Get Hands-On: 5 Essential Reasons to Infuse Tactile Touch into Your Daily Routine

According to the Merriam Dictionary the word texture can be defined in several ways. In essence, it has tactile, visual, olfactory, auditory, and gustatory aspects. The Merriam Dictionary further defines the subcategory “tactile texture” more specifically as “the disposition or manner of union of the particles of a body or substance.” Because the prior definition is not as relatable we developed an alternative way to describe tactile texture. In our experience, we would describe tactile texture as how a substance or material feels to the skin. 

Could we benefit from texture’s tactile properties? This is the question we sought to answer and what is further explored within this article. Read on as we describe 5 potential benefits of incorporating texture within our daily lives as it relates to texture's tactile properties, they are as follows:

Tactile texture can help improve the appearance of skin:

Our skin, the largest organ of our bodies, covers our entire external surface and is made up of 3 layers: the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis. The overall health of our skin can easily be deduced by the appearance of our skin and gives clues to our overall health. 

The outermost and most easily seen layer of our  skin is the epidermis and is our body’s first line of defense against harmful pathogens and substances. The epidermal layer, the primary focus of this subsection, is also made up of cell layers. Newer cells are located near the bottom of the epidermis, while older cells are located closer to the top . 

As newer epidermal cells are created in the lower layers of the epidermis, older cells are constantly being pushed to the top layers where they are eventually sloughed off. This is a natural process, however sometimes for various reasons the older cells of the epidermis do not slough off as quickly as they should thereby contributing to the dull appearance of skin.  

To help facilitate the removal of older cells from the top layer of the epidermis, textured materials, chemicals, or substances are often used to mechanically remove the older epidermal skin cells. The removal of these older epidermal cells may benefit the skin by allowing the  newer cells to become more apparent thereby giving the appearance that the skin is healthier and may thereby subjectively improve the skin’s appearance. 

Additionally, softer tactile textures when used with water can be used to help moisten and soften the top layer of the epidermis, while drier fluffier textures may help whisk moisture away from the skin as additional methods in which to help care for and improve the overall appearance of the skin.

Tactile touch may have indirect and direct cognitive and emotional benefits:

Cognition is defined as “the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses” Cognition along with our emotional experiences are two of  many aspects which make us who we are, and guide our life experiences.  

Most of the studies, as it relates to the benefits of tactile texture, cognition, and emotions have previously been conducted in children, many with neurocognitive disabilities. These studies have often gone on to show that touch and tactile stimulation have the ability to improve overall stress, promote calm, improve focus as well as attention in these children. 

Similar studies that were conducted in a sub-population of patients with dementia have also shown that there were cognitive benefits of tactile stimulation in this subpopulation as well. 

A current application for tactile texture that is more well known and is currently being used within the general population is the act of dry brushing. Dry brushing, often touted for its self soothing technique, is typically performed by gently brushing the bristles of a dry boar bristle brush over multiple areas of skin while ideally being in a relaxed state. This technique's secondary benefits has included skin detoxification, promotion of more radiant  skin, as well as the fostering of positive emotions.

 Although tactile studies are not as robust for the general population, the effects seen in the prior subgroups and from what we know about dry brushing suggests that there may be some direct and indirect cognitive and emotional benefits associated with tactile touch for the general population as what has previously been seen for the other previously discussed subpopulations. 

The utilization of tactile touch to help improve cognition and emotions within the general population is a promising and exciting area of interest.

Tactile touch may help promote self-care:

Self care is defined as  “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's health.” Tactile touch may promote self-care in that if the touch is pleasant the act of tactile touch may help elicit pleasant feelings. 

The solicitation of pleasant feelings may help to lower stress and promote relaxation. Stress reduction has the added benefits of improving immune health, promoting longevity, and improving mood-all of which are important factors that support overall health.

Tactile touch may help encourage mindfulness:

Mindfulness is “a mental state [that is] achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensation [s], used as a therapeutic technique.''  When one consciously engages in tactile touch, that person is actively engaging their sense of touch and has chosen at that moment to immerse themselves within a deeper sensory experience. 

With the consistent practice of mindfulness, a person may become more aware of their surroundings including their tactile, auditory, olfactory, visual, and gustatory experiences. It is often a more engaging way to experience life. If a person who is consistent with the practice of mindfulness is successful, this practice has the added benefit of regulating mood and also boosting cognitive capabilities.

Tactile touch can act as a tool to simplify everyday life:

Texture has been used for years throughout life. Its additional benefits include our  ability to repurpose texture’s unique qualities as simple and sustainable ways to improve the end user’s quality of life. 

Our Estate clothes were designed with this in mind. In our design for the Estate cloths we sought to exploit all the natural benefits of texture and repurpose those benefits into an all in one self care tool that was simple to use, reusable, and could easily be incorporated into any personal care routine thereby allowing the end user to reap all the potential benefits that incorporating tactile texture within their lives could add.

All in all, texture has many wonderful properties. What are some ways in which you are using texture within your life? Have you experienced similar benefits from using texture in your daily life? If so, how so?