Beauty Boss: Andrea Lisbona, Founder and CEO of Touchland

Andrea Lisbona.

Our latest Beauty Boss is Andrea Lisbona, Founder and CEO of Touchland—a revolutionary brand of hand sanitizers that combine sleek, functional packaging with non-sticky, moisturizing, luxurious-feeling formulas. Prior to starting the company, she began her career in hand sanitizer so that she could gain a deeper understanding of the industry. Originally from Barcelona, Lisbona relocated to Miami in 2018 to manage the brand’s growth in the US.

In 2018, she held a Kickstarter campaign that resulted in Touchland reaching 450% of its initial fundraising goal and more than 1,300 pre-orders for the product in just one month. Upon the brand’s official launch later that year, there were more than 1,500 people on the waiting list, and in its first year, Touchland exceeded more than $2 million in sales.

We Tried Touchland Hand Sanitizer and Now Can’t Leave Home without It

Since its inception, Touchland has continued to expand and is available at a wide variety of online and store retailers. The brand’s commercial product, the KUB Hand Sanitizer Dispenser, can be found at many locations nationwide including Equinox and Louis Vuitton. Touchland’s long list of celebrity fans includes everyone from Rosie Huntington-Whiteley to Tyra Banks, and more.

We chatted with Lisbona, who shared the inspiration behind the brand, favorite products and wellness tips, secrets to success, and more.

When was Touchland founded? What does the name mean?

I first came up with the idea for Touchland more than 10 years ago. I initially started my career in hand sanitizer distribution—it was important for me to learn the industry's pain points from the inside before launching my own brand. It took some time to find all the right partners, but we first launched the Power Mist Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer in late 2018.

Touchland was born to challenge the status quo of all hand sanitizer brands. Most brands would drive sales by scaring people; taking a fear-based marketing approach and hyping up germs. We wanted to take a completely different approach: to empower people to live without fear by providing them personal care solutions to help them stay healthy on the go. That’s why we created Touchland—the "land" being the universe of touching, feeling, experiencing life to the fullest!

What inspired the creation of the brand?

I was surprised that despite being such an important product category for health, hand sanitizer has not been innovated in decades! In our society, hand sanitizers have become a key component to staying healthy (especially now). With such a great need, I asked myself, “Why are the products we use so sticky, dry out the skin, and are just generally an unpleasant experience?”

That was my lightbulb moment. I decided to reinvent the product category by really listening to customer pain points and rethinking hand sanitizers as a beauty product. We created a product that has everything you want in a hand sanitizer without any of the most common drawbacks.

Do you have a hero product?

We are best known for our Power Mist Hand Sanitizer, which comes in eight scents, but our KUB Hand Sanitizer Dispenser is quickly becoming a hero product. As organizations around the world are looking to provide hand sanitizing solutions to their employees, customers, and visitors, we've had a huge influx in demand for the KUB, which you can now find in places like Equinox, sweetgreen, Louis Vuitton, and many more.

Our top-selling scent tends to be Watermelon, followed by Aloe Vera. We are introducing new scents in 2021, so I'm excited to see if there will be a new favorite with our customers.

What’s your favorite scent from the line? 

My favorite scent is actually one that we haven't launched yet...I don't want to give too much away, but here's a hint: it's tropical and perfect for summer!

Where are your products sold?

You can find Touchland at Ulta (and ulta.com), Target.com, Urban Outfitters (and urbanoutfitters.com), nordstrom.com, Revolve, our website, and many more!

Future plans for the brand?

So much! We are working diligently on continuing to improve our supply chain to meet the ever-growing consumer demand for the products, which we anticipate will continue over the next several months. We also have new product innovations, including more accessories, coming soon.

Touchland is a revolutionary line of hand sanitizers that combine sleek, functional packaging with non-sticky, moisturizing, luxurious-feeling formulas that come in eight amazing scents.

What inspires you?

Steve Jobs and Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel—both were visionaries, challenged the status quo, believed things could be done differently, and persevered through their whole career to build powerhouse brands that have not only survived the years, but the company values have continued to grow even in their absence. Their legacy and their vision created the foundations for truly great brands.

Secret to success?

Remaining laser focused on our mission. There are so many ups and downs and unexpected challenges we run into as a start-up, so it's important to constantly come back to why we are doing what we are doing.

Beauty secrets?

I will try anything and am a total beauty junkie—I can't walk into Ulta without spending $300! My favorites right now are the Chanel Hydra Beauty Micro Serum, Kosas Tinted Face Oil, and anything and everything for lip hydration. When it's safe, I will also go back to NYC to visit Dr. Adam Kolker for a Botox refresh. I’m not a fan of needles, and Dr. Kolker is extremely patient and caring in his approach.

Wellness tips?

I try my best to spend some quality time for myself on a daily basis—I call my family every day, listen to music every morning with the sunrise, and try to avoid talking about business at home. It’s not easy because my head is thinking 24/7 about Touchland, but I try. It’s important to be able to separate yourself from your job to keep your mind and soul balanced.

Best advice?

I love the quote: “Do it with passion or not at all.” If you’re going to be starting a new journey in life, make sure to have a strong reason why you are passionate about it, because you need to be motivated. There’s always more to do, always a new problem, so you really need to be able to tap into your passion during those difficult moments.

How do you like to relax?

First and foremost, spending quality time with my husband and our schnauzers, Chippy and Coco. We live in Miami, so on the weekends we try to get out in the water as much as possible and enjoy the beautiful weather. When I need to unwind and take a break from the stresses of work, I’ll put on one of my favorite shows like “Friends,” “Suits,” or “Money Heist.”

For more information, visit touchland.com and follow on Instagram: @touchland

[Images courtesy of Touchland]

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk