In Touch with the Consumer
Succeeding in an industry as crowded as health and beauty requires a spritz of uniqueness and a formula directly appealing to what consumers want most. Andrea Lisbona, cofounder and CEO of Touchland, breaks down how her brand of hand sanitizers and other fragrant goods attracts a loyal customer base.
What is Touchland?
Touchland creates sensory self-care on-the-go essentials such as hand sanitizers, uplifting fragrances, and skin-care formulations that bring delight to everyday moments. We have reimagined personal care as a ritual and not just a series of simple daily tasks, empowering our users to infuse beauty, wellness, and excitement into their routines.
What inspired you to found this company, and how did you get it off the ground?
I started this journey over a decade ago with a vision to disrupt a stagnant category with innovation, quality, and aesthetics. I was initially inspired by the idea of marrying great function with great design, so I sought to found a business that bridges fashion, beauty, and personal care all at once. I come from a family of entrepreneurs, which made me feel confident pursuing such an enterprise.
To raise funds for the project, my cofounder, Ruggero Grammatico, and I ran a Kickstarter campaign in 2018. We ended up reaching 450 percent of our initial fundraising goal and receiving more than 1,500 preorders for our initial product in just one month! In our first year of business, we enjoyed what I can only describe as immense success, which was largely driven by our community of social media followers. We also quickly caught the attention of celebrities and influencers, and the brand now counts Kate Hudson, Mindy Kaling, Kesha, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and many other famous names as fans. All this led to our brand landing retail distribution in over 2,500 stores nationwide, including Ulta Beauty.
Would you tell us about your products?
Our portfolio spans a variety of products that combine health and beauty. We may be best known for our line of hand sanitizers, which include Power Mists, available in fifteen different scents, and Glow Mist and Gentle Mist, our two premium formulations. In addition, we offer our innovative Power Essence, a nurturing body and hair spray available in eight scents. We also have a curated lineup of stylish accessories like colorful mist cases and decorative pouches that we call Touchettes.
All these products provide little moments of indulgence—what we at Touchland call “microjoys”—that appeal to all generations. For example, each misting hand sanitizer features a lovely scent and nurturing sensation on the skin that lend a unique experience, making the product feel exciting to use.
What makes Touchland distinct from other personal wellness goods companies?
We don’t just manufacture products; we craft beauty-meets-wellness essentials. The designs are intentional, making our products as much a visually appealing fashion accessory as a daily necessity, and we combine innovative form factors, the size and shape of our packaging, to ensure that they stand out from other hand sanitizers.
Further, we focus on creating a multisensory journey—how the product looks, smells, and feels—that seems luxurious yet effortless, leading customers to feel like using Touchland products is an uplifting habit. From the misting technology that provides an ultrafine, refreshing spray to the curated fragrances that elevate the experience, every detail is designed to delight.
At the same time, our formulas prioritize both efficacy and skin care, with ingredients like aloe vera and niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3, keeping the skin hydrated. So they are not only pleasant to use but also offer results for the customer. Our hand sanitizers in particular have become customer favorites thanks to perks in them like our wrinkle-reducing Vitasource technology, which helps skin look smoother and more youthful—especially important when you’re sanitizing your hands often.
How do you express your company’s brand identity in your marketing and goods?
Our packaging is sleek and convenient, which makes our products perfect for taking on the go, and our formulations are all about quality results. We want our offerings to fit seamlessly into people’s lifestyles, whether they’re at the office, traveling, or heading out with friends.
Meanwhile, our messaging is bold and engaging. Because our brand is playful, elevated, and always pushing the boundaries of what personal care can be, we aim to have our marketing reflect that. In other words, we want the public to get excited about Touchland products, especially when compared to less enticing alternatives like generic hand sanitizers.
A great example of this was the launch of our Power Essence line through our “Move Your Mood” campaign. The ads captured the feeling of shifting your mood with a single spritz turning scent into a tool for self-expression and a sensory reset throughout the day. Visually, it was all about skin, motion, and the little moments that feel so important. It marked our next chapter, expanding from just hands to the whole body while staying true to our brand throughout.
How do you gauge consumer feedback and incorporate it into your products and strategies?
Consumer insights drive everything, from the scents we launch to the packaging innovations we introduce, so we are constantly engaging with our community on social media, in reviews, and through direct feedback. For example, after countless requests for a means to clip Touchland products to a handbag, keys, or a belt, we brought the concept to life through our Mist Case accessories. Their sleek, functional design helped turn our hand sanitizers into lifestyle essentials, allowing for even deeper personalization and daily integration.
Another instance is our expansion into new categories. Consumers repeatedly asked us to apply our fragrance-forward sensibility to body care—and that feedback became the foundation of our Power Essence line. We stay closely connected to our community not only as a marketing strategy but also as a creative compass, ensuring that we deliver exactly what they want. And we apply that same listening approach to partnerships, bringing to life collaborations that excite our customers.
Would you tease some upcoming developments?
We’ve been expanding into new retail partnerships with brands like Sephora and have launched collaborations with Disney and, more recently, Hello Kitty. We’re always thinking about ways to push the boundaries of sensory-driven wellness. We have some very exciting innovations coming that expand on our core philosophy—so keep an eye out for them!
For more info, visit touchland.com