Do you remember the scene from Ghost, where Molly (Demi Moore) stands with eyes closed, tears rolling down her cheeks, waiting to feel Sam (Patrick Swayze) touch her face for the last time while Unchained Melody plays “I hunger for your touch” in the background?

Molly knows it is really Oda Mae (Whoopi Goldberg) touching her, but she can feel it is Sam and as a viewer you are right there with her. Our sense of touch and our emotions are deeply connected, being touched by someone we love is so much more powerful and evocative, even if we only perceive it to be them.

Any parent who has gently rubbed a child’s back to help them sleep, or wipped away tears will know how quickly the touch of our hands can soothe and console.

When you give a hug, it not only gives comfort to the person being hugged, but also releases the same lovely feelings of happiness and reassurance in yourself. If you hold a hug for 5 seconds or more it will trigger the release of oxytocin – the hormone that reduces stress, lowers our blood pressure and makes us feel loved and secure.

Our hands have many hidden powers we rarely consider. Did you know that your fingertips can have as many as 100 receptors in one cubic centimetre? There are receptors for feeling whether surfaces are rough or smooth, and for picking up the tiniest of vibrations. There are receptors for feeling pressure or pain, or determining the differences in temperatures. It is a fact that dry skin can limit the sense of touch. Our fingertips automatically know to form ridges when wet, so those wrinkly fingers and toes in the bath are not just a sign of too much wallowing, it is our bodies way of helping us to grip.

We use our touch to communicate our feelings, and can tell if someone is touching us with love, happiness or sympathy without looking. Our sense of touch is so instinctive we will reach out to get someone’s attention or create a connection before we speak.

There are so many positives to the power of touch. Premature babies who are massaged have been shown to gain weight faster and all children sleep better, are more confident for being held often. Studies have shown that children who hold their mothers hand feel less pain from vaccinations than those who don’t, and elderly people prone to loneliness can fail to thrive from lack of touch and affection.

It is amazing how something so simple and practical as the sensors in our hands can be so deeply connected to our emotional wellbeing. There is something almost magical about the feelings we evoke with a simple touch.

Make sure your touch is as soft and smooth as can be with SEAMS Hand Cream

Karen J Gerrard
Founder