Scientists in Germany have developed a textile finish that provides a sensory cooling effect. Cold-inducing substances that result in sensory cooling have a mild cooling effect, even when spread over a large area, without over-cooling the skin. One example of this would be the peppermint substance menthol. This has a cooling effect and soothes itching.

Now a whole range of other chemical substances have been discovered which, like menthol, bind themselves to the cold receptors. These substances trigger a stronger cooling sensation, are odor-neutral and have a longer-lasting effect. This means they can be used for therapeutic purposes.

The textile finish is based on p-menthane derivatives (agonists) such as WS-3 (N-ethyl-p-menthane-3-carboxamide) or L-menthyl lactate and icilin. These substances have the advantage that, when spread in very low concentrations on small areas of the body, they have a lasting mild cooling effect throughout their period of activity. This kind of sensory cooling textile finish was tested on different textile substrates made from natural or synthetic fibers and blends.

During the project, researchers were able to make new findings about the substance sensitivity of specific areas of the skin (e.g. the cleavage, underarm, soles of the feet). The project also showed that sensory cooling textiles are effective in textiles worn close to the skin, but are unsuitable for loosely cut clothing that is not in direct contact with the body.