Amalgamation: n. The action or process of uniting or merging two or more things. A blending of cultures, rather than one eliminating another.

SANDOVAL started in 2008 in the health and beauty section of a co-op in San Francisco, when founder Michael Carbaugh first encountered West Indian bay leaf oil. Sweet like a ‘70s cologne. Peppery like a stiff pour of rum. Primordial yet familiar. He’d smelled it before: it was his grandfather, Gilberto Sandoval De la Rosa. 

Scent has a way of getting us out of our own heads by calling to something deep in our DNA. Childhood memories merge with imprinted desires, scents from our past become scents of our future. SANDOVAL was born of this amalgamation. 

Before launching SANDOVAL, Michael worked in fashion. As jobs carried him across the globe, he discovered that every place had its own scent — leather, hash, and heatwaves without A/C (New York); damp, ancient woods (Bavaria’s Black Forest); mesquite-rich expanses (the American Southwest); blooming night jasmine and native sage (Southern California). Each of these places informs and inspires SANDOVAL’s proprietary blends.

Sandoval’s aromatics don’t mask reality — they enhance it. Each product is hand-blended with only natural essential oils, absolutes, woods, and resins sourced from around the world. Our work speaks to a modern way of being that is more connected to our essential being — and to our innate joy. SANDOVAL is an ode to what we can become when we become willing to distill life to its essence.  

A Note On Our Process 

We strive to create sustainable products that elevate your fragrance rituals. Our scents are rich in natural aromatherapy benefits and free from synthetic perfumes and additives that can disrupt the rhythms of the body. Speaking of rhythm, give our products a shake — each one contains a tumbled crystal that helps blend our scents with every use and, of course, keeps the spiritual and sensual energy flowing. 

90% of our packaging components are recyclable glass vessels. To save resources, we do not use secondary packaging for our products. Our products are cruelty, phthalate, aldehyde, paraben, synthetic fragrance-free, and vegan. We work hard to bring you the best that nature has to offer and encourage you to use our scents as you forge a more conscious life. Let’s get high.