It’s Hyperhidrosis Awareness Month! Let’s do an interview. Meet Kasper Kubica and David Spratte, the founders of Carpe lotion for excessive sweating. They made this video just for me. Aren’t they nice guys?
(Can’t see the video below? Watch it on YouTube.)
Tell me how it all started with Carpe.
Carpe started with a personal problem: David’s sweaty hands. In David’s words,
“They were the absolute worst. I couldn’t hold hands, shake hands, high-five, or even write for extended periods of time without grossing out my non-sweaty counterpart – whether that was a person or a pen and piece of paper. When I was a senior in high school, I was trying to go on dates, trying to make great first impressions during interview weekends for colleges, trying to be normal…but my sweat kept getting in the way, and I decided that I had had enough.”
However, there weren’t any good solutions out there for sweaty hands. If you go to a store, there are only underarm antiperspirants. So David and Kasper (a fellow hand sweater and friend passionate about startups) decided that they weren’t going to find a solution for their sweat, so they were going to have to make one of their own.
What over-the-counter products does Carpe currently make? And, do you have anything in the pipeline you might be able to tell us about?
Carpe currently makes an antiperspirant lotion for the hands, feet, and underarms: the three main areas where we struggle with sweat, and the three main areas of primary focal hyperhidrosis. Our sweaty family of Carpe customers doesn’t just sweat in their hands, feet, and underarms, though, and we are dedicated to stopping sweat anywhere and anytime. So if you sweat in a weird place when you don’t want to, we do, too, and we’ve got you covered. We are working on it!
Can you tell us about the commercials you filmed with that awesome chick who blogs about sweat all day? 😉 What was that experience like?
We wanted to film a TV commercial with a Carpe customer who really understands what it’s like to live with hyperhidrosis on a daily basis. And we found someone infinitely better: someone whose has a lifelong passion for talking about sweat and ways to help with it. And that someone is My Life as a Puddle’s very own, Maria Thomas.
We met her in Charlotte where she has some family, and we had one of the most incredible days in this company’s history. We interviewed Maria and proceeded to hear an incredibly emotional, moving, and genuine story of sweat, its impact on Maria’s life and the lives of others with hyperhidrosis, and finally how Carpe has helped!
RELATED: Read my product review of Carpe and how it finally gave me some relief!
And after that, we had a really fun time just getting to know her more, and I can’t explain how amazing of a person Maria is. She’s seriously amazing in every way, and we are so incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to meet up with her in person. [Thanks you guys! The pleasure was all mine.]
What do you think the biggest misconception is regarding hyperhidrosis?
People don’t think it’s a problem. When people hear “sweaty hands” or “sweaty feet,” people don’t hear “life changing problem,” but for millions of people, it is just that.
What advice would you give to those who are suffering from hyperhidrosis?
You’re not alone – by a long shot. There’s no need to hide your sweaty secret. Reach out to people like Maria and talk about your sweat – there are things that can really help!
What advice would you give to medical professionals who see patients with hyperhidrosis?
Let them know that they’re not alone, that most people with hyperhidrosis don’t even know that it’s something to speak with a dermatologist about, and that there’s a diversity of treatment options, and more are being developed.
There’s a lot you can do to help hyperhidrosis, and the sooner your patients start finding out what works for them, the sooner they’ll be able to take their focus off their sweat.
And obviously, we’d tell them about the success that Carpe has had in the hyperhidrosis community, and that they should recommend their patients try Carpe before dabbling in more expensive prescription solutions that have side effects.
What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned thus far when it comes to running a start-up company?
The single most important thing isn’t your idea, and it isn’t even the work you put in – it’s the people by your side in the journey. You’re only as strong as the team you’re working with, and we couldn’t be luckier to have the Carpe team with us every step of the way.
Tell us about your worst sweating experience ever, or your funniest.
For one of our biggest, most important meetings of all time, I (David) wore a Carolina blue button-down shirt. Big mistake. Before the meeting even started, I had the biggest sweat stains under my arms that I had ever seen – and I had seen some big sweat stains. The stains went onto the front of my shirt and the back.
Luckily, I had used Carpe on my hands and feet, so I was able to offer a sweat-free handshake, but my pits were badddddddd. I tried wiping them off in the bathroom, but nothing worked. My face was beet red the entire meeting because of it. It was unbelievably embarrassing, and every time I think back to it, I cringe.
If you could only tell those with hyperhidrosis one thing, what would it be?
This thing is so much more common than anybody admits – the statistics on how many people have it keep going up, and I think they’ll keep going up for a long time. There are plenty of people out there just like you, leading great, happy lives – you’re not alone, and there are solutions available that can give you the piece of mind to not have to constantly worry about unexpected sweat episodes. And if you’ve tried everything and nothing has worked, more solutions are being developed.
Anything else you’d like to add during Hyperhidrosis Awareness Month?
Thank you for letting us find something so meaningful to help with. The best part of Carpe is seeing the difference we’re making in people’s lives, and we wouldn’t trade that for the world.
Try Carpe Lotion for Hyperhidrosis!
Curious about Carpe for hyperhidrosis? Try it for yourself.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. I get credit for products purchased through these links. Your purchases help support the costs associated with operating this blog about sweat. Thank you!
