How a Calgary entrepreneur is combating women’s health issues with pyjamas

Calgary entrepreneur Lara Smith created Lusomé with a clear cause.

When her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer 12 years ago, Smith knew that chemotherapy and radiation would come with unpleasant side effects as they tried to save her life. What neither she nor her sister anticipated was just how bad the night sweats would be.

“I thought that it was criminal that she was having this horrible health battle and couldn’t even sleep, so I went out to try and find pyjamas that could help her deal with the night sweats,” Smith recalls. “But there was nothing beautiful that I thought would give her comfort.”

It was upon this realization that Smith quit her job to start Lusomé, a company that sells cooling pyjamas and sheets, providing a balance between functionality and beauty.

Changes and challenges

Of course, cancer treatment isn’t the only thing that causes night sweats and hot flashes. Postpartum, thyroid problems, medication side effects, perimenopause, and menopause are other common culprits.

Lusomé pyjamas and sheets use innovative moisture management technology in naturally blended fabrics, resulting in revolutionary moisture management. And perhaps equally as important, they’re cute. For women who are experiencing these “unsexy” health issues, having a pretty and practical solution can be game-changing.

Just the facts

On top of their line of products, Smith also runs a podcast called The Sweaty Pillow.

“Every woman will go through this transition in life, so there’s a captive audience of people desperate to have support and resources that they’re just not getting,” she says.

Across roughly 30-minute episodes, The Sweaty Pillow brings together doctors, thought leaders, and experts in menopause to find solutions and resources during the transformative phase of life.

“We call ourselves a women’s health company,” Smith says, and she has the data to prove it. A study by the University of Alberta proves the effectiveness of Lusomé products, so that customers can feel secure about their purchases. “We can measure objectively in lab tests and quantify moisture movements and heat absorption. There’s a lot of theatre with brands making false claims, and it really rocks my socks.”

Those summer nights

After learning all of this, I couldn’t wait to try the Lusomé sheets for myself. Although I’m not going through menopause, I sweat at night simply because my apartment is so darn hot. Seriously — I haven’t turned my furnace on in two years, so you can imagine how toasty it gets in the dog days of summer.

My unit doesn’t have air conditioning, but I do have a window unit in my room, so I can at least sleep at night. Two downfalls of this are that it’s pretty loud and runs up my electric bill.

The coolness of the sheets is subtle, but apparent. On my first night with them, I fell asleep without my AC unit on — something I haven’t managed in months, even amidst Calgary’s cooler-than–usual summer. It was so luxurious to close my eyes without that incessant hum. I suspect once it gets hotter, I’ll be able to put my AC on an intermittent mode or timer, if I even need it at all. I’d be lying if I said I’m not excited to see the difference in my utility bill.

I may not have been the target audience, but Lusomé proves that solving a problem for one can have benefits for all.

Lusomé

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