Michaelee Lazore
Sequoia is a Proudly Indigenous brand that is 100% owned and operated by Indigenous women. Founded in 2002 by Michaelee Lazore who is Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) from Akwesáhsne and Northern Paiute from Nevada. The design, production, and packaging of all the products is done in the working studio locally. In order to keep the next seven generations in mind, the production is sustainable and ingredients are ethically sourced.
Sequoia has come a long way from its humble beginnings in Michaelee's kitchen. When Michaelee first started out, she was also working as an engineer designing roads, sewers and ditches. Her passion for creating beautiful soaps drove her to quit her day job as an engineer. Now Sequoia serves customers all over the world with their Indigenous inspired products.
When choosing a name for my company, I fell in love with the name Sequoia. To me, it not only represented nature, but also strength. The giant Sequoia trees can live 2,000 to 3,000 years. The name also has a native connection as well. It's the name of the Cherokee chief who developed their alphabet so that the language could be written. A technical minded person just like me!
One of the main reasons I started Sequoia was because I couldn't find any products that were not only made locally, but made by an Indigenous company. Scents such as Sweetgrass, Cedar, Sage were not commonplace back then, and those were some of my favorites I could not find anywhere.
by Sequoia Soaps (Mohawk / Northern Paiute)
Scent Family: Herbal
Description: Tobacco with an ever slight hint of spice
Inspiration: One of the four Sacred Medicines, sacred tobacco has been used on Turtle Island for generations.
Details: A comforting, smooth honey-tobacco blend which is warm, sweet, and smoky. Hints of vanilla and patchouli really give this soap some character.
• hydrates dry skin
• made with organic shea butter
• made with organic castor oil
• 98% natural ingredients
• contains no artificial colors
Directions: Use daily in bath or shower. For a longer lasting bar make sure you do not leave in a puddle of water where the soap may become soggy. Or even better, alternate between 2 bars so that there is an extra day of drying time between uses.
Ingredients: Canola Oil, Water, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Organic Shea Butter, Organic Castor Oil, Stearic Acid, Fragrance Oil, Red Oxide, Black Oxide, Titanium Dioxide
by Sequoia Soaps (Mohawk / Northern Paiute)
Scent Family: Berry/Fruity/Floral
Description: Strawberry and Blossom
Details: Inspired by the Strawberry Moon, which is the first full moon around the time when Strawberries ripen.
If you are a fan of berry scents with a hint of floral you will love this lotion.
The Strawberry Moon isn't necessarily pink or red, but got it's name because it is full right around the time that this first fruit of the year ripens.
The Strawberry Moon has also been called Berries Ripen Moon, Birth Moon and Green Corn Moon. It is always at the end of Spring/beginning of Summer.
hydrates dry skin
made with organic olive oil
99.25% natural ingredients
Directions: Use as a daily all over body moisturizer after a bath or shower.
by Sequoia Soaps (Mohawk / Northern Paiute)
Scent Family: Citrus + Floral
Description: Plumeria flowers mixed with a blend of citruses
Inspiration: In Haudenosaunee culture, the story of Earth's creation is that of a woman who fell from SkyWorld, who became known as Skywoman. The planet was just an endless sea. She descended onto a giant turtle's back aided by birds. Using a small bit of mud from the bottom of the sea, she sang and danced until a great land had been created that she called Turtle Island.
Details: Skywoman is a very unique scent, starting with a mystical and citrus-like background. Under the notes you can sense the sweetness of fruits, the elegant soft fragrance of exotic flowers, with a slight ocean spray touching the air.
Gentle enough for everyday use. This body scrub will give you a healthy glow by encouraging cell renewal. This emulsified scrub turns into a lotion keeping your skin thoroughly moisturized and smooth.
• smooths and refines skin
• removes dead skin cells
• made with organic olive oil and pure cane sugar
• 99.25% natural ingredients
Directions: Scoop a small amount of body scrub and massage into skin. This is an emulsified scrub which when combined with water from your bath or shower turns into a moisturizing lotion. Sugar crystals dissolve slowly providing just the right amount of scrubbing effect.