a Simple. Pure. Clean. bottle label, it is evident that the
purpose of Seaside Naturals, which is run by five employees, has special meaning for the former
massage therapist and nutrition counselor. When reading customers' praises via e-mail and
observing her own family staying healthy, Zielski's faith in the benefits of the Branford company's
cleaning goods and natural remedies are reinforced. She said that she also finds reassurance
knowing that, in some capacity, she is "helping the environment and the precious world we
take for granted."
"There are so many chemicals in the world, so many chemicals we are putting on our bodies
everyday just even washing our hair or soaping up and your skin is one big organ that absorbs
chemicals," she said. "So when you're walking around, and, say in your work environment everyday,
we're constantly exposed to low level toxins that we're bringing into our system."
With her long sun kissed blonde hair and flowing black tank top, Zielski walks through the North
Branford facility and presents the bottles of lemon, lavender, eucalyptus and other essential oils and
natural vitamins that make up many of the products. She points out the homogenizing mixer, which is
where the liquid is dispensed through a dual head filler into a pre-labeled container and then sent
down a conveyor belt where the caps or trigger sprayers are put on. All Purpose Cleaner, Bathroom
Cleaner and Glass Cleaner are some of Seaside Naturals' competitively priced cleaning products
that are produced through this process and that can be purchased at www.simplepureclean.com.
Zielski said that the company's recent acquisition of the cleaning product business, Simple. Pure.
Clean., has given them the means to begin manufacturing the contents that make up the Nature's
First Aid Kits. Previously, Zielski had acquired the items from other companies and now she
anticipates that the new kits will be ready for sale by September.
According to Zielski, the kits, which can be purchased on www.naturesfirstaid.com, contain
"homeopathy, essential oils, herbs, natural products, everything is as natural as possible," to help
people combat diseases. "The thing about the kits is that a lot of the stuff we put in them is all stuff
that I use on my kids and my family," she said. The TravelKit, which includes allergy and hay fever
homeopathis spray, skin itch and irritations spray, lavender essential oil, organic sunscreen and bug
spray, was the winner of the New Products Showcase Award in the Personal Care Category at the
Natural Products Expo East. Zielski said, "It was really exciting for us to win that." Everybody's Food
Market in Cheshire, the Short Beach General Store, Cranberries on Short Beach Road and other
health stores outside Branford, are the primary retail locations where the TravelKit and other Seaside
Natural Products can be purchased.
The popularity of Nature's First Aid kits has prompted e-mails from customers requesting kits be
made for Cold and Flu Prevention, Insomnia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and more, and
Zielski has happily obliged. A stanch believer in all things natural, she said she believes that
biological remedies are as effective, if not more so, than other types of medicine. "I really feel as
though Western medicine is extremely important," she said. "We need to have medicine, but I don't
think we need to have as much medicine as we do. I think we could combine natural things and
medicine and be less reliant on prescription medicine and stuff like that that offer all kinds of side
effects."
For the future, she said that she feels that more people need to be made aware of the harmful affects
of toxic products such as pesticides. She hopes to bring some of these issues to the attention of
state and government agencies. For now, the mother of two is dedicated to providing a safer
environment for her family and the local community through the company which was established three
years ago.. "So we're needed here and it's ok that I'm here and I love Branford, I love Short
Beach, I love the shoreline and I just want to help out here," she said.
