A homegrown brand that started out making pickles, rose water, and products for poojas, now formulates trendy cosmetics. The trajectory of Gokul Santol is rather interesting. It was started in 1909 by TS Rajagopal Iyengar in Kumbakonam. One of his sons, TSR Kannan moved to Madras in 1960 to launch the cosmetic wing with products like sandalwood-infused talcum powder and soaps. Eventually face wash and cream were added to the growing list.
In 2004, when Arjun and Ashwin Santhanam, the fourth generation took over the baton, they had fresh ideas — while sandalwood was at the core, the skincare products being developed were contemporary. “The primary use of sandalwood is in perfumery. Perfumes like Calvin Klein Eternity, Chanel No. 5 etc., have sandalwood oil in the base. But while exploring what we could do with sandalwood, the first thing we thought of was suncare,” explains Arjun, who did his post graduation in Cosmetic Science from the University of Cincinnati.
After intense R&D, rounds of formulating and reformulating, Sandiva was launched in 2021 with the idea of introducing sandalwood into the modern woman’s skincare routine. Starting with tinted SPF 35 sunscreen (that double up as protection and makeup) and loose SPF powder, the range now incorporates serums, ultra light body lotions (the woody, sweet fragrance might seem a little overpowering for some), and primers with fragrance that transport you to a spa. These products have the ability to multitask and work well as base for makeup. Other than sandalwood dust and oil, Sandiva’s skin care range also combines Vitamin E extract, patchouli leaf extract, Vitamin E, pure niacinamide, zinc oxide, sweet almond oil, moringa oil, blackseed oil, among others.
With its latest additions, Sandiva has taken things a notch up with One & Done, a range of non-tinted SPF50 sunscreens. These come in two finishes: sheer and dewy, and are silky, light, and hydrating, minus the white cast. “These two new launches don’t have sandalwood. Sandalwood has a skin colour so we moved away from it as we wanted to remove barriers for people with darker skin,” he explains.
Products from Sandiva
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Sandiva sources sandalwood from the forests of South India via auctions and also imports from Australia. “Sandalwood has a gestation period of minimum 30 years. If one plants it today, the first yield is going to be after 30 years. Trees that are older, like 100 years, are in demand and have good oil content,” says Arjun. This is probably why it is an expensive commodity. In the last nine years, I have seen the price of sandalwood oil go from ₹10,000 a kilo to to a couple of lakhs, he adds.
But that does not deter Sandiva from experimenting further with sandalwood. The team is now working on an oil-based cleansing range. “We want to do shower oils with sandalwood. This will give a luxurious, moisturised feel and make it a spa-like experience,” he smiles.
Price range starts at ₹500. Available on sandivaskincare.in
Published – September 05, 2025 04:02 pm IST