This Mother’s Day, we pause to celebrate two women who have poured their hearts into both family and purpose. SANTU co-founders, Alicia Nogales and Angelique Van Wyk, are more than entrepreneurs- they are mothers, visionaries, and the spirit behind a brand rooted in love.
For Alicia and Angelique, the journey of building SANTU was born not only from a love of skincare, but from a deep desire to help others love themselves more.
As mothers, they understand the constant pull between nurturing others and remembering to pour love into yourself. That balance became the very heartbeat of SANTU.
SANTU believes you can’t love yourself enough. The more you love yourself in ways that nourish your body and soul, the more love you can give to those around you. And the more you give, the more you receive.
We want you to love yourself the way a mother wants her child to love themself with tenderness and devotion.
Crafted with locally sourced, ancestral ingredients like copal oil, Mexican lime, and Guerrero salt, SANTU is more than a body care line, it’s a sanctuary. A daily ritual of presence. A return to the self. A reminder that in nourishing our bodies, we awaken our hearts and refill our spirits.
We believe in intentional self-love rituals: always moving towards the heart.
Step 1: Begin with Dry Skin
Start on dry skin before stepping into the shower or bath. This allows our salt scrubs to exfoliate more deeply and effectively.
Step 2: Apply in Upward Strokes
Scoop a small amount of your SANTU salt scrub and gently massage it into your skin using circular motions, always moving toward the heart — from feet to thighs, and from hands to shoulders.
This direction supports circulation and helps stimulate the lymphatic system, which aids in detoxification and reduces fluid retention.
Step 3: Let It Sit
Let the scrub sit for up to 5–10 minutes as a mask before rinsing to allow the copal oil and ingredients to deeply nourish your skin.
Step 4: Rinse & Pat Dry
Rinse thoroughly with warm water and gently pat your skin dry with a towel.
Step 5: Lock in Moisture with Lotion
While your skin is still slightly damp, apply your SANTU body lotion using the same upward, heartward strokes. This helps seal in moisture, support healthy circulation, and invite softness and balance into your day. Bringing us back to the very center of ourselves. The heart is the bridge to the soul.
Through ethical sourcing, community-driven production, and rituals that honor Mexican heritage, Alicia and Angelique have created something rare: a brand that feels like home.
This Mother’s Day, we honor their dual role as founders and nurturers. Their story reminds us that when women lead with the heart in business, in family, and in life, they don’t just create products. They create movements.
To all the mothers, caregivers, and creators of beauty in everyday life; we see you, we celebrate you, and we thank you.
Feliz Dia De Las Madres,
SANTU