Hand sanitizer has become an everyday necessity around the world since the spread of Covid-19 began.

When most of us think of hand sanitizer we usually imagine a pump of goopy, harsh smelling stuff. It leaves our hands sticky, and then dries out our skin, all while engulfing us in a strong alcohol fragrance. How fun! (Not).

But Touchland is a brand that has set out to change all of this. Founded by Andrea Lisbona, Touchland is a beauty brand that has rev-invented the hand sanitizer experience by combining sleek, functional packaging with non-sticky, moisturizing, cruelty-free formulas and amazing scents.

Touchland’s Watermelon Power Mist (Photo credit courtesy of Touchland)

Re-inventing the hand sanitizer

Touchland Founder, Andrea Lisbona (Courtesy of Touchland)

It all started in 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. Inspired by innovators such as Steve Jobs and Emily Weiss, Andrea set out to revolutionize the commoditized industry of hand sanitizers.

At 24 years old, she began distributing hand sanitizer solutions for various brands to better understand the market. From this she learned the problems and opportunities in the industry so that she could ultimately improve everything from the inside.

“Hand sanitizers have played a key role in staying healthy and on the go for decades, but this industry hadn’t seen advancements in innovation for 20 years,” says Andrea. “I was perplexed that no one considered improving the hand sanitizer industry for so many years and that it was only thought to meet its main function. We wanted to disrupt that and create a solution to make people’s lives happier and healthier!”

So Andrea began asking questions. She wondered: What would happen if besides meeting its function, people could use a product that they would love and that would make them want to sanitize all the time?

She wanted to improve everything about how we use hand sanitizer in our lives, from the formula to the packaging. Andrea envisioned a product that could become part of everyone’s daily self-care routines, a luxurious, pleasant, moisturizing cruelty-free formula. It would be something people wanted to wear all the time. And it would look fun too.

The Power Mist hand sanitizer (Photo credit courtesy of Touchland)

She found the answer to her questions in what would become Touchland’s star product: The Power Mist.

The Power Mist changed the game. Instead of delivering hand sanitizer in goopy, harsh-smelling pumps, the Power Mist brings its unique, hydrating cruelty-free formula via little puffs of delicious-smelling spray. It quickly became a hit.

Soon after testing the initial product, Andrea knew she would need significant infrastructure in order to grow Touchland to the level she hoped for, so in 2017 she partnered with Zobele, a global manufacturer, and soon Touchland’s Power Mist arrived to the US market.

Making it happen

The voyage over was not all smooth sailing, however. Breaking into the US market with her revolutionary hand sanitizer  was still difficult as first and like with most business ventures, there were challenges and obstacles to face.

“We faced challenges in every single possible area, from supply chain to financing to finding the right team. Being an entrepreneur is living constantly on a roller-coaster, one moment you are celebrating and the next you are facing a situation that can make you shut down your business,” says Andrea. “You have to be able to deal with the madness of not being ever in a safe spot.”

The Power Mist brings comfort and style to the world of hand sanitizers. (Photo credit courtesy of Touchland)

To other aspiring female entrepreneurs, Andrea says it’s important to have a “super strong reason why” you’re pursuing your venture. She says it should be something SO powerful that it doesn’t let you sleep at night. That’s what Touchland was for her.

“It’s like Steve Jobs said: ‘I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance…You’ve got to have an idea or a problem or a wrong that you want to right that you’re passionate about otherwise you’re not going to have the perseverance to stick it through.'”

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Once you have that idea, that driving passion, she says, “Go for it. Make it happen.”

And don’t measure your success only in the victories. “Being successful sometimes is the result of failing many times,” says Andrea. “Fortunately, there are a lot of people in business looking to uplift and help each other. It’s important to find your tribe. Find collaboration over competition,” she says, specifically for minority business owners and entrepreneurs. “It will take time, but it is worth it!

The hand sanitizer that has taken over social media

With its sleek, modern aesthetic people can’t stop posing with their Power Mist. (Photo credit courtesy of Touchland)

Andrea has faced all the obstacles and challenges of getting her vision off the ground, and it has all been worth it.

What started as merely an idea, a question, nearly a decade ago, has now become a reality. How could she innovate the hand sanitizer to be more than just its function? How could she make hand sanitizer something people would want to incorporate into their daily beauty and self-care routines? In the back of her mind, the Power Mist was always there, and now it’s here for us all to enjoy.

The Power Mist is instantly an eye-catcher. Reminiscent of Apple’s iPhone designs, the sleek Instagram-friendly spray packaging and colorful aesthetic makes it look modern and luxurious–and it is!

As Touchland describes: The Power Mist pulverizer spray system ensures that the fast-evaporating formula is evenly distributed across your hands to kill 99.99% of harmful, illness-causing germs, while the naturally hydrating ingredients keep your skin feeling soft and moisturized all day long. No stickiness, no dry hands, no gross vodka smell. Vegan and cruelty-free.

What’s not to love? This generation loves bold aesthetics and are passionate about social causes, so a fun, trendy-looking cruelty-free product is right up their alley.

It’s no wonder the brand has become increasingly popular online among Instagram influencers and Gen-z kids on TikTok.

This is due largely to Touchland’s successful social media and digital marketing strategies. One look at Touchland’s Instagram page and you see a colorful array of aesthetically pleasing images displaying the Power Mist.

Since its launch, Andrea and her team have focused much of their marketing on social media engagement with their target audience and this has helped them exceed 2 million dollars in sales.

Andrea Lisbona posing with the KUB and Power Mist. (Courtesy of Touchland)

Currently they are busy executing the next phase of their business: the launch of a B2B product for high-traffic locations, retail distribution, and more.

In addition to the Power Mist, Touchland also supplies businesses with a commercial B2B unit, the KUB Hand Sanitizer Dispenser.

The KUB marries the best in technology with Touchland’s award-winning cruelty-free formula.

Touchland also dedicates 5% of their profits through their Touchlives initiative to send their sanitizing hygiene solutions to developing countries where there’s water scarcity. And most recently they have donated their hand sanitizers to front-line workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lavender Power Mist (Photo credit courtesy of Touchland)

Mint Power Mist (Photo credit courtesy of Touchland)

Watermelon Power Mist (Photo credit courtesy of Touchland)

Vanilla Cinnamon Power Mist (Photo credit courtesy of Touchland)