Disney x Touchland: The Science Behind Our Cute Addiction

Cuteness isn't just child's play. It's serious psychology that's reshaping how we shop and feel

Hello, Gorgeous!

Touchland, the wildly popular hand sanitizer brand, recently released a special edition Disney & Touchland Set that comes with its own Mickey Mouse Mist Case complete with Mickey ears. What is it about these clever product partnerships that make grown women swoon? Believe it or not, there are actually scientific reasons we respond to cuteness overload.

Disney & Touchland Set isn’t for children

Ever wondered why you can't resist an adorable Hello Kitty purse even if your 40th birthday is safely in the rear-view mirror? Researchers have discovered that our brains are literally wired to find certain features irresistibly cute. More than that, when we see all the cuteness, our reward centers light up like a Christmas tree.

I won’t go into the science behind ethologist Konrad Lorenz's concept of Kindchenschema (baby schema), which in brief means most people tend to respond favorably to large heads, big eyes and chubby cheeks. I mean, if you want to delve into it, there’s a fascinating study on Kawaii, the Japanese word for/trend toward loving cute things. Suffice it to say that a lot of marketing dollars have been spent trying to figure out how to reach adult women with things that make you go oooooh. So much so that a demographic study revealed that plenty of 35-50 year old women still buy Hello Kitty products.

Here’s what you do need to know. Studies show that adult women like cute things because they can help with mood boosting and stress relief. To your brain, enjoying a cute item feels as good as biting into a piece of chocolate. Not bad for a watermelon and peachy scented hand sanitizer that looks like a cute mouse ($20, touchland.com).

Do you have a fondness for all things cute? Let’s meet in the comment section to discuss!

Rachel, Your beauty concierge 💋