Pa Rum Paume Paume Paume (Win!)

Searching for last-minute gifts? Considering current circumstances (read: dry winter air and an ongoing pandemic), you won’t find a better present than the range of luxury hand sanitizers and lotions by Paume—Canadian made and offering gorgeous bundles perfect for holiday gifting. We chatted with founder Amy Welsman to learn more. —Noa Nichol

Hi Amy! Please tell us a bit about yourself to start.

I’m a Toronto-based entrepreneur, and mom to a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter (with another on the way in March!) and wiener dog, Hugo. I started my career in advertising at JWT Toronto and, after three years, was enticed to leave my corporate job and join a startup called Knix in 2013. I was the first hire, and spent four years helping launch, build and grow the business. I learned so much during my time there, and it gave me the drive and desire to launch my own brand.

When and why did you launch Paume? What niche were/are you aiming to fill?

While most people assume Paume was started as a pandemic-inspired idea; it actually came to me when I became a mother for the first time in 2019. My awareness of hand hygiene was at an all-time high, and I was becoming an avid hand sanitizer user. I began to notice just how unpleasant most sanitizers were, and I imagined a product that was both effective and enjoyable to use, with elegant sustainable packaging. I was seeing so many other personal-care categories undergo massive transformation, and thought sanitizer should be next. Little did I know the pandemic was just around the corner, and the category was about to really change.

What products do you currently offer, and what makes them unique?

We launched with a single product, our Moisturizing Antibacterial Hand Gel. Our unique plant powered formula was developed and refined over a period of six months, and it features 69 per cent ethyl alcohol blended with premium emollients and a unique blend of essential oils which create our signature scent. We have a travel bottle size as well as a pump we designed for in home sanitizing. Both dispensers are refillable and meant to be reused. We were very thoughtful in our ingredient choices, and were determined to create a truly luxurious product that stood out in the marketplace. We have evolved from a single product brand to a hand care brand, in a category that lacks leadership and innovation, and will continue to grow our hand-focused product assortment in the years to come. Just this month, we released our Probiotic Hand Balm featuring a rich blend of plant based emollients and probiotics, and an Exfoliating Hand Cleanser, which features biodegradable microbeads and rich moisturizers. The bottle is also refillable, and the cleanser also be dispensed using our Paume pump. All of our hand-care products offer multiple benefits using thoughtful active ingredients, and sustainable dispensers.

Were the pandemic to end, do you see an end to increased hand sanitizing?

The pandemic has shed a bright spotlight on hand hygiene, and our hand-care habits have fundamentally changed for the good. I also believe there has already been a correction in the market and in the category, as sanitizer use has become a fact of daily life. Rather than rushing to the drugstore to buy liters of utilitarian sanitizer, we are being more thoughtful in our purchasing decisions and seeking elevated products, as we do in other areas of our self-care. As we invest in our skin-care and hair-care products, why not invest in our hand care products? Cleaning and caring for our hands should be an indulgent experience, and that’s where we come in.

Turning to holiday, what are your top gift picks and what makes Paume the perfect present?

There are so many incredible female-founded Canadian brands who I’m gifting to my friends and family this year. To name a few, I’m in love with Sidia’s Cloud 9 Headband, Samara’s Apple Leather Laptop Sleeve and Everist’s Body Wash Waterless Concentrate. It’s been wonderful to see so many of our customers order Paume to gift to loved ones, family, colleagues and teachers this holiday season. We believe that hand care is self care, and our luxurious formulas and elegant dispensers make for a special gift. We just launched our Overnight Hydration Bundle, which features our Probiotic Hand Balm and Overnight Hydration Gloves—an intensive hand treatment for the harsh dry winter months. And our Sanitize At Home Kit makes for a great hostess or teacher gift. And of course, you can’t go wrong with our chic Travel Bottle as a stocking stuffer!

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Win! One Of Two Paume Sanitize Essentials Bundles!

Congrats Mary C. of Mount Pearl, NL, and Shalayne J. of Surrey, BC, who will each receive a Paume Sanitize Essentials Bundle, valued at $80 apiece! Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadaily.ca. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding.