# Soap Maker Personalities



## Shy1 (May 23, 2021)

I noticed a couple of things reading through old threads and thought I would share an observation and pose a question for the group. 
First, the observation:  It seems to me that most soap makers have a highly developed sense of touch/feel.  As an example, in one thread I saw that many folks had an aversion to touching microfiber. I share this feeling of "ick".  This causes me to wonder how common it really is and if there is perhaps a relationship between the types of personalities who are drawn to making soap and the way we perceive touch/feel.
Hence, here is my question: Do you believe that soap makers share common personality types when it comes to the sense of touch and how we perceive what feels good (or not)?


----------



## msunnerstood (May 23, 2021)

I have an aversion to cotton, not the material but like cotton balls or the kind they put in medicine bottles. Then there is styrofoam.. uggh, now I have the eebie jeebies.


----------



## AliOop (May 23, 2021)

Interesting question! Are you referring to how we perceive the intensity of sensation, if that makes sense? In other words, perhaps many of us are more sensitive than the average person when it comes to what feels nice to our (individual) touch, or what smells good to us. Whereas others perhaps don't notice the scratchy cotton balls, itchy wool, drying soap, etc.


----------



## Vicki C (May 23, 2021)

msunnerstood said:


> I have an aversion to cotton, not the material but like cotton balls or the kind they put in medicine bottles. Then there is styrofoam.. uggh, now I have the eebie jeebies.


I laugh in sympathy and because I appreciate somebody else being hyper sensitive [not crazy!]. I have a big problem with collar tags on shirts. I know that’s not uncommon but they make me nuts, I have to take them off before I wear the item. But cotton balls don’t bug me.


----------



## Shy1 (May 23, 2021)

AliOop said:


> Interesting question! Are you referring to how we perceive the intensity of sensation, if that makes sense? In other words, perhaps many of us are more sensitive than the average person when it comes to what feels nice to our (individual) touch, or what smells good to us. Whereas others perhaps don't notice the scratchy cotton balls, itchy wool, drying soap, etc.


Yes, that's basically what I was driving at, if other soap makers are sensitive to touch or have some qualms about the way things feel to them.


----------



## AliOop (May 23, 2021)

Vicki C said:


> I laugh in sympathy and because I appreciate somebody else being hyper sensitive [not crazy!]. I have a big problem with collar tags on shirts. I know that’s not uncommon but they make me nuts, I have to take them off before I wear the item. But cotton balls don’t bug me.


I'm so with you on the shirt tags!!


----------



## Shy1 (May 23, 2021)

msunnerstood said:


> I have an aversion to cotton, not the material but like cotton balls or the kind they put in medicine bottles. Then there is styrofoam.. uggh, now I have the eebie jeebies.


I have the same issue with cotton and styrofoam and am feeling more sane by the minute that I am not the only one. To be honest, velvet and peach fuzz (like the kind on a peach skin) also give me that nails on a chalkboard feeling.


----------



## MrsZ (May 23, 2021)

That is odd. I have always had an interest in Soapmaking although I've only started about a month ago. And I dislike touching microfiber and a few other things. Cotton balls, paper and wood some days, and chalk always makes me feel a little sick if I have to touch it.


----------



## Peachy Clean Soap (May 23, 2021)

I too share the same feeling towards Microfiber towels' & tags scratching my neck or side. Just maybe theirs a correlation among other attributes we share ? hmmm interesting thought.  

They Don't Understand' It's A Soaper Thing...


----------



## Misschief (May 23, 2021)

I'd never stopped to think about it before but it could have something to do with sensory issues, along with the fact that many of us are creators of other things as well. I've been a crafter for years. Soapmaking is another craft that is on a list of many.

That said, I do have some sensory issues as well. Microfiber towels? Yup... ew! Tags? Can't stand them; some of them feel like razor blades to me. The way things feel is very important to me. I'm drawn to smooth, soft, sensual things.


----------



## KimW (May 23, 2021)

hmmmm.  I have sensitive skin, though I don't have a heightened sense of touch, but I do of hearing and smell.   Microfibre towels bother me, but only if my hands are overly dry or chapped.  Hubs is the one with tactile sensitivity, plus he can't stand tags.  Took me a long while to figure out how to wash our clothes in the same load.  What made them comfortable enough for him, gave me a rash.  Dooooohhhh.   Tags:  When we were first married I awoke to what looked like him having a fight with the blanket, but he was obviously asleep.  When he awoke he remembered what it was.  Turned out I'd put the comforter on the bed so the tag was at the top by our heads.  He tried to ignore it to avoid waking me but apparently at some point in his sleep his mind couldn't take it anymore and just started him thrashing about.  We laugh about it now, but for the rest of my life I will always be aware of tags...on everything.  Poor guy.


----------



## AliOop (May 24, 2021)

I think I've found my tribe, if we count KimW's hubby, lol. No tags for me on sheets, towels, bedspreads, shirts, etc. They all gots to go. 

Low-level electronic buzzing, whining or humming drives me nuts. But unfortunately, I can't sleep with ear plugs in - the sensation of something in my ears disturbs me as much as whatever noise I'm trying to drown out.  Also, I can barely sleep with a BandAid on a finger - just that much extra sensory input keeps my mind from shutting down.

Ditto for any form of artificial light. Our smoke alarms all have paper taped over their stupid LED lights, as does the air purifier. The lit-up clock face is covered when we turn in, and the husband knows to turn over the charger on his CPAP so the green light on it is facing down, not up. The blackout curtains in our former house were so heavy that he had to install super duty wall anchors to keep them from pulling the curtain rods out of the wall. 

Then there are hotel rooms... ack!!! Since their curtains always have a huge gap letting in the parking lot lights, I always have binder clips with me to keep them completely closed. The microwave, clock, and fridge always get unplugged due to light and noise, and I roll up towels to block the hallway light and noise from coming under the room door.

On the flip side, one thing that does help me sleep is a pillow against my back. Something about that form of additional proprioception is soothing for me. Unfortunately, the hubs is like a furnace when he sleeps, so he's not allowed to be that pillow.


----------



## msunnerstood (May 24, 2021)

Any of my cotton loathing buddies notice that cotton has a squeak to it? I make my kids pull the cotton balls out of medicine bottles and If I get a gift with styrofoam in the box, I leave the room and they remove it from the box. So not only tactilly but auditory as well.


----------



## GemstonePony (May 24, 2021)

I do feel like people who like to craft things by hand enjoy the sensory feel of making something. Whether or not that directly corresponds to a heightened sense of touch (or other senses) or not, most of us do highly value at least one of our senses. I'm highly visual: I got into soap making for the colors. I love creating the touch and smell components as well, and I care about the skin-care function of course, but I still really care about the visuals.


----------



## MrsZ (May 24, 2021)

msunnerstood said:


> Any of my cotton loathing buddies notice that cotton has a squeak to it? I make my kids pull the cotton balls out of medicine bottles and If I get a gift with styrofoam in the box, I leave the room and they remove it from the box. So not only tactilly but auditory as well.


You're making me shudder. 

Hearing those sounds is as bad as touching things that bother me. Another one is emery boards. I've always left the room if someone is using emery boards.

My husband will put cotton fluff between his teeth and show me just to see my reaction.


----------



## AliOop (May 24, 2021)

I gave a few tennis team members a ride to a match once. One of the ladies sitting in the back seat spent the whole ride - there and back - FILING HER NAILS WITH AN EMERY BOARD. Not only did the sound make me want to drive off a cliff, but the thought of her dead skin cells all over my back seat and floor, and wherever else they floated throughout my vehicle ...


----------



## Tara_H (May 24, 2021)

KimW said:


> Turned out I'd put the comforter on the bed so the tag was at the top by our heads.



 you monster!   



AliOop said:


> one thing that does help me sleep is a pillow against my back. Something about that form of additional proprioception is soothing for me.



Have you tried a weighted blanket? I literally just bought one yesterday and omg... Such a good feeling going to sleep!


----------



## Vicki C (May 24, 2021)

Oh, I love this - definitely a tribal thing. When I was very young my mother knew not to button the top button on any dress or blouse - it was known as the “choke button” - although that’s less a sensory issue than a feeling/fear of being confined. 
And, pillows... I am so picky about pillows... hotel pillows are all terrible, way too thick and stiff. I often bring my own.


----------



## ResolvableOwl (May 24, 2021)

Reading through here, I now feel doubly exotic since I'm actually _loving_ the touch of microfibre. I think this has a lot to do with the moistness and microscopic roughness of skin. When I once had slight lye burns from playing too much with lye-heavy soap dough, the skin on my fingers felt like a file, and a microfibre cloth would stick to it like velcro … didn't enjoy that too much  

But I'm also the one, who, back in school, never had issues with scratching fingernails over blackboard (which reliably drives everyone else in the classroom crazy). But squeaking knives on porcelain are a no-go .

With respect to soap, I am just about to find out how much I actually care about “cleansing”/stripping, conditioning, and “creamy lather” properties of different soap recipes. As far as my skin appears to notice the difference between/ratio of stearic and palmitic acid.


ETA: The title of this thread made me expect something completely different.


----------



## Claudette Carignan (May 24, 2021)

Vicki C said:


> I laugh in sympathy and because I appreciate somebody else being hyper sensitive [not crazy!]. I have a big problem with collar tags on shirts. I know that’s not uncommon but they make me nuts, I have to take them off before I wear the item. But cotton balls don’t bug me.


----------



## TashaBird (May 24, 2021)

I’ve been a massage therapist for almost 30 years. So, my brain has actually allocated more real estate towards the sense of touch! I have a few mental health challenges for which touch is often the main thing that can help calm me, and doing things with my hands can also help me to focus. So, yep, touch is my jam.
Edit: I’m not sure if that is a personality type, or some other kind of “type”.


----------



## lucycat (May 24, 2021)

I think you are correct but the reasonings could be slightly different.  I think that there are a ton of us who use the soap bar directly on their skin and do not use a washcloth.  I do.  That is why I like silk in soap and am always noting the glide against my skin.  I used to think I was odd but when selling I am always surprised at how many of my customers do the same.


----------



## JoyfulSudz (May 24, 2021)

My eyes work well enough, but touch is my way of really seeing.   I'm always reaching out to touch things or run my hands over them.  Can't pass a feather plant without brushing my hands across it.  Any time I go to a museum, I end up being followed by the security guys because I can't "see" a sculpture without running my hands over it.


----------



## KimW (May 24, 2021)

Tara_H said:


> you monster!


   

On weighted blankets.  So fantastic.  I must have something heavy on me when I sleep.  But, I think this is more of a childhood nurture thing as my grandmother, who raised me my first 3+years, always covered my top and mid-sections with a really heavy quilt she'd made.  I remember I could hardly move under the thing.  When I'd visit later and through adulthood she'd go and dig out a different but oddly heavy blanket for me.  I can't describe the weight of this thing.  You were glad when you got to the bed and were able to plop it down.  I don't think weighted blankets were a thing in the 60s and 70s, but sleep at Grandma's was always so delicious.


----------



## AliOop (May 24, 2021)

@lucycat that makes so much sense! I definitely love smooth things, and will unconsciously stroke my smooth fingernails if they've recently been buffed (don't do polish due to the smell).

@Tara_H big YES to the weighted blanket!! My daughter got one about a year ago, and now it is on my wish list.


----------



## PiperNigrum (May 24, 2021)

I go crazy with wood on moist hands. Also paper. If I take a shower or bath I CANNOT touch paper or wood chopping boards until I am fully un-damp


----------



## amd (May 24, 2021)

Yes, but I'm also undiagnosed on the spectrum and have diagnosed PTSD, so I have a lot of sensory issues to begin with. I can't do noisy crowds without a lot of preparation (lots of alone and silent time before and after the event), I have spacial issues (not a hugger unless it's my hubs, and most of the time I spend hugging him is because I'm pulling energy from him to refuel myself), I can't do heavy bass - there's a car with a souped up sound system that drives by my office every day, when it comes by I very literally can't breathe and curl up into a ball, clothing is a struggle... there's a funky material I'm not even sure what it is but it seems to be common in many women's blouses, it's super smooth, stiff, and "crinkly", I liken it to the decorative crepe paper, and I can't stand wearing it. "swishy" pants drive me nuts even if other people are wearing them - I think it's the sound they make. Socks. I only wear them with shoes or if my feet are extremely cold. My daughter does this too, although for her it's more a "that's what mom does too" thing. There's almost always a pile [of socks] by the back door where we come in from work/school that haven't made it to the hamper yet. My hair is long, but I rarely wear it down because I can't stand the way it feels on my face. I have large tattoos on my lower arms because I couldn't stand having my arms "bare" when wearing short sleeves - I'm working on my lower legs so maybe I can wear something other than capris during the summer without feeling naked.


----------



## MonicaT73 (May 24, 2021)

Like some other members here, I enjoy making different things (I have been making jewelry for years, and mosaics...and experimented with concrete, ceramic, drawing/painting, sewing, candle-making) and considered myself very visual. However my sense of smell is what allured me into soap-making.
When it comes to things touching your skin: I can’t stand wool on my skin! I feel itchy just looking at a picture of someone wearing a wool sweater on naked skin! And I have a displeasure towards thighs: it’s one of the reasons  I avoid wearing skirts in Winter.


----------



## Tara_H (May 24, 2021)

amd said:


> I can't do heavy bass


Argh, can totally relate to this one - most parades are a problem, and worst was notting hill carnival, I could feel all of the music from the floats through my chest and I felt like I was going to throw up or pass out... Kind of ruined the day but I couldn't get past the sensation.


----------



## KimW (May 24, 2021)

So there we were...and we heard the tell-tale "bump. bump." that makes both of us feel ill much like @Tara_H.  I didn't want to look up (hubs has a PriusC, so everything is "up" LOL), but I had to.  It was a group of teens jivin' and boppin' and lookin' around at everyone like they were cool (as we've all done)...In.A.Mini.Van.  I blurted out, "Dudes!  You're in a mini-van!" and we both busted out laughing so hard there wasn't any laughter sounds.


----------



## Zing (May 24, 2021)

This is a fascinating thread!  I'm getting to know pretty intimate details here about my homies!  I have never really thought of myself being tactile but I love to play piano, I love digging in dirt, and my wife says my love language is touch.  I also will say that even after several years of soaping and obsessively washing my hands because of 'rona, it is a simple pleasure every time I wash my hands with my soap (not bragging). I'll have to think more about this.  Oh!  I LOVE having a real skin-tight stocking cap on!

Scent to me is powerful.  I can smell something and get transported back in time to specific places and times.

I have tinnitus (playing only the cicada song on an endless loop) that has drastically worsened in recent months.  In bed, what helps me is to focus on a sound like the ceiling fan hum which helps me a great deal.  That hum is saving me.  I've also been doing more centering mini-meditation things throughout the day and I try to listen for the sound furthest away from me.

My boys are grown men now.  Our first born was a dream and my wife and I felt like incredible parents and knew exactly what we were doing.  Then came our youngest, Noah (they are 23 months apart).  First the colic when I thought why are there not headlines like "Baby actually survives the night and was not thrown out the window despite his parents' complete and utter breakdowns."  Sorry, that's really dark humor but man, those were some dark nights.  

For Noah, clothes were too itchy, certain foods were too itchy, everything was itchy itchy itchy.  We got a book about sensitive children that was a game changer.  Our parenting techniques that _de-escalated_ Levi _escalated_ Noah (like hugging and pulling him onto our laps).  Once we figured out to give Noah space and time alone to recharge, he had a complete turnaround.  And once he learned English, he could choose and articulate his clothing preferences.


----------



## AliOop (May 24, 2021)

amd said:


> I can't do noisy crowds without a lot of preparation (lots of alone and silent time before and after the event).


So much yes to this.


----------



## Mobjack Bay (May 24, 2021)

I’ve been accused of being a princess when it comes to mattresses, because I will feel the pea, even if it’s just the tiniest sand grain. And don’t get me started on sheets.


----------



## Shy1 (May 24, 2021)

JoyfulSudz said:


> My eyes work well enough, but touch is my way of really seeing.   I'm always reaching out to touch things or run my hands over them.  Can't pass a feather plant without brushing my hands across it.  Any time I go to a museum, I end up being followed by the security guys because I can't "see" a sculpture without running my hands over it.


I'm with you. My husband laughs any time we go through a store and turns around to find me petting something... a towel, a curtain, a scarf, a rug. And he always says "I just knew you were going to touch that"



msunnerstood said:


> Any of my cotton loathing buddies notice that cotton has a squeak to it? I make my kids pull the cotton balls out of medicine bottles and If I get a gift with styrofoam in the box, I leave the room and they remove it from the box. So not only tactilly but auditory as well.


I agree with you it's not just the feel but the sound!!!



lucycat said:


> I think you are correct but the reasonings could be slightly different.  I think that there are a ton of us who use the soap bar directly on their skin and do not use a washcloth.  I do.  That is why I like silk in soap and am always noting the glide against my skin.  I used to think I was odd but when selling I am always surprised at how many of my customers do the same.


Forgive my ignorance here. But soap with actual silk in it? Like fibers?


----------



## AliOop (May 24, 2021)

Shy1 said:


> Forgive my ignorance here. But soap with actual silk in it? Like fibers?


Yes, silk fibers dissolved in the lye water. it gives "slip" to soap - feels wonderful!


----------



## Zing (May 24, 2021)

This is blowing me away!  Comparing cotton fabric and microfibers to fingernails on a chalkboard?!  Fascinating.
I get audio overwhelmed.  Like why must there be a screen absolutely everywhere?  I'm at the gas station and there's a screen playing at the same time someone next to me has a different screen playing and the other guy is watching a tv show on his device.  Erg!!  Bars with many varied screens -- especially in airports -- just make me want to crawl into the floor (bars are, ahem, for medicinal purposes only.  Fear of flying is a whole other thread).


----------



## msunnerstood (May 25, 2021)

Zing said:


> This is blowing me away!  Comparing cotton fabric and microfibers to fingernails on a chalkboard?!  Fascinating.
> I get audio overwhelmed.  Like why must there be a screen absolutely everywhere?  I'm at the gas station and there's a screen playing at the same time someone next to me has a different screen playing and the other guy is watching a tv show on his device.  Erg!!  Bars with many varied screens -- especially in airports -- just make me want to crawl into the floor (bars are, ahem, for medicinal purposes only.  Fear of flying is a whole other thread).


Fear of flying, yep, sounds like a good thread. Did I mention I am the queen of phobias and quirkiness?


----------



## KimW (May 25, 2021)

Crowds.  I get claustrophobic.  I have to prepare prior to entering, which was a right pain living in DC because that place is just one big crowd fest.  It doesn't have to be a big crowd.  Just closeness of any number of people for which I'm not prepared.  They put me in as hooker in rugby once.  This is a position where during certain phases of play you're not only in the middle and surrounded by more than half of all players on the field, you're what's called "bound in".   Hard to explain but this is when everyone wraps their arms around the waist or shoulder of the person next to them and then grabs a handful of the other person's shorts or shirt.  Ain't nobody going nowhere.   I thought I was prepared.  I was not.  I literally screamed like a girl.  The first and only time I ever screamed and the first and only time I played hooker in a game.  So much breathing and touching and squeezing and crushing and grunting, and all you can see is grass and boots and disheveled hair and the sweat and blood dripping off everyone, and on and on.  EEEWWWWEEEEE.
See front row.  The hookers are the middle person in each front row of three people.






Here's a good shot of a women's team.  Hooker is just to the left of the gal who looks as though she's raised above everyone else.  Some things wrong will be noticed by a rugby player, but, ANYWHO, even if you've never played rugby, I think you get the idea.   Butts and ponytails people, butts and ponytails.  LOLOL  *ETA:* _This is not meant as a crass statement.   Our coach would say this as we took to play to remind us of the proper safe and power position for contact:  Rear-end up and head down.  Sorry if this offends anyone._





Tactile...yeah...I'm infamous for not feeling or noticing injuries.  I assured hubs I would take it easy my first few practices after ACL surgery.  I came home from the first practice and hubs says, "Is that blood?!"  I looked down and without thinking I said, "Oh.  Yeah, but it's OK, it's not mine."  He was NOT impressed. 

@Zing - I feel for you and can minimally relate.  Had a friend with tinnitus and it seems just awful.  I don't have tinnitus, but from childhood I've always had what I call "hearing my brain hum".  It's a really high pitched whine, like the electric hum of the old television sets, that's ever present.   I'd liken it to what I've heard described as the ringing in your ears after a noggin' knockin'.  Sometimes it gets really loud but thankfully it usually only bothers me when everything is stone silent.  Even with this constant hum, USAF hearing test was all zeros except for two 2s (in the bass range of course!).  Zero means your hearing is better than can be tested.  I hear freakin' everything.  Everything.  Hubs pours a soda while I'm downstairs and when I come back upstairs I'm walking around trying to find "that noise", which is his soda fizzing.  Poke.my.ears.out.


----------



## KimW (May 25, 2021)

Zing said:


> This is blowing me away!  Comparing cotton fabric and microfibers to fingernails on a chalkboard?!  Fascinating.
> I get audio overwhelmed.  Like why must there be a screen absolutely everywhere?  I'm at the gas station and there's a screen playing at the same time someone next to me has a different screen playing and the other guy is watching a tv show on his device.  Erg!!  Bars with many varied screens -- especially in airports -- just make me want to crawl into the floor (bars are, ahem, for medicinal purposes only.  Fear of flying is a whole other thread).


YES!  Those stupid talking and rolling menus at fast food joints!  Why?  How does this work?  And, yes, I'm always looking for the silly "off" switch at the talking gas pumps.  It must be there somewhere!  Why do I need to hear something playing everywhere I go?  Muzac does NOT enhance my shopping experience. LOLOL


----------



## Catscankim (May 25, 2021)

msunnerstood said:


> Any of my cotton loathing buddies notice that cotton has a squeak to it?


Yeah, it's like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. I can't even use cotton balls to take off my nailpolish.


----------



## Aromasuzie (May 25, 2021)

Fascinating thread.  I’m a massage therapist but don’t like to be touched outside my family unit.  I have a very acute sense of smell and I hate synthetic fibres, it’s bloody hard to buy a sweatshirt or hoody without polyester!  Maybe the creativity gene is due to how we view the world around us differently compared to others, though I don’t think I am particularly creative.  The next question I would ask is whether you consider yourself sensitive emotionally?  I cried buckets over the Forest Gump movie


----------



## cthylla (May 25, 2021)

I happened to become a soapmaker a couple years before being diagnosed as Autistic (my dx was actually Aspergers, but I think that is being removed)!

My reason for starting soap was because I hated the way my skin felt with commercial items.... and I was SUPER scent picky and I loved the idea of picking my own. (Later I learned that I was a pretty hardcore “scent stimmer”!)

Issues with texture and skin feel also led me to make some other skin products. It made a lot of sense to me after being diagnosed!


----------



## msunnerstood (May 25, 2021)

cthylla said:


> I happened to become a soapmaker a couple years before being diagnosed as Autistic (my dx was actually Aspergers, but I think that is being removed)!
> 
> My reason for starting soap was because I hated the way my skin felt with commercial items.... and I was SUPER scent picky and I loved the idea of picking my own. (Later I learned that I was a pretty hardcore “scent stimmer”!)
> 
> Issues with texture and skin feel also led me to make some other skin products. It made a lot of sense to me after being diagnosed!


My son has Aspergers and he is also tactilely sensitive. I finally formulated a body butter he was comfortable using.


----------



## JoyfulSudz (May 25, 2021)

Reading this thread has made me develop a theory about those of us bitten with the soaping bug:  I'm thinking we're drawn to soaping because of its quieting, meditative aspects.  For me at least, it takes complete focus, letting everything else go away while I work.  Soaping calms me.

I am very sensitive to input and stimuli of most any kind and get easily overloaded by too much.  I completely fit the criteria of the personality described by psychologist, Dr. Elaine Aron, as a "Highly Sensitive Person."  

A highly sensitive person (HSP) is a term for those who are thought to have an increased or deeper central nervous system sensitivity to physical, emotional, or social stimuli.  Take the test; I bet many of us fit: Are You Highly Sensitive? – The Highly Sensitive Person


----------



## SPowers (May 25, 2021)

I must be the odd man out!  I don't have any aversions to touch except maybe putting my hand into the 'unknown' and not knowing what to expect.  lol  I don't like labels but it's more of an aesthetic than anything else.  And I sleep with earplugs in!


----------



## Misschief (May 25, 2021)

JoyfulSudz said:


> Reading this thread has made me develop a theory about those of us bitten with the soaping bug:  I'm thinking we're drawn to soaping because of its quieting, meditative aspects.  For me at least, it takes complete focus, letting everything else go away while I work.  Soaping calms me.
> 
> I am very sensitive to input and stimuli of most any kind and get easily overloaded by too much.  I completely fit the criteria of the personality described by psychologist, Dr. Elaine Aron, as a "Highly Sensitive Person."
> 
> A highly sensitive person (HSP) is a term for those who are thought to have an increased or deeper central nervous system sensitivity to physical, emotional, or social stimuli.  Take the test; I bet many of us fit: Are You Highly Sensitive? – The Highly Sensitive Person



I scored 14 on that test and probably could have scored higher but some of the items weren't always true of me, just occasionally, depending on the circumstances.


----------



## Zing (May 25, 2021)

@KimW Thank you for the lengthy definition of "hooker."  Whew!  Your whole post up there just about gave my introverted self an anxiety attack.  Yikes-kers.

I do wonder how long I've had tinnitus.  I started to notice it EVERY morning doing mindfulness exercises and then I wondered if it was always there or not.  During my busy work day I hardly notice it.  But my doctor made me get a hearing test -- ack, that's what old people do! -- and there is slight hearing loss of high pitches.  But I'm not complaining and I know there are way worse cases out there.


----------



## KimW (May 25, 2021)

Zing said:


> @KimW Thank you for the lengthy definition of "hooker."  Whew!


  Sorry about that. It was late and I found my mind back in that game and started rambling. Thanks for being patient with me!


----------



## amd (May 25, 2021)

Zing said:


> I do wonder how long I've had tinnitus.


It was not until I joined this forum six years ago that I even knew tinnitus was a thing and that most people don't have constant ringing in their ears. I thought everyone heard the same way I did! I can't remember when it started, so I assume that I've had it since early childhood.


----------



## KimW (May 25, 2021)

Zing said:


> @KimW Thank you for the lengthy definition of "hooker."  Whew!  Your whole post up there just about gave my introverted self an anxiety attack.  Yikes-kers.
> 
> I do wonder how long I've had tinnitus.  I started to notice it EVERY morning doing mindfulness exercises and then I wondered if it was always there or not.  During my busy work day I hardly notice it.  But my doctor made me get a hearing test -- ack, that's what old people do! -- and there is slight hearing loss of high pitches.  But I'm not complaining and I know there are way worse cases out there.


Yep - With age I'm getting so that my hearing is affected by background noise that's close to me.  If it's a fan that's just in the room, so far it's fine.  But if that fan (etc) is within a foot of me I'm lip reading, my brother.


----------



## Zing (May 25, 2021)

And wearing masks is super conducive for clear conversation!


----------



## violets2217 (May 25, 2021)

AliOop said:


> and I roll up towels to block the hallway light and noise from coming under the room door.


Lol! I work the front desk at a hotel and as soon as I read this I urgently felt the need to warn you to make sure to remove it before you check out... only because that is the first sign of a guest smoking in a room! Never would have thought about light blocking!


----------



## earlene (May 25, 2021)

A benefit of hearing loss....  The annoying sounds are less likely to be heard.   Of course, other sounds I'd like to be able to hear are also less likely to be heard, so it's not all a benefit.

In any case, creative personalities are know for heightened sensitivities.  I guess that's a good thing, but how many of us have read about the tortured life some artists live as a result of some of these heightened sensitivities?

Speaking of which, @Zing, hearing aids can reduce/eliminate tinnitus.  It was something I never expected, but after getting mine I looked it up.  It's a thing!  It's a treatment, in fact.  It wasn't why I got them, but since then, after suggesting it to my BIL who has intense tinnitus has finally got a pair.


----------



## lenarenee (May 25, 2021)

KimW said:


> YES!  Those stupid talking and rolling menus at fast food joints!  Why?  How does this work?  And, yes, I'm always looking for the silly "off" switch at the talking gas pumps.  It must be there somewhere!  Why do I need to hear something playing everywhere I go?  Muzac does NOT enhance my shopping experience. LOLOL



I’ve never come across these talking menus or gas pumps; are they for visually impaired or to just be high tech?

As for tactile aversiono, I have none, In fact, I love cotton and it’s squeakiness. Love chalk and microfiber. But won’t wear synthetic if at all possible (because I love cotton!) and synthetic are just too warm.

I’ve always loved the feel of wax and soap, and loved to scrape or chop it, not to the point of those soap cutting videos because it’s so wastefu.


----------



## gardengeek (May 25, 2021)

I'm the opposite about touch - I touch everything. When I see something that draws my attention the first thing I do is touch it. I love the feel of my bare hands pulling weeds and digging in the dirt and I love the coolness and slickness of a live snake held in my hands (as long as someone else hands them to me since I'm afraid to pick them up). Maybe it's because I'm deaf in one ear or maybe it's because I don't have fingerprints so my sensitivity is low. Maybe I don't have fingerprints because I've touched too many things over my lifetime?! However, I am very sensitive to other people touching me and whatever you do, don't get near my feet or I'll lose my mind!


----------



## KimW (May 25, 2021)

lenarenee said:


> I’ve never come across these talking menus or gas pumps; are they for visually impaired or to just be high tech?


Yes, it's a just a high tech thing.  What's being broadcast are advertisements or news.  It makes me a little wacko.


----------



## TheGecko (May 26, 2021)

I love microfiber.  I use it to clean my glasses, wash my windows, dust...it’s the best thing since slice bread when it comes to cleaning up my soap making mess without making an additional mess.  I like cotton, wool, silk, mohair, angora, etc.  I used to sew, do cross stitch, embroider, paint embroidery...I crochet, loom and needle knit.  I sometimes garden.  I love making soap.

Despite all the above, I am not a very ‘creative’ person. I follow patterns. If I have to pick out more than two yarns, I ask for help because I’m bad at it. My garden placement is very organized and orderly. I don’t do ‘fancy’ soaps. Simple ITP or drop swirls. I have a couple of Taiwan Swirl Soaps I have received from other soap makers and they are works of art that I could never hope to achieve...and I’m okay with that. I’m happy making the soaps that I do.

I have an aversion to slime. It’s pretty bad. Have made more than a few trips to the bathroom while watching Mike Rowe on Dirty jobs. Also have mild Trypophobia (aversion, not fear)...it can make it tough to watch soap makers who like to ‘texture’ their soaps with a ‘holes’. I don’t do crowds very well. I was fine at the Garth Brooks concert, you’re into the show that you don’t notice all the other people until it’s time to leave. But crowded grocery stills, shopping at the mall, my last class reunion...it gets to be too much. I do fine at craft fairs though because the table creates a strong ‘do not cross’ border.


----------



## melonpan (May 26, 2021)

Vicki C said:


> When I was very young my mother knew not to button the top button on any dress or blouse - it was known as the “choke button” - although that’s less a sensory issue than a feeling/fear of being confined.


Many things ring true to me in this thread, but especially this! Never going to button that top button! I also struggle with rollneck shirts, they seem to pair well with lots of clothes but I know the moment I put them on I will  unconsciously keep touching them to pull them away from my neck like they're choking me... 

I don't particularly hate microfiber (it has been a gamechanger to clean up soap messes and bowls, as I learnt on this forum from @TheGecko), but I do prefer to wear or sleep in natural fibers. I like rougher textures as linen sheets which have been a discovery for me a couple of years ago! I love how they feel. It was a surprise to me when my sister came to visit and she was bothered by the linen sheets I lovingly used to make her bed lol. 
I also really like stoneware for its feel. I definitely have some strong likes and dislikes for my touching preferences, but there are some things I'm not too bothered about (cotton balls for example), so I wouldn't consider myself too touch sensitive maybe?
I do really love touching newly cured soaps though


----------



## cthylla (May 26, 2021)

JoyfulSudz said:


> Reading this thread has made me develop a theory about those of us bitten with the soaping bug:  I'm thinking we're drawn to soaping because of its quieting, meditative aspects.  For me at least, it takes complete focus, letting everything else go away while I work.  Soaping calms me.
> 
> I am very sensitive to input and stimuli of most any kind and get easily overloaded by too much.  I completely fit the criteria of the personality described by psychologist, Dr. Elaine Aron, as a "Highly Sensitive Person."
> 
> A highly sensitive person (HSP) is a term for those who are thought to have an increased or deeper central nervous system sensitivity to physical, emotional, or social stimuli.  Take the test; I bet many of us fit: Are You Highly Sensitive? – The Highly Sensitive Person



I scored a 24!


----------



## Corrine12 (May 26, 2021)

I have Asperger’s, so this thread is very relatable.


----------



## SPowers (May 26, 2021)

Zing said:


> And wearing masks is super conducive for clear conversation!



Yes, I've often told people I  can't 'hear' them with a mask on.  We need all our senses to listen - lol.


----------



## Jubilee8269 (May 26, 2021)

Cotton balls just feel ick.  I hate using them.  And I bandage a lot.  A lot a lot because of a skin disease.  The cotton the gauze is made of ugh. I have to just grin and bear it cause I can't have open wounds, but there are days where I am just fidgeting with the top layer of it cause I hate it touching my skin. 

Polyester makes me itch.  No getting around it.  Even if I prewash.  It has to a mostly cotton blend or with rayon or something else.  Pure polyester and I look like I have bugs I'm dancing and itching so much.  Same with tags if I don't get them to lay just right.  I hate taking them out of my clothes because i try to resell them or donate them if I don't fit in them anymore. Can't do that with no tags.  And since I've always been bigger I know how hard it is to find big clothes at donate places.  

Microfiber towels feel like..not sandpaper.  I don't wanna say that. But really really rough.  I have them cause they're better for my electronics.  But I HATE cleaning with them. I usually let my home health aid do it.   And when I do I immediately clean and lotion my hands after.  They almost feel chapped from using them. 

Noises...fun story. My friends and I went to the zoo in Omaha.  At the time they had an area that let you press buttons for different tones to see how you heard.  I got trolled so bad.  Because I heard the **** dog whistle and the bat tones and the low tones as well that electronics make.  My friend, we're not friends anymore for multiple reasons, kept pressing the **** high pitched ones.  I ended up with a migraine. Ruined the whole evening. He threatened to buy a do whistle when I complained about my head hurting.  My best friend who was dating him at the time threatened to break up with him.  He was more than a bit of a jerk.


----------



## KimW (May 26, 2021)

One of @The_Phoenix 's non-entry soaps reminded me of yet another story.  I went on a "fancy-pants-bell&whistles" Hawaiian vacation and when I arrived I insisted on a room that was as far away from the ocean as possible.  I knew I wouldn't be able to handle the sound of the waves, because even in the hotel lobby they were giving me sensory override.   Another clerk literally moved the current clerk aside because he wouldn't stop asking "why" and saying things like "Why would you come to Hawaii and want to be away from the ocean...yada, yada."  No problem.  Because of the first clerk's crassness the whole group of us scored free places, meals and drinks at that night's Luau, all without me saying a word.  Sometimes it pays to be the weird one.  Mai-tais for all my friends!


----------



## JoyfulSudz (May 27, 2021)

cthylla said:


> I scored a 24!


You even got me beat!  I score 21.  My husband comes in at only 6, so he has a hard time understanding some of the things that make me go bonkers


----------



## Sheena Lee (Jun 23, 2021)

Jubilee8269 said:


> Noises...fun story. My friends and I went to the zoo in Omaha. At the time they had an area that let you press buttons for different tones to see how you heard. I got trolled so bad. Because I heard the **** dog whistle and the bat tones and the low tones as well that electronics make. My friend, we're not friends anymore for multiple reasons, kept pressing the **** high pitched ones. I ended up with a migraine. Ruined the whole evening. He threatened to buy a do whistle when I complained about my head hurting. My best friend who was dating him at the time threatened to break up with him. He was more than a bit of a jerk.


I so understand the noise problem.   There are stores I could not go into due to the security system noise, or (I work in aviation) aircraft I could not work on if the avionics were powered up.  I can handle a quick power up but if someone is doing a full troubleshooting session, I am stuck working far away, usually outside.  
It did come in handy when I was teaching.  The teens were trying the "silent to old people" tone on the phones in class.  Used to drive them nuts when I called them out on it.   
These days it is not as much of a problem.  Being older and working in aviation has dulled my hearing a bit.  Not as much as most of my co-workers though.  I even got scolded at a hearing test to come back when I had real hearing loss.  I noticed the difference but we didn't have a prior base line, and I scored better than everyone who worked at the Dr. office.


----------



## Misschief (Jun 23, 2021)

Sheena Lee said:


> I even got scolded at a hearing test to come back when I had real hearing loss.  I noticed the difference but we didn't have a prior base line, and I scored better than everyone who worked at the Dr. office.



I so get this. I have that with my optometrist. She'll ask me if I've noticed any change in my eyesight (I'm blind in one eye but the other has always been extremely good). I'll mention that I've noticed that my current glasses aren't as effective and she'll tell me at the end of my examination that my prescription has changed.... minutely, not enough to worry about. She's told me that because my eyesight was so good, I notice every little change more acutely. It's likely the same for you with your hearing.


----------



## TheGecko (Jun 23, 2021)

Sheena Lee said:


> I so understand the noise problem.   There are stores I could not go into due to the security system noise, or (I work in aviation) aircraft I could not work on if the avionics were powered up.  I can handle a quick power up but if someone is doing a full troubleshooting session, I am stuck working far away, usually outside.
> It did come in handy when I was teaching.  The teens were trying the "silent to old people" tone on the phones in class.  Used to drive them nuts when I called them out on it.
> These days it is not as much of a problem.  Being older and working in aviation has dulled my hearing a bit.  Not as much as most of my co-workers though.  I even got scolded at a hearing test to come back when I had real hearing loss.  I noticed the difference but we didn't have a prior base line, and I scored better than everyone who worked at the Dr. office.



I have exceptional hearing.  We had a lady who was hard of hearing so she had her phone, in a hard case, on a wooden desk, on vibrate.  It would drive me freaking nuts as it would just sit and rattle constantly.  No one else in the office noticed, but it put my teeth on edge!  I tried being nice about, then finally went out and bought a hand towel and put her phone on it.


----------



## Rune (Jun 24, 2021)

I really have an issue with fleece fabric. That is to me the worst ever material. I was working in a clothes shop two years ago, and I had to touch jackets and such made out of fleece several times a day. Fleece is so awful that it does actually make my hands feel dirty or dusty afterwards. I do think they are actually getting dusty because of static electricity, so I believe it is not only a feeling. It goes away when I rinse or wash my hands, so yes, not only a feeling.
I can really not understand why fleece is so popular, even how hard I try. It is the most awful material ever invented.

Microfiber is allright in comparison to that disgusting polyester fleece. I don't really like microfiber, but I can touch it without problems. But it do remind me a little bit of fleece, so that's why I don't like it, I guess. On the other hand I do like cotton, wool and linen, and I love the feel of bamboo rayon.


----------



## AliOop (Jun 24, 2021)

Rune said:


> Microfiber is allright in comparison to that disgusting polyester fleece. I don't really like microfiber, but I can touch it without problems. But it do remind me a little bit of fleece, so that's why I don't like it, I guess. On the other hand I do like cotton, wool and linen, and I love the feel of bamboo rayon.


Interesting... bamboo rayon is one of the worst for me, right up there with nylon. If I wear clothing made out of bamboo rayon, my skin can't breathe, I sweat profusely, and I feel suffocated. Fleece, on the other hand, usually doesn't bother me. Different strokes.


----------



## bookreader451 (Jun 24, 2021)

I saw this discussion and I thought I was nuts, at least others around me think I am nuts.  I am so sensitive to bedding.  I am like the princess in the princess the pea.  I have to sleep on ultra soft smooth sheets and I don't mind paying for them.  Same with a duvet.  I am a burrower and I need soft and smooth around my face.  I am like that with clothes too.  I hate anything that isn't soft next to my skin.  
And yes microfiber just feels wrong and weirdly spongy, but not in a good way.  I can handle it dry but wet...........ugh.


----------

