A story that begins

Step by step, they walk through the hidden corners of the dry tropical forest, searching for fallen and dried pieces of the holy wood – Palo Santo. They know the forest well. It has been their home for generations. They know at once that they're in the right place, because the scent of the wood simply can't be passed by unnoticed.

Yet there are days when they return empty-handed, but life brings days like those too. The forest is not a factory. Respecting nature and taking only what it gives is part of a way of life that keeps things in balance.

Our partners from Ecuador

We're talking about our partners. People from the Ecuadorian community in the Manabí region, who are the most important part of the Rocío brand. As part of our approach to business, we're committed to direct trade with the communities that devote themselves to hand-harvesting Palo Santo in Ecuador.

You might be wondering why this matters so much. Palo Santo is currently experiencing a great boom – the pace of life is speeding up, the pressure to perform is rising, and the need to slow our lives down is an understandable response. For many people, Palo Santo is exactly this way to slow down, focus on themselves, and not sacrifice their mental health in the chase for a better social status.

Where does your Palo Santo come from?

But have you ever asked where your Palo Santo comes from? Who stands behind it? How does it reach you? Does its harvesting affect nature itself?

We're certainly not the only ones, but our main goal is to trade directly with communities we know personally and to know exactly where our products come from. Without any intermediaries. Mutual relationships with the specific people behind every product that reaches your hands are simply our strength.

And that's exactly what we want to share with you. To take you to where your beloved Palo Santo comes into being. Where does it actually grow? – definitely in South America, not in India. What is the meaning of the holy wood in the local culture? How do the people there use it, and how do they see nature as an equal partner? Many of these approaches to life are truly inspiring.

The story of the Rocío brand

Rocío, of course, didn't come about by chance. The name itself carries several meanings, but the most important is the person of Ms Rocío. She inspired us to found the brand and to want to keep developing our cooperation with local communities – and perhaps in the future with others across the planet too.

We hope Rocío has spoken to you and that you'll join us on a long journey that is only just beginning. Little by little, we'll introduce you to the story of our brand and to the background and lives of our partners.

We'll be delighted to keep educating you and introducing you to foreign cultures, without needless pathos or moralising, so that you can fully enjoy moments of silence, a penetrating scent, and the good feeling that, through your decision, you've supported human dignity and the desire to change things for the better.