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Clean: The New Science of Skin
The author of the popular Atlantic articles "You're Likely to Get the Coronavirus" and "I Quit Showering, and Life Continued" explains the surprising and unintended effects of our hygiene practices in this informative and entertaining introduction to the new science of skin microbes and probiotics.
Keeping skin healthy is a booming industry, and yet it seems like almost no one agrees on what actually works. Confusing messages from health authorities and ineffective treatments have left many people desperate for reliable solutions. An enormous alternative industry is filling the void, selling products that are often of questionable safety and totally unknown effectiveness.
In Clean, doctor and journalist James Hamblin explores how we got here, examining the science and culture of how we care for our skin today. He talks to dermatologists, microbiologists, allergists, immunologists, aestheticians, bar-soap enthusiasts, venture capitalists, Amish people, theologians, and straight-up scam artists, trying to figure out what it really means to be clean. He even experiments with giving up showers entirely, and discovers that he is not alone.
Along the way he realizes that most of our standards of cleanliness are less related to health than most people think. A major part of the picture has been missing: a little-known ecosystem known as the skin microbiome--the trillions of microbes that live on our skin and in our pores. These microbes are not dangerous; they're more like an outer layer of skin that no one knew we had, and they influence everything from acne, eczema, and dry skin to how we smell. The new goal of skin care will be to cultivate a healthy biome--and to embrace the meaning of "clean" in the natural sense. This can mean doing much less, saving time, money, energy, water, and plastic bottles in the process.
Lucid, accessible, and deeply researched, Clean explores the ongoing, radical change in the way we think about our skin, introducing readers to the emerging science that will be at the forefront of health and wellness conversations in coming years.
Keeping skin healthy is a booming industry, and yet it seems like almost no one agrees on what actually works. Confusing messages from health authorities and ineffective treatments have left many people desperate for reliable solutions. An enormous alternative industry is filling the void, selling products that are often of questionable safety and totally unknown effectiveness.
In Clean, doctor and journalist James Hamblin explores how we got here, examining the science and culture of how we care for our skin today. He talks to dermatologists, microbiologists, allergists, immunologists, aestheticians, bar-soap enthusiasts, venture capitalists, Amish people, theologians, and straight-up scam artists, trying to figure out what it really means to be clean. He even experiments with giving up showers entirely, and discovers that he is not alone.
Along the way he realizes that most of our standards of cleanliness are less related to health than most people think. A major part of the picture has been missing: a little-known ecosystem known as the skin microbiome--the trillions of microbes that live on our skin and in our pores. These microbes are not dangerous; they're more like an outer layer of skin that no one knew we had, and they influence everything from acne, eczema, and dry skin to how we smell. The new goal of skin care will be to cultivate a healthy biome--and to embrace the meaning of "clean" in the natural sense. This can mean doing much less, saving time, money, energy, water, and plastic bottles in the process.
Lucid, accessible, and deeply researched, Clean explores the ongoing, radical change in the way we think about our skin, introducing readers to the emerging science that will be at the forefront of health and wellness conversations in coming years.
280 pages, Hardcover
First published June 2, 2020
686 people are currently reading
8230 people want to read
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August 19, 2020This was aggressively average, which was a tiny bit disappointing. I would say a solid 50% of the information is interesting, well-presented, and makes me want to revisit my skin routine. It's definitely written with a very basic audience in mind, constantly introducing topics gently and scratching only the surface of them, but enough to pique interest and make you wonder why some things we take for granted are the way they are.
However, if you have any basic level of knowledge about public health, history of medicine in America, global issues (or, god forbid, grew up in a developing world), there will be entire sections you can skip. I was really hoping for deeper digs into the science about microbiomes and our skin, but instead some of the chapters felt like filler. The organization of the book could have been improved as well; he often peppers in half-finished anecdotes, and the chapters aren't as cohesive as they could have been. What is this book about, ultimately? It's not super clear. Is it about skin, our beauty and cosmetic industry, the history of soap and hygiene, the history of the FDA, the history of public health, the necessity of clean water in the developing world? It's about all of those things which ends up diluting the overall message, I think. And not a thing about sunblock. How can you write a whole book about our skin and what we put on it and not a single passing word about sunblock?
Also, I would have loved more than a passing mention of his privilege that allows him to not shower. Not a single mention went to how so many black women in America can't even wear their hair naturally, much less not shower. I can't tell you how many times kids of Indian immigrants aggressively scrub themselves and douse themselves in perfumes so that they "don't sell like curry." Nothing about the cultural pressure for melanated people to not appear ashy. Egregiously, he went on and on for almost an entire chapter to wax rhapsodic about the developing of Central Park (which is a great accomplishment) but not a single mention of Seneca Village, the community of free Black landowners who living there that was forced out to build a park for upper class white people. That was some blatant revisionist history by erasing that entire story.
Overall, I think this could be a really beneficial book to a lot of people, and I do think a cultural reckoning with our obsession with "cleanliness" is important, but I just had higher hopes for this particular book.
However, if you have any basic level of knowledge about public health, history of medicine in America, global issues (or, god forbid, grew up in a developing world), there will be entire sections you can skip. I was really hoping for deeper digs into the science about microbiomes and our skin, but instead some of the chapters felt like filler. The organization of the book could have been improved as well; he often peppers in half-finished anecdotes, and the chapters aren't as cohesive as they could have been. What is this book about, ultimately? It's not super clear. Is it about skin, our beauty and cosmetic industry, the history of soap and hygiene, the history of the FDA, the history of public health, the necessity of clean water in the developing world? It's about all of those things which ends up diluting the overall message, I think. And not a thing about sunblock. How can you write a whole book about our skin and what we put on it and not a single passing word about sunblock?
Also, I would have loved more than a passing mention of his privilege that allows him to not shower. Not a single mention went to how so many black women in America can't even wear their hair naturally, much less not shower. I can't tell you how many times kids of Indian immigrants aggressively scrub themselves and douse themselves in perfumes so that they "don't sell like curry." Nothing about the cultural pressure for melanated people to not appear ashy. Egregiously, he went on and on for almost an entire chapter to wax rhapsodic about the developing of Central Park (which is a great accomplishment) but not a single mention of Seneca Village, the community of free Black landowners who living there that was forced out to build a park for upper class white people. That was some blatant revisionist history by erasing that entire story.
Overall, I think this could be a really beneficial book to a lot of people, and I do think a cultural reckoning with our obsession with "cleanliness" is important, but I just had higher hopes for this particular book.
April 26, 2023
There are three books in here. Any one of them would be very interesting to read sequentially; simultaneously, there is too much and too little information on each topic. I'm interested in all three books...history of "cleanliness", politics of "health", and research into the existence of astonishing worlds we haven't been able to see until quite recently...but am satisfied by none of them in this busily overstuffed and distracted narrative.
I use lots of quotes and so I think I'll leave the whole review up at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud: https://tinyurl.com/844kaeuw
I use lots of quotes and so I think I'll leave the whole review up at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud: https://tinyurl.com/844kaeuw
April 21, 2020
Writing a book's first Goodreads review...always a little scary. I almost wish I could come back later when it's been talked about a bit and add my voice to the roar of others' rather than standing out, but I have a responsibility (thank you NetGalley for giving me a free eARC in exchange for this review) and I'm going to follow through.
As Ron would say, that isn't how adults handle difficult situations.
4.5 stars. I adored this book. It's written in a nonchalant way that makes it easy to read while Hamblin quietly blows your mind. I was reluctant to read it (I don't do anything with my skin) but I wanted validation that what I wasn't doing was okay. This book gave me the validation and more. Hamblin delves into the skincare industry - its origins, history, marketing tricks, and how it's evolved into the beast that it is today. But he doesn't stop there. He interviews scientists, exploring the ramifications of skincare and how it affects the microbiome.
If you've heard about the microbiome, or seen the mass amounts of probiotics hitting the shelves, and want to know what that has to do with skin (and vice versa) this is your book. The truth is, the microbiome is more complex than we ever imagined, and everything we do affects it. If you want to know how it works, how best to care for your skin, and how to improve your body's biome in general, this is your book.
I loved the way Hamblin also incorporated his thoughts on consumerism and the skincare industry. He wraps the book up in the best way possible - having discussed skincare, he shows us what the real issues are and how we can help correct them. I loved his emphasis on parks being one of the most important things in urban life.
I did not agree with everything Hamblin said - for example, he slips in comments about vaccination several times, and he stated towards the end that individualized medicine was basically pointless in the long run, not doing anything to prevent disease (including, specifically, chiropractors) - this is my paraphrase of what I got out of what he wrote, not his exact words. But I hold a holistic view, and he seems to somewhere in the middle. I'm capable of reading with critical thinking so I didn't let it bother me.
I highly recommend this book!
As Ron would say, that isn't how adults handle difficult situations.
4.5 stars. I adored this book. It's written in a nonchalant way that makes it easy to read while Hamblin quietly blows your mind. I was reluctant to read it (I don't do anything with my skin) but I wanted validation that what I wasn't doing was okay. This book gave me the validation and more. Hamblin delves into the skincare industry - its origins, history, marketing tricks, and how it's evolved into the beast that it is today. But he doesn't stop there. He interviews scientists, exploring the ramifications of skincare and how it affects the microbiome.
If you've heard about the microbiome, or seen the mass amounts of probiotics hitting the shelves, and want to know what that has to do with skin (and vice versa) this is your book. The truth is, the microbiome is more complex than we ever imagined, and everything we do affects it. If you want to know how it works, how best to care for your skin, and how to improve your body's biome in general, this is your book.
I loved the way Hamblin also incorporated his thoughts on consumerism and the skincare industry. He wraps the book up in the best way possible - having discussed skincare, he shows us what the real issues are and how we can help correct them. I loved his emphasis on parks being one of the most important things in urban life.
I did not agree with everything Hamblin said - for example, he slips in comments about vaccination several times, and he stated towards the end that individualized medicine was basically pointless in the long run, not doing anything to prevent disease (including, specifically, chiropractors) - this is my paraphrase of what I got out of what he wrote, not his exact words. But I hold a holistic view, and he seems to somewhere in the middle. I'm capable of reading with critical thinking so I didn't let it bother me.
I highly recommend this book!
October 6, 2020
Oh dear. James Hamblin is a lively and accessible writer. He's got a medical background. He's kind of a fun contrarian. He's a thoughtful researcher: I bet he's a great listener. His articles in The Atlantic are clear and cogent. What could go wrong? Sadly, this book is a lightweight. It's basically a series of short vignettes, sort of a tour of all the current issues in skin care. It's not conclusive. It's not deep. It's one of those books that a good editor would have taken a red pencil to in about midstream and written "So what? What's your point?" The answer: Gee, there sure is a lot we don't know, and soap and most skin care products are mostly a sham. That's it. If there are big breakthroughs in skin and cleanliness science in the next five or ten years, this is exactly the writer to explain them to us. Until then, it's a good idea for a book, gone flat.
July 30, 2020
The amount of times something from this book has come up in casual conversation has astonished me. For a guy who has only a bar of soap in his shower and doesn’t really think about hygiene or soap much beyond the basics, hygiene and soap seem to follow me around nonetheless.
James Hamblin may describe himself as a doctor, or he may call himself a journalist, but he’s wrong. First and foremost he’s a supremely funny guy. I don’t think a non-fiction book has made me snort so much, I want to buy this guy a beer. Or water, alcohol disrupts your gut microbiome. Take some of these great lines, he really gets my sense of humour:
“Even earlier, Azetcs used two vegetable products, the fruit of the copaxocotl (which the dirty Spanish marauders would call “soap tree” probably just before trying to kill it)”
“The product is an exfoliant - and a chemical one, so it burns off the dead skin cells instead of scraping them off with physical force. I’m told that my descriptions of these processes are less enticing than those in the marketing copy, but this is just the literal truth of what happens”
“It seems my ideas about embracing skin microbes did not inspire David to break the mold. I’d thought we were connecting. Do you ever really know anyone?”
“I mused to Segre that it’s fascinating that the US health care system is the seventh largest economy in the world and one of our most exciting breakthroughs in recent years is putting other people’s feces into our bodies”
“If you don’t like the word “anus,” you may want to skip this bit and go for a long walk and reflect on that fear of anuses. Say the word aloud, again and again, louder and louder, until it loses its power over you”
Hamblin is quite adept at the long rambling metaphor that actually helps instead of hinders. Like when he compares the skin to a house party and colonizing it with good bacteria as inviting people you like so there’s no room for pathogens/people you don’t like because they might “ask for breakfast the next day, and then mess up your bathroom and empty your fridge and eventually burn down your house”. This is the sort of effective science communication we need more in doctors and scientists. I think every scientist needs to take a few years off, become a science journalist, and then come back. The microbiologist in me loved the focus on the microbiome and the general tone that was healthy a sense of skepticism and no easy-answers. I just loved picturing this guy, who obviously knows a lot about science and medicine, going to one of these wellness conferences or whatever, and trying his darnedest to keep an open mind despite all the bullshit being thrown at him. And his tone throughout the book is really good at portraying that.
Couple all this with some really great individual chapters on dispelling myths of acne, a fascinating history of soap and the idea of cleanliness, and the evolution of the cosmetics industry. Add a little bit of throwing shade on Deepak Chopra, and learning about myself, like that I’m pretty far from the normal hygienic product consumer because despite Hamblin’s assertion that “selling people genetically modified bacteria to put on themselves may not seem immediately ideal as a sales pitch” I would totally be game for that. All together, a really great book.
I guess my only point of sticking was dropping some terms like mRNA and Tregs without really explaining what they were. Refreshing for me in a pop-sci book, but I imagine it could be confusing to some people, not that their meaning is really essential to grasp what he’s trying to get at.
James Hamblin may describe himself as a doctor, or he may call himself a journalist, but he’s wrong. First and foremost he’s a supremely funny guy. I don’t think a non-fiction book has made me snort so much, I want to buy this guy a beer. Or water, alcohol disrupts your gut microbiome. Take some of these great lines, he really gets my sense of humour:
“Even earlier, Azetcs used two vegetable products, the fruit of the copaxocotl (which the dirty Spanish marauders would call “soap tree” probably just before trying to kill it)”
“The product is an exfoliant - and a chemical one, so it burns off the dead skin cells instead of scraping them off with physical force. I’m told that my descriptions of these processes are less enticing than those in the marketing copy, but this is just the literal truth of what happens”
“It seems my ideas about embracing skin microbes did not inspire David to break the mold. I’d thought we were connecting. Do you ever really know anyone?”
“I mused to Segre that it’s fascinating that the US health care system is the seventh largest economy in the world and one of our most exciting breakthroughs in recent years is putting other people’s feces into our bodies”
“If you don’t like the word “anus,” you may want to skip this bit and go for a long walk and reflect on that fear of anuses. Say the word aloud, again and again, louder and louder, until it loses its power over you”
Hamblin is quite adept at the long rambling metaphor that actually helps instead of hinders. Like when he compares the skin to a house party and colonizing it with good bacteria as inviting people you like so there’s no room for pathogens/people you don’t like because they might “ask for breakfast the next day, and then mess up your bathroom and empty your fridge and eventually burn down your house”. This is the sort of effective science communication we need more in doctors and scientists. I think every scientist needs to take a few years off, become a science journalist, and then come back. The microbiologist in me loved the focus on the microbiome and the general tone that was healthy a sense of skepticism and no easy-answers. I just loved picturing this guy, who obviously knows a lot about science and medicine, going to one of these wellness conferences or whatever, and trying his darnedest to keep an open mind despite all the bullshit being thrown at him. And his tone throughout the book is really good at portraying that.
Couple all this with some really great individual chapters on dispelling myths of acne, a fascinating history of soap and the idea of cleanliness, and the evolution of the cosmetics industry. Add a little bit of throwing shade on Deepak Chopra, and learning about myself, like that I’m pretty far from the normal hygienic product consumer because despite Hamblin’s assertion that “selling people genetically modified bacteria to put on themselves may not seem immediately ideal as a sales pitch” I would totally be game for that. All together, a really great book.
I guess my only point of sticking was dropping some terms like mRNA and Tregs without really explaining what they were. Refreshing for me in a pop-sci book, but I imagine it could be confusing to some people, not that their meaning is really essential to grasp what he’s trying to get at.
September 30, 2020
3.5*
Knygos autorius rekomenduoja mums mažiau praustis ir stebėti kas vyksta su mūsų oda...Jis pats, pradėjęs rašyti šią knygą, nustojo praustis po dušu. Plauna tik atskiras kūno vietas.
Kad per daug prausiamės ir naudojam daugiau nei reikia prausimosi ir kosmetikos priemonių -ne naujiena, šiaip jau. Daug kas jau girdėta iš dermatologų, alergologų, ginekologų...
Daug dėmesio knygoje skirta muilo istorijai, kosmetikos pramonei ir be bejo, kad liečiama ekologijos tema.
Toks keistas skaitinys šiais visuotinai sustiprinto rankų plovimo laikais.
Knygos autorius rekomenduoja mums mažiau praustis ir stebėti kas vyksta su mūsų oda...Jis pats, pradėjęs rašyti šią knygą, nustojo praustis po dušu. Plauna tik atskiras kūno vietas.
Kad per daug prausiamės ir naudojam daugiau nei reikia prausimosi ir kosmetikos priemonių -ne naujiena, šiaip jau. Daug kas jau girdėta iš dermatologų, alergologų, ginekologų...
Daug dėmesio knygoje skirta muilo istorijai, kosmetikos pramonei ir be bejo, kad liečiama ekologijos tema.
Toks keistas skaitinys šiais visuotinai sustiprinto rankų plovimo laikais.
May 13, 2020
We have all heard 'Less is more' In this new book, Hamblin takes this belief on in ways you wouldn't expect. He opens the book by telling the reader he stopped showering; which I admit, almost made me put the book down. I'm glad I heard him out & I think you will be too. The journey he takes to discover what our skin really needs will surprise you & save you tons of money in the long run.
I loved this book.
I loved this book.
March 27, 2025
I remember hearing about this book on an NPR podcast, and all I remember is the author saying how he stopped using soap altogether. Then a year later, a friend gave me this book for my birthday. Turns out it isn't just about how and why the author doesn't use soap. Rather, it's a book about skincare, sure, but also the history of soap, the composition of soap, how soap works, advertising and marketing, environmentalism, autoimmune diseases, parasites, specific brands, bacteria, and so much more.
Fun and informative read. Good to understand the science of it all, but I love my Dr. Bronner's soap, and I will use it even if soap doesn't necessarily do what everyone thinks it does.
Fun and informative read. Good to understand the science of it all, but I love my Dr. Bronner's soap, and I will use it even if soap doesn't necessarily do what everyone thinks it does.
August 20, 2020
Feels like reading an extended magazine article. Fun and informative little stories and characters, but very few conclusions or actionable suggestions - the new science of skin exists, but is mostly inconclusive at this point. In a nutshell: if your skin is not in a good state, try to put less stuff in it / wash it less, and let the microbiome do it's thing. If you weren't exposed to good microbes when you were a child, you're fucked forever. There's nothing really effective for skin problems, so - besides doing less - try stuff out and see what works. That's it. It's not a bad book, but I expected to learn more.
December 7, 2023
4 Stars for Clean: The New Science of Skin (audiobook) James Hamblin read by Barrett Leddy.
This is a really deep and thorough dive into the world of skin care and overall health. I appreciate the dedication of the author, I was really interested in this topic when I heard that the author is a doctor and he started going without showering for his health. I’ve watched society for decades try and get cleaner and it seems like they are actually getting sicker. So many are allergic to everything and their immune systems can’t protect them. It was fascinating to me to hear someone actually quantify with real data what I was suspecting for a long time. But the problem seems to be much larger than I realize. So many industries are looking to treat these problems and they have no incentive to cure them. If my wife is reading this. Don’t worry, I still intend on shower daily.
This is a really deep and thorough dive into the world of skin care and overall health. I appreciate the dedication of the author, I was really interested in this topic when I heard that the author is a doctor and he started going without showering for his health. I’ve watched society for decades try and get cleaner and it seems like they are actually getting sicker. So many are allergic to everything and their immune systems can’t protect them. It was fascinating to me to hear someone actually quantify with real data what I was suspecting for a long time. But the problem seems to be much larger than I realize. So many industries are looking to treat these problems and they have no incentive to cure them. If my wife is reading this. Don’t worry, I still intend on shower daily.
October 22, 2020
Surprisingly an enlightening book on what it means to be "clean."
Hamblin looks at the science and culture of how we care for our skin today. He talks to dermatologists, microbiologists, allergists, immunologists, aestheticians, bar-soap enthusiasts, venture capitalists, Amish people, theologians, and straight-up scam artists, trying to figure out what it really means to be clean.
Our bodies actually rely on other organisms to keep us clean. Such as the Demodex mites which are all over our faces that feed off our dead skin. GROSS lol But since all humans have them it's "normal" and if it's normal aren't these mites sort of us? :P
I'm a huge skin care buff with all my creams and serums. It was enlightening to note that most of these products aren't even doing anything for my skin. The skin cells pores are too small to fit most of these compounds that are in creams, such as collagen. Vitamin C serum is actually proven to help with ageing though. But what's more effective is just ingesting a Vitamin C supplement into your diet. All these creams and serums at Sephora are all just marketing and advertising.
What was also impactful to me is how he talks about how we as a society over clean ourselves. Too much soap for one thing. You shouldn't soap your body every day, if anything just soap under your arm pits, groin, and feet. With so often excessive usage the soap just dries out your skin and tells your body to produce tons more oils because they're getting stripped right off constantly. There is such a thing as good bacteria and nuking your skin is not going to help.
Along the way he realizes that most of our standards of cleanliness are less related to health than most people think. A major part of the picture has been missing: a little-known ecosystem known as the skin microbiome. This is the future of skin care - improving our skin and even whole bodies microbiome. Whether it be through pre and probiotics who knows, but there's a lot to discover there.
History of hygiene and soap:
I learned all about the history of soap and how it's made and the advertising and marketing revolution behind it. I didn't know Sunlight, Palmolive and Johnson and Johnson were started in like the 1800's early 1900's.
Hamblin looks at the science and culture of how we care for our skin today. He talks to dermatologists, microbiologists, allergists, immunologists, aestheticians, bar-soap enthusiasts, venture capitalists, Amish people, theologians, and straight-up scam artists, trying to figure out what it really means to be clean.
Our bodies actually rely on other organisms to keep us clean. Such as the Demodex mites which are all over our faces that feed off our dead skin. GROSS lol But since all humans have them it's "normal" and if it's normal aren't these mites sort of us? :P
I'm a huge skin care buff with all my creams and serums. It was enlightening to note that most of these products aren't even doing anything for my skin. The skin cells pores are too small to fit most of these compounds that are in creams, such as collagen. Vitamin C serum is actually proven to help with ageing though. But what's more effective is just ingesting a Vitamin C supplement into your diet. All these creams and serums at Sephora are all just marketing and advertising.
What was also impactful to me is how he talks about how we as a society over clean ourselves. Too much soap for one thing. You shouldn't soap your body every day, if anything just soap under your arm pits, groin, and feet. With so often excessive usage the soap just dries out your skin and tells your body to produce tons more oils because they're getting stripped right off constantly. There is such a thing as good bacteria and nuking your skin is not going to help.
Along the way he realizes that most of our standards of cleanliness are less related to health than most people think. A major part of the picture has been missing: a little-known ecosystem known as the skin microbiome. This is the future of skin care - improving our skin and even whole bodies microbiome. Whether it be through pre and probiotics who knows, but there's a lot to discover there.
History of hygiene and soap:
I learned all about the history of soap and how it's made and the advertising and marketing revolution behind it. I didn't know Sunlight, Palmolive and Johnson and Johnson were started in like the 1800's early 1900's.
August 4, 2020
The book was good. I listened to it on Audible so I’m sure I could’ve gotten more out of it if I had read a physical copy but I enjoyed it. I said “hm!” a lot while listening to it.
My main critique is that I was hoping that it would be more of a commentary and lesson on what cleanliness means to different people around the globe as opposed to more of a history of how the modern skincare industry came to be but that can be another book, I guess. I also want to give the book grace because a book about cleanliness and our obsession with it coming out during the COVID pandemic is just terrible timing (or is it?).
Overall I thought the book was interesting, insightful, seemingly well researched, and easy to read/listen to - just what I look for in nonfiction.
My main critique is that I was hoping that it would be more of a commentary and lesson on what cleanliness means to different people around the globe as opposed to more of a history of how the modern skincare industry came to be but that can be another book, I guess. I also want to give the book grace because a book about cleanliness and our obsession with it coming out during the COVID pandemic is just terrible timing (or is it?).
Overall I thought the book was interesting, insightful, seemingly well researched, and easy to read/listen to - just what I look for in nonfiction.
October 11, 2020
This is less about skin care than it is about hygiene in general; Hamblin tackles the history of soap and the soap industry, the beauty industry, microbiomes, public toilets, and the connections between our various bodily systems. I wish that he would have been a little bit more focused on skin care specifically, but as it is, Hamblin doesn't purport to tell you what to do; this isn't a how-to manual for minimalist skin care. He's also not particularly draconian about anything (and his humor is great!). Basically, he encourages everyone to be aware of how brand marketing and influencer culture can be tricky and get us to buy things we don't need, but he stops short of actually discouraging any particular practice. I wish he'd hedged less, but I think the hedging was on purpose, as it goes to his overall point that hygine and cleanliness are a matter of balance and individualism.
November 3, 2021
I read it with very heavy yawn and silent weight on chest.
This book composed of : 10% : true information, 30% : history of marketing strategies behind various beauty products, 50% : Author travelling here and there and contemplating on beauty industry and commenting on not-bathing / others do not taking bath / talking to people, 10% social commentary ...
No great insight. It was so boring ... Last book of James Hamblin's book 'If our bodies could talk' had so much information inside that but this was really less on information.
This book composed of : 10% : true information, 30% : history of marketing strategies behind various beauty products, 50% : Author travelling here and there and contemplating on beauty industry and commenting on not-bathing / others do not taking bath / talking to people, 10% social commentary ...
No great insight. It was so boring ... Last book of James Hamblin's book 'If our bodies could talk' had so much information inside that but this was really less on information.
January 20, 2024
This book is a hot take on what it means to be “clean.” The author talks about the culturally imbued meaning of being clean and healthy, arguing that the general belief that cleanliness and anti microbial products go hand in hand is actually harmful for health. He talks about the balance of microorganisms on the skin and how a lot of the products we use actually damage the microbial communities that support life in and on us. Really interesting. Especially when he talks about how being “clean” is much more than being germ-free: it’s viewed as a sign of respect for yourself and others, a status of wealth, and a reflection of your overall health and beauty. This cultural idea of cleanliness is fueled by consumerism in the beauty and skincare space. There’s a shift in the ideology as of lately—more indie skin care brands are coming up with probiotic products instead of traditional antibiotic products. Just an overall interesting take on human microbiology—is it always better to take away bacteria or should we actually maintain bacterial communities in and on us?
January 22, 2021
This is one of those books that takes commonly accepted wisdom--Cleanliness as we define it is GOOD! Get rid of all the germs!--and turns it on its head in regard to skin. Thanks to chronic cystic acne, I've spent a fair amount of time trying various remedies, all to different levels of success: Proactiv, antibiotics, topical treatments, and Accutane. While Hamblin doesn't disprove these treatments completely--and they do work for many people, myself included--this book suggests that skin-related problems lie more in the environmental conditions of early childhood than in a lack of cleanliness on the level of our personal hygiene practices. People who are exposed to environmental bacteria at an early age tend to grow up without many of our "modern" diseases, like asthma, eczema, food allergies, and even acne.
Also: soap is just one big marketing scheme. For me, that was the other big revelatory point of this book. So much of what we consider to be essential to our personal hygiene and skin care routines is just some really good marketing on behalf of those industries. (Hamblin doesn't discount the fact that hand-washing prevents disease--this is mostly a takedown of the notion that it's good to scrub every inch of our skin free of everything in the shower.)
While I found this informative and well-paced for a nonfiction book about skin (and thus worth five stars), I do think the story Hamblin tells is shaded by his male perspective. It's a heck of a lot easier for men to swear off things like regular showering and hair-washing than it is for women. I wish the motivations behind women adopting intricate, "age-defying" skin care routines--namely, the stigma around female aging--had been discussed more. But beyond that, read this to learn about the scam that is soap.
Also: soap is just one big marketing scheme. For me, that was the other big revelatory point of this book. So much of what we consider to be essential to our personal hygiene and skin care routines is just some really good marketing on behalf of those industries. (Hamblin doesn't discount the fact that hand-washing prevents disease--this is mostly a takedown of the notion that it's good to scrub every inch of our skin free of everything in the shower.)
While I found this informative and well-paced for a nonfiction book about skin (and thus worth five stars), I do think the story Hamblin tells is shaded by his male perspective. It's a heck of a lot easier for men to swear off things like regular showering and hair-washing than it is for women. I wish the motivations behind women adopting intricate, "age-defying" skin care routines--namely, the stigma around female aging--had been discussed more. But beyond that, read this to learn about the scam that is soap.
October 1, 2023
ถ้าผมบอกว่า ปัญหาด้านสุขภาพที่เกิดขึ้นกับเราทุกวันนี้ ไม่ได้มาจาก ความสกปรก แต่มาจาก "ความสะอาดมากเกินไป" จะเป็นยังไงครับ
ปัญหาด้านสุขภาพที่เราได้ยินกันมาตั้งแต่เด็กๆ คือ เกิดจากความสกปรก ไม่อาบน้ำไม่ล้างมือ หรือทำแหละแต่ทำน้อยเกินไป จนเชื้อโรคมันไม่ตายแล้วเข้าสู่ร่างกายของเรา เราเลยป่วย จบ....
แต่แท้ที่จริง มันเป็นแบบนั้นหรือเปล่าครับ
หนังสือเล่มนี้กำลังบอกเราว่า ไม่ใช่เช่นนั้นเสมอไป
ที่ผ่านมา การที่เราส่วนใหญ่ให้ความสำคัญกับความสะอาดมากกกกก (จนถึงระดับสะอาดเวอร์ๆ ฆ่าเชื้อ 99.99999 แบบในยุคปัจจุบัน) นอกจากความรู้ด้านวิทยาศาสตร์ในเรื่องเชื้อโรคที่พึ่งถูกค้นพบแล้ว อิทธิพลทีส่งผลกระทบต่อเรามากที่สุด คือการโฆษณาของเจ้าของผลิตภัณฑ์ทำความสะอาดครับ
ความรู้ด้านวิทยาศาสตร์ไม่ได้ส่งผลต่อความคิดความเชื่อของเรามากขนาดนั้น การโฆษณาแบบบ้าคลั่งของเจ้าของผลิคภัณฑ์ทำความสะอาดต่างหากที่ทำให้เราเชื่อว่าชีวิตที่ดีคือชีวิตที่สะอาดดดดดดดดดดดมากกกกกกกก โดยมันเริ่มต้นมาตั้งเเต่ยุคที่สบู่ครองพื้นที่สื่อโฆษณาในสหรัฐอเมริกา (ซึ่งเป็นที่มาของคำว่า Soap Opera)
จากการรับรู้ที่โหมกระหน่ำ ทำให้เกิดผลกระทบต่อการรับรู้ถึงชีวิตที่ดี คือ ชีวิตที่สะอาด เราเลยใช้ผลิตภัณฑ์ทุกอย่างที่ฆ่าเชื้อ ปลอดเชื้อ ทำลายเชื้อ เรียกว่าตั้งเเต่หัวยันนิ้วเท้า ตัวเราสะอาดแทบจะไม่มีเชื้อโรค หรือ จุลชีวินใดๆอาศัยอยู่เลย
เเต่มันดีจริงๆหรือเปล่าครับ
ในวงการวิทยาศาสตร์เกิดความรู้เเขนงใหม่ขึ้นไม่นานมานี้ ว่าแท้ที่จริง ชีวิตที่ดีมีคุณภาพ อาจจะไม่ใช่ชีวิตที่ปลอดเชื้อ แต่คือชีวิตที่อยู่ร่วมกับเชื้อ เพราะสิ่งนี้คือวิวัฒนาการของมนุษย์มานานนับล้านปีแล้ว
ลองนึกภาพว่าตัวเราเป็นบ้านหลายชั้นนะครับ แล้วจุลชีวินที่วิวัฒนาการมาพร้อมกับเรา คือ เหล่าผู้อยู่อาศัย
จุลชีวินพวกนี้ ไม่ใช่ศัตรูกับเราที่ก่อให้เกิดโรคในมนุษย์เสมอไป หลายตัวคือ มิตรแท้ของมนุษย์ ที่ทำหน้าที่ช่วยเหลือหรือปรับระบบในร่างกายของเราให้สมดุล เช่น สมมติบางตัว อาจเป็นช่างประชาในบ้าน ที่ช่วยในการไหลเวียนของเหลวในร่างกาย หรือบางตัว อาจเป็นช่างทาสีของบ้าน ที่ทาสีที่อาจจะเป็นเกราะป้องกันบ้านต่ออันตรายต่างๆที่ผู้รุกรานจะเข้ามาทำลายบ้านหลังนี้
แต่ด้วยความเชื่อที่เราคิดว่าจุลชีวินเหล่านี้ทุกตัวคือ ตัวร้าย เราเลยทำลายเพื่อนของเ��าราบพินาศไปจนหมด ไม่สนใครดีใครร้าย ซึ่งกลับกลายเป็นว่า เหล่าผู้อยู่อาศัยที่ช่วยเหลือเราต่างๆพวกนี้ ตายกันหมด ร่างกายของเราเลยแปรปรวน อ่อนแอป่วยง่าย ซึ่งมักจะเป็นโรคที่เกิดขึ้นกับคนชนชั้นกลางหรือคนรวยที่ใช้ชีวิตโดยไม่สัมผัสธรรมชาติ อยู่แต่ห้องเเอร์ปรับอากาศ โรคพวกนี้ เช่น ภูมิแพ้ ผิวหนังอักเสบ หรือโรคที่เรียกว่าโรคคนรวยนั่นแหละครับ
ทำให้เราต้องย้อนกลับมาคิดว่า ผลิตภัณฑ์ที่เราใช้อยู่นั้นมันมากเกินความจำเป็น และให้ประโยชน์ต่อเราจริงหรือไม่ หรือจริงๆแล้วมันเรากำลังทำร้ายตัวเองอยู่ทุกวันแต่กลับคิดเอาว่าเรากำลังเอาสิ่งดีๆเข้าสู่ตัว นี่ยังไม่นับว่า ชีวิตของเราทุกวันนี้ที่ขาดการสัมผัสธรรมชาติซึ่งเป็นบ่อเกิดของการรับจุลชีวินชั้นดี ก็เป็นอีกสาเหตุหนึึ่งที่ทำให้เราขาดซึ่งความหลากหลายของจุลชีวิน เพราะหากนึกดูแล้ว บรรบุรุษของเราเติบโตมากับการเดิน หาของป่าล่าสัตว์ ได้รับและสัมผัสกับดิน ป่าไม้ สัตว์ต่างๆ แลกเปลี่ยนจุลชีวินชั้นดีที่จะกลายมาเป็นเพื่อนแท้ของเราในเวลาต่อมา แต่ชีวิตในทุกวันนี้ นอกจากเราจะไม่ได้ต้อนรับเพื่อนของเราแล้ว เพื่อที่มีโอกาสได้เข้ามา เราก็ดันไปฆ่าเขาทิ้งซะอย่างงั้น
แต่หนังสือก็ไม่ได้บอกเล่าเพียงแค่ปัญหาความสะอาดนะครับ เพราะปัญหาความไม่สะอาดก็เป็นปัญหาที่ก่อให้เกิดโรค ความตายให้กับคนอีกหลายล้านคนอยู่จริงๆ ปัญหาการเข้าถึงน้ำสะอาด ส้วมที่ถูกสุขลักษณะ ยังคงดำรงอยู่และไม่เคยได้รับการแก้ไขเสียที ทั้งๆที่มันคือปัจจัยพื้นฐานของชีวิตที่ดีในฐานะมนุษย์
ทำให้ปัญหาที่แท้จริงในทุกวันนี้ คือ ซีกมุมหนึ่ง มันสะอาดดจนเกินไป ส่วนอีกซีกมุมหนึ่ง มันสะอาดน้อยเกินไป การหาจุดสมดุลคือทางออกของชีวิตที่ดีในยุคสมัยนี้ ดังเช่นบทสุดท้ายที่ ผู้เขียน James Hamblin คุณหมอและนักเขียนด้านสุขภาพ กล่าวเอาไว้ในตอนท้ายของหนังสือว่า
"ความสะอาด อาจหานิยามได้ยาก แต่มันก็เป็นคำที่เปี่ยมด้วยความหมาย มันสื่อถึงทั้งการปลีกตัวและกำจัดเชื้อ ทั้งความหลากหลายและการอยู่ร่วมกัน มาตรฐานที่กำหนดว่าอะไรเป็นที่ยอมรับได้ขึ้นอยู่กับผู้คนในสังคม ทั้งยังเปลี่ยนแปลงอยู่เรื่อย ๆ และไม่เที่ยงตรงเสมอหน้ากัน กระนั้น ด้วยการคำนึงถึงระบบนิเวศจุลชีวิน เราจะตระหนักยิ่งขึ้นว่าการดูแลผิวของเราไม่ได้ส่งผลต่อเราเพียงคนเดียว มีชุมชนมากมายอยู่บนร่างกายและรอบตัวเรา พวกเขาส่งผลกระทบต่อทุกสิ่งที่เราทำ และทุกอย่างที่เราทำส่งผลกระทบต่อพวกเขา
ในโลกอุดมคติ ภารกิจเพื่อไขว่คว้าความสะอาดอาจไม่ได้ดำเนินไปด้วยการพะวงถึงมาตรฐานการปลอดเชื้ออันเข้มงวด แต่เป็นการโอบรับความซับซ้อนของเราให้มากขึ้น เป็นการทำความเข้าใจโลกใบนี้ในฐานะส่วนขยายของเรา เมื่อเราหาจุดสมดุลระหว่างการรักษาสุขอนามัยและการโอบรับโลกที่มีความหมายยิ่งได้แล้ว ความรู้สึกเป็นอันหนึ่งอันเดียวกับทุกสิ่งซึ่งเป็นผลลัพธ์นั้นอาจใกล้เคียงแก่นแท้ของความสะอาดที่สุดในทุกนิยามที่ผมเคยพบมา"
ปล.อ่านเล่มนี้ ควบคุ่กับเล่ม เพื่อนเก่าที่หายสาบสูญ: สุขภาพดีด้วยการดูแลระบบนิเวศในร่างกาย ของ นายเเพทย์ชัชพล ที่พูดถึงจุลชีวินในระบบทางเดินอาหารและลำไส้ ที่เปรียบเป็นสมองที่สองของร่างกาย จะครบถ้วนมากเลยหละครับ
ปัญหาด้านสุขภาพที่เราได้ยินกันมาตั้งแต่เด็กๆ คือ เกิดจากความสกปรก ไม่อาบน้ำไม่ล้างมือ หรือทำแหละแต่ทำน้อยเกินไป จนเชื้อโรคมันไม่ตายแล้วเข้าสู่ร่างกายของเรา เราเลยป่วย จบ....
แต่แท้ที่จริง มันเป็นแบบนั้นหรือเปล่าครับ
หนังสือเล่มนี้กำลังบอกเราว่า ไม่ใช่เช่นนั้นเสมอไป
ที่ผ่านมา การที่เราส่วนใหญ่ให้ความสำคัญกับความสะอาดมากกกกก (จนถึงระดับสะอาดเวอร์ๆ ฆ่าเชื้อ 99.99999 แบบในยุคปัจจุบัน) นอกจากความรู้ด้านวิทยาศาสตร์ในเรื่องเชื้อโรคที่พึ่งถูกค้นพบแล้ว อิทธิพลทีส่งผลกระทบต่อเรามากที่สุด คือการโฆษณาของเจ้าของผลิตภัณฑ์ทำความสะอาดครับ
ความรู้ด้านวิทยาศาสตร์ไม่ได้ส่งผลต่อความคิดความเชื่อของเรามากขนาดนั้น การโฆษณาแบบบ้าคลั่งของเจ้าของผลิคภัณฑ์ทำความสะอาดต่างหากที่ทำให้เราเชื่อว่าชีวิตที่ดีคือชีวิตที่สะอาดดดดดดดดดดดมากกกกกกกก โดยมันเริ่มต้นมาตั้งเเต่ยุคที่สบู่ครองพื้นที่สื่อโฆษณาในสหรัฐอเมริกา (ซึ่งเป็นที่มาของคำว่า Soap Opera)
จากการรับรู้ที่โหมกระหน่ำ ทำให้เกิดผลกระทบต่อการรับรู้ถึงชีวิตที่ดี คือ ชีวิตที่สะอาด เราเลยใช้ผลิตภัณฑ์ทุกอย่างที่ฆ่าเชื้อ ปลอดเชื้อ ทำลายเชื้อ เรียกว่าตั้งเเต่หัวยันนิ้วเท้า ตัวเราสะอาดแทบจะไม่มีเชื้อโรค หรือ จุลชีวินใดๆอาศัยอยู่เลย
เเต่มันดีจริงๆหรือเปล่าครับ
ในวงการวิทยาศาสตร์เกิดความรู้เเขนงใหม่ขึ้นไม่นานมานี้ ว่าแท้ที่จริง ชีวิตที่ดีมีคุณภาพ อาจจะไม่ใช่ชีวิตที่ปลอดเชื้อ แต่คือชีวิตที่อยู่ร่วมกับเชื้อ เพราะสิ่งนี้คือวิวัฒนาการของมนุษย์มานานนับล้านปีแล้ว
ลองนึกภาพว่าตัวเราเป็นบ้านหลายชั้นนะครับ แล้วจุลชีวินที่วิวัฒนาการมาพร้อมกับเรา คือ เหล่าผู้อยู่อาศัย
จุลชีวินพวกนี้ ไม่ใช่ศัตรูกับเราที่ก่อให้เกิดโรคในมนุษย์เสมอไป หลายตัวคือ มิตรแท้ของมนุษย์ ที่ทำหน้าที่ช่วยเหลือหรือปรับระบบในร่างกายของเราให้สมดุล เช่น สมมติบางตัว อาจเป็นช่างประชาในบ้าน ที่ช่วยในการไหลเวียนของเหลวในร่างกาย หรือบางตัว อาจเป็นช่างทาสีของบ้าน ที่ทาสีที่อาจจะเป็นเกราะป้องกันบ้านต่ออันตรายต่างๆที่ผู้รุกรานจะเข้ามาทำลายบ้านหลังนี้
แต่ด้วยความเชื่อที่เราคิดว่าจุลชีวินเหล่านี้ทุกตัวคือ ตัวร้าย เราเลยทำลายเพื่อนของเ��าราบพินาศไปจนหมด ไม่สนใครดีใครร้าย ซึ่งกลับกลายเป็นว่า เหล่าผู้อยู่อาศัยที่ช่วยเหลือเราต่างๆพวกนี้ ตายกันหมด ร่างกายของเราเลยแปรปรวน อ่อนแอป่วยง่าย ซึ่งมักจะเป็นโรคที่เกิดขึ้นกับคนชนชั้นกลางหรือคนรวยที่ใช้ชีวิตโดยไม่สัมผัสธรรมชาติ อยู่แต่ห้องเเอร์ปรับอากาศ โรคพวกนี้ เช่น ภูมิแพ้ ผิวหนังอักเสบ หรือโรคที่เรียกว่าโรคคนรวยนั่นแหละครับ
ทำให้เราต้องย้อนกลับมาคิดว่า ผลิตภัณฑ์ที่เราใช้อยู่นั้นมันมากเกินความจำเป็น และให้ประโยชน์ต่อเราจริงหรือไม่ หรือจริงๆแล้วมันเรากำลังทำร้ายตัวเองอยู่ทุกวันแต่กลับคิดเอาว่าเรากำลังเอาสิ่งดีๆเข้าสู่ตัว นี่ยังไม่นับว่า ชีวิตของเราทุกวันนี้ที่ขาดการสัมผัสธรรมชาติซึ่งเป็นบ่อเกิดของการรับจุลชีวินชั้นดี ก็เป็นอีกสาเหตุหนึึ่งที่ทำให้เราขาดซึ่งความหลากหลายของจุลชีวิน เพราะหากนึกดูแล้ว บรรบุรุษของเราเติบโตมากับการเดิน หาของป่าล่าสัตว์ ได้รับและสัมผัสกับดิน ป่าไม้ สัตว์ต่างๆ แลกเปลี่ยนจุลชีวินชั้นดีที่จะกลายมาเป็นเพื่อนแท้ของเราในเวลาต่อมา แต่ชีวิตในทุกวันนี้ นอกจากเราจะไม่ได้ต้อนรับเพื่อนของเราแล้ว เพื่อที่มีโอกาสได้เข้ามา เราก็ดันไปฆ่าเขาทิ้งซะอย่างงั้น
แต่หนังสือก็ไม่ได้บอกเล่าเพียงแค่ปัญหาความสะอาดนะครับ เพราะปัญหาความไม่สะอาดก็เป็นปัญหาที่ก่อให้เกิดโรค ความตายให้กับคนอีกหลายล้านคนอยู่จริงๆ ปัญหาการเข้าถึงน้ำสะอาด ส้วมที่ถูกสุขลักษณะ ยังคงดำรงอยู่และไม่เคยได้รับการแก้ไขเสียที ทั้งๆที่มันคือปัจจัยพื้นฐานของชีวิตที่ดีในฐานะมนุษย์
ทำให้ปัญหาที่แท้จริงในทุกวันนี้ คือ ซีกมุมหนึ่ง มันสะอาดดจนเกินไป ส่วนอีกซีกมุมหนึ่ง มันสะอาดน้อยเกินไป การหาจุดสมดุลคือทางออกของชีวิตที่ดีในยุคสมัยนี้ ดังเช่นบทสุดท้ายที่ ผู้เขียน James Hamblin คุณหมอและนักเขียนด้านสุขภาพ กล่าวเอาไว้ในตอนท้ายของหนังสือว่า
"ความสะอาด อาจหานิยามได้ยาก แต่มันก็เป็นคำที่เปี่ยมด้วยความหมาย มันสื่อถึงทั้งการปลีกตัวและกำจัดเชื้อ ทั้งความหลากหลายและการอยู่ร่วมกัน มาตรฐานที่กำหนดว่าอะไรเป็นที่ยอมรับได้ขึ้นอยู่กับผู้คนในสังคม ทั้งยังเปลี่ยนแปลงอยู่เรื่อย ๆ และไม่เที่ยงตรงเสมอหน้ากัน กระนั้น ด้วยการคำนึงถึงระบบนิเวศจุลชีวิน เราจะตระหนักยิ่งขึ้นว่าการดูแลผิวของเราไม่ได้ส่งผลต่อเราเพียงคนเดียว มีชุมชนมากมายอยู่บนร่างกายและรอบตัวเรา พวกเขาส่งผลกระทบต่อทุกสิ่งที่เราทำ และทุกอย่างที่เราทำส่งผลกระทบต่อพวกเขา
ในโลกอุดมคติ ภารกิจเพื่อไขว่คว้าความสะอาดอาจไม่ได้ดำเนินไปด้วยการพะวงถึงมาตรฐานการปลอดเชื้ออันเข้มงวด แต่เป็นการโอบรับความซับซ้อนของเราให้มากขึ้น เป็นการทำความเข้าใจโลกใบนี้ในฐานะส่วนขยายของเรา เมื่อเราหาจุดสมดุลระหว่างการรักษาสุขอนามัยและการโอบรับโลกที่มีความหมายยิ่งได้แล้ว ความรู้สึกเป็นอันหนึ่งอันเดียวกับทุกสิ่งซึ่งเป็นผลลัพธ์นั้นอาจใกล้เคียงแก่นแท้ของความสะอาดที่สุดในทุกนิยามที่ผมเคยพบมา"
ปล.อ่านเล่มนี้ ควบคุ่กับเล่ม เพื่อนเก่าที่หายสาบสูญ: สุขภาพดีด้วยการดูแลระบบนิเวศในร่างกาย ของ นายเเพทย์ชัชพล ที่พูดถึงจุลชีวินในระบบทางเดินอาหารและลำไส้ ที่เปรียบเป็นสมองที่สองของร่างกาย จะครบถ้วนมากเลยหละครับ
October 7, 2022
"Some ideas about cleanliness are nearly universal, driven by senses of disgust and revulsion that have evolutionary roots in disease avoidance and self-preservation. But others go far beyond the science of infectious disease or toxic exposure. Routines adopted to protect ourselves from disease have become enmeshed with routines that are socially determined, passed down through complex belief systems that define where we fit into the world and help us hit the right balance of belonging and uniqueness."
Clean was an interesting look into the topic, but it could have taken a deeper dive at times (IMHO). I'll go through the book first, and then get to my criticisms after.
Author James Hamblin is an American physician specializing in public health and preventive medicine. He is a former staff writer at The Atlantic, an author, and a lecturer in public health policy at Yale University.
James Hamblin:
Many (or even most) people who live in advanced societies shower daily, some even multiple times per day. They use soaps and skin care creams. They have elaborate skin care rituals. But how much of this is necessary? Could any of it actually be detrimental? The author seeks to examine these questions here.
Hamblin opens the book with a well written prologue. He has a great writing style that's both easy and engaging, and I found the book to have great flow. The formatting of the book was also very well done. It is broken into chapters, and each chapter into large chunks of writing that proceed in a coherent fashion.
He continues the quote above:
Continuing on, he notes that the effects of excessive cleanliness can actually be damaging, saying:
He also mentions a recent trend in the incidence of acne, and wonders if newer skin-care regimens are to blame. He writes that he stopped showering for a time, saying:
However, the writing in the book does not advocate for an individual to discard all personal hygiene. Hamblin takes a nuanced approach, and drops this quote near the end of the book:
Ok, so now on to my criticisms of the book. From its title, I was expecting more science on the emerging research into the human microbiome. While that is covered here- the depth is lacking. Also lacking is coverage and empirical data on many of the things we most often apply to our skin; namely cosmetics, lotions, and sunscreen. I'm shocked that these were not examined in this book. A definite shortcoming; I'm deducting points for the exclusion of these here, as they are essentially germane to any book with a title like this...
Some more of what is covered here by the author includes:
• The human disgust mechanism
• The history of bathing; miasma theory
• The history of soap production; the roots of Unilever. Ivory Soap
• The multi billion dollar skin care industry. The author produces his own trendy soap brand.
• The low incidence of skin problems in the Amish community.
• The daily usage of antibiotics to combat acne.
• Lifebuoy Soap; the coining of the term "BO," or body-odour. The harmful chemical triclosan.
• The human microbiome.
• The VOCs people emit; detecting Parkinson's, cancer and other diseases with a person's VOC emissions. Pheromones.
• Probiotics; auto-immune diseases.
• Recycling used hotel soap.
• Hygiene. Feminine hygiene; douching.
• The creation of New York City's Central Park.
**********************
I enjoyed the writing presented in Clean. The author did a decent job putting this one together.
I would recommend it to anyone interested.
4 stars.
Clean was an interesting look into the topic, but it could have taken a deeper dive at times (IMHO). I'll go through the book first, and then get to my criticisms after.
Author James Hamblin is an American physician specializing in public health and preventive medicine. He is a former staff writer at The Atlantic, an author, and a lecturer in public health policy at Yale University.
James Hamblin:
Many (or even most) people who live in advanced societies shower daily, some even multiple times per day. They use soaps and skin care creams. They have elaborate skin care rituals. But how much of this is necessary? Could any of it actually be detrimental? The author seeks to examine these questions here.
Hamblin opens the book with a well written prologue. He has a great writing style that's both easy and engaging, and I found the book to have great flow. The formatting of the book was also very well done. It is broken into chapters, and each chapter into large chunks of writing that proceed in a coherent fashion.
He continues the quote above:
"...That basic philosophy made me only more curious about the money and time we collectively invest in skin care—and the standards that define what’s acceptable. Many of these can be traced to an industry that has, for the past two hundred years, sold us promises of health, happiness, beauty, and all manner of acceptance based on literally superficial fixes. And so I ended up on a multiyear journey through the history and science of soap, deconstructing the fortunes, products, and belief systems it has spawned, from the “soap boom” of the nineteenth century right up to the modern skin care industry. After talking to microbiologists, allergists, geneticists, ecologists, estheticians, bar-soap enthusiasts, venture capitalists, historians, Amish people, international aid workers, and a few straight-up scam artists, I came to believe that we are at the beginning of a dramatic shift in the basic conception of what it means to be clean..."
Continuing on, he notes that the effects of excessive cleanliness can actually be damaging, saying:
"As the scope and intensity of global cleaning practices has escalated, we’ve been oblivious to their effects on the trillions of microbes that live on our skin. Scientists are only now learning just how these microbes influence processes throughout our bodies. The vast majority of our skin microbes seem to be not simply harmless but important to the skin’s function and, so, to the functioning of our immune systems.
The skin microbiome represents a new and important reason to reconsider much of the received wisdom about soap and skin care, and to think deliberately about the daily habits many of us undertake in pursuit of health or well-being. The skin and its microbiome are the interface between our bodies and the natural world. Our microbes are partly us and partly not. Our growing understanding of this complex, diverse ecosystem has the potential to completely change how we think about the barrier between ourselves and our environments."
He also mentions a recent trend in the incidence of acne, and wonders if newer skin-care regimens are to blame. He writes that he stopped showering for a time, saying:
"I’ve never experienced such a balanced mix of love, disgust, curiosity, and vitriol as I did when I wrote a short article for The Atlantic in 2016 about how I had stopped showering. Readers wrote to me by the hundreds to express feelings across the emotional spectrum: to tell me they’d figured out what I figured out long ago, to tell me I was crazy, and to get a sense of whether what they were doing, hygiene-wise, was medically okay."
However, the writing in the book does not advocate for an individual to discard all personal hygiene. Hamblin takes a nuanced approach, and drops this quote near the end of the book:
"I’m not suggesting everyone should give up on skin care or quit showering. More than anything, this whole experiment helped me understand their value. These habits are profoundly personal, and it’s important that decisions about them are made with maximal autonomy. This requires information, though, and this is where the landscape is skewed heavily toward systems that don’t always work in our favor. This book is meant only to offer an alternative perspective on how our personal care habits affect our bodies and the communities on and around us. Advancing public health depends on constantly questioning the systems that presume to set the standards for what we consume and how we behave. It depends on understanding that we are all in this together, and that no challenges will be solved by sealing ourselves away from the exposures that sustain us, chasing some ineffable state of being clean..."
Ok, so now on to my criticisms of the book. From its title, I was expecting more science on the emerging research into the human microbiome. While that is covered here- the depth is lacking. Also lacking is coverage and empirical data on many of the things we most often apply to our skin; namely cosmetics, lotions, and sunscreen. I'm shocked that these were not examined in this book. A definite shortcoming; I'm deducting points for the exclusion of these here, as they are essentially germane to any book with a title like this...
Some more of what is covered here by the author includes:
• The human disgust mechanism
• The history of bathing; miasma theory
• The history of soap production; the roots of Unilever. Ivory Soap
• The multi billion dollar skin care industry. The author produces his own trendy soap brand.
• The low incidence of skin problems in the Amish community.
• The daily usage of antibiotics to combat acne.
• Lifebuoy Soap; the coining of the term "BO," or body-odour. The harmful chemical triclosan.
• The human microbiome.
• The VOCs people emit; detecting Parkinson's, cancer and other diseases with a person's VOC emissions. Pheromones.
• Probiotics; auto-immune diseases.
• Recycling used hotel soap.
• Hygiene. Feminine hygiene; douching.
• The creation of New York City's Central Park.
**********************
I enjoyed the writing presented in Clean. The author did a decent job putting this one together.
I would recommend it to anyone interested.
4 stars.
April 1, 2023
Well, this was delightful! I feel vindicated as someone with a very simple "skincare regimen" of dove soap and cerave.
.
I learned a lot of new and interesting things about skin, the history of the skin care industry, and even what a soap opera was originally.
.
This was funnier than I expected, and the audiobook was wonderful.
.
I learned a lot of new and interesting things about skin, the history of the skin care industry, and even what a soap opera was originally.
.
This was funnier than I expected, and the audiobook was wonderful.
June 3, 2021
In Clean, James Hamblin, a physician and journalist, observed that he had not showered in five years. I wondered what Hamblin does instead. Would I even want to be in the same room with him? What kinds of exercise, if any, does he engage in and what does he do instead? (Inquiring minds want to know). His tidbit, never expanded on to my satisfaction, kept me reading.
Cleanliness is a good thing. Cleanliness decreases the spread of COVID, the flu, diarrhea, pneumonia, trachoma, and cholera. When physicians (finally) started washing their hands when delivering childbirth, maternal mortality plummeted. (Thank you, Dr. Semmelweis!) Introducing handwashing was not as easily accepted as you might guess, though.
Cleanliness is no longer only about disease avoidance but also privilege and status, and Hamblin points out that a variety of health problems are related to removing microbiomes through overwashing (e.g., gonorrhea, chlamydia. You can have too much of a good thing.
Cleanliness is good, but as Hamblin observed, at this point our focus in developed nations should be on "building… active, collaborative, engaged, social lifestyles," We should be eating and sleeping well, building our relationships with others, and spending time in nature.
Clean is an interesting overview of the soap and cleanliness industries, also looking at cosmetics, marketing, culture, health, and politics. Unfortunately, his presentation was sometimes slick enough – no pun intended – that I had difficulty tracking where I was and where Hamblin was going.
My daughter, who was considering reading Clean, described it as a Netflix documentary-style book, a video genre that we both like. Her description made me back up and (finally) finish reading Clean; nonetheless, video tends to hold a rambling and curious thread together for me in a way that text alone did not. Perhaps I missed the graphics.
At any rate, I'm looking forward to watching Clean on Netflix, where it deserves to be. You know that I will be checking out Hamblin's grooming.
Cleanliness is a good thing. Cleanliness decreases the spread of COVID, the flu, diarrhea, pneumonia, trachoma, and cholera. When physicians (finally) started washing their hands when delivering childbirth, maternal mortality plummeted. (Thank you, Dr. Semmelweis!) Introducing handwashing was not as easily accepted as you might guess, though.
Cleanliness is no longer only about disease avoidance but also privilege and status, and Hamblin points out that a variety of health problems are related to removing microbiomes through overwashing (e.g., gonorrhea, chlamydia. You can have too much of a good thing.
Cleanliness is good, but as Hamblin observed, at this point our focus in developed nations should be on "building… active, collaborative, engaged, social lifestyles," We should be eating and sleeping well, building our relationships with others, and spending time in nature.
Clean is an interesting overview of the soap and cleanliness industries, also looking at cosmetics, marketing, culture, health, and politics. Unfortunately, his presentation was sometimes slick enough – no pun intended – that I had difficulty tracking where I was and where Hamblin was going.
My daughter, who was considering reading Clean, described it as a Netflix documentary-style book, a video genre that we both like. Her description made me back up and (finally) finish reading Clean; nonetheless, video tends to hold a rambling and curious thread together for me in a way that text alone did not. Perhaps I missed the graphics.
At any rate, I'm looking forward to watching Clean on Netflix, where it deserves to be. You know that I will be checking out Hamblin's grooming.
August 31, 2021
So much validation in reducing skin and hair care product use. I wasn't expecting this book to be as much about business as science, but that's soap for you, apparently - selling products because people love to buy things, not because they are actually healthy at all. I picked this book up after an aggressive hospital-dictated skin scrubbing routine before a surgery destroyed my skin biome and left me vulnerable to a traumatic fungal infection over my arms and neck that lasted for many months. Enter my awareness of my own skin biome.
I also recently started using antibiotic cream - which works but feels like a slippery slope and generally not good for society and the future of immunity - on my face to combat this rosacea which apparently is my destiny as a sensitive middle aged white lady. But... My skin already is way less inflamed from going back to the old simple routine of... Basically nothing. I've totally dropped using soap/cleanser on my face, and immediately it's improved.
Bottom line - soap is for clothes, dishes, household, and not for your body. But it is a massive, ultra-profitable industry only getting more and more specialized and expensive with "natural" products that are totally unregulated and can be assumed generally to do more harm than good by stripping away healthy bacteria and oils, and replacing them with poor substitutes (creams, lotions, oils, etc). Your skin is an amazing biome/ecosystem that will protect you from all sorts of unwanted disease by simply being itself. Reduce it's natural capacity at your own risk.
I also recently started using antibiotic cream - which works but feels like a slippery slope and generally not good for society and the future of immunity - on my face to combat this rosacea which apparently is my destiny as a sensitive middle aged white lady. But... My skin already is way less inflamed from going back to the old simple routine of... Basically nothing. I've totally dropped using soap/cleanser on my face, and immediately it's improved.
Bottom line - soap is for clothes, dishes, household, and not for your body. But it is a massive, ultra-profitable industry only getting more and more specialized and expensive with "natural" products that are totally unregulated and can be assumed generally to do more harm than good by stripping away healthy bacteria and oils, and replacing them with poor substitutes (creams, lotions, oils, etc). Your skin is an amazing biome/ecosystem that will protect you from all sorts of unwanted disease by simply being itself. Reduce it's natural capacity at your own risk.
February 25, 2021
This is a pop science survey book on the subject of skin health plus a few other subjects the author has chosen to throw in, like the benefits of city parks to urban dwellers and public health issues which I think detracts from main subject of skin health. Instead of learning about public health and urban parks, I would’ve preferred to add a deeper dive into the why and how bacteria etc. benefit our skin health. In retrospect, it did read a bit like a series of magazines articles strung together.
I found the chapter about the history of soap and the consumer product industry that evolved from using the meat packing industry waste material, animal fat, to be quite interesting.
The frustrating parts of this book were the subjects that seem to be worth exploring more with much more detail, like, "is the skin care industry propagating a model of "perfection" that is not achievable and what effect is that having on the pysche of its consumers" were not addressed. How about discussing the fact brought out in the book that astronomical sums of money are being spent on cosmetics while basic public health sanitation is substandard in many countries? I was also frustrated that I really did not get an understanding of what is good skin hygiene, just an implied nod towards we should be showering less.
I am a fan of this author (and his podcasts and videos) and think this is a read worth trying out for yourself. It well edited, written and is an easy read.
I found the chapter about the history of soap and the consumer product industry that evolved from using the meat packing industry waste material, animal fat, to be quite interesting.
The frustrating parts of this book were the subjects that seem to be worth exploring more with much more detail, like, "is the skin care industry propagating a model of "perfection" that is not achievable and what effect is that having on the pysche of its consumers" were not addressed. How about discussing the fact brought out in the book that astronomical sums of money are being spent on cosmetics while basic public health sanitation is substandard in many countries? I was also frustrated that I really did not get an understanding of what is good skin hygiene, just an implied nod towards we should be showering less.
I am a fan of this author (and his podcasts and videos) and think this is a read worth trying out for yourself. It well edited, written and is an easy read.
August 3, 2020
The main points are that we, humans, overwash and kill off good bacteria in a pursuit of an unrealistic level "cleanliness"... and that skincare companies are producing overpriced, barely-tested products full of mystery ingredients (they don't have to disclose ingredients to FDA) with no substance behind their claims. Oh, and that overuse of skincare products is doing more harm than good. Some interesting information on marketing of the beauty products... such as the profit-driven benefits of the same company having multiple competing products in the same category to give an illusion of choice. The proposed link between increasing instances of allergies and the use disinfectants is also an interesting concept. As someone who has simplified her beauty routine RIGHT down over the last couple of years (and it's been fine - I still look OK, even without serums and acids and special eye creams), the information has not been earth-shatteringly new to me, but does confirm my various readings on the subject.
January 8, 2021
I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I was nervous that it would sound like a dude man-splaining how women are scammed into paying too much for face-goo that doesn't work. Instead, Hamblin does a great job of thoroughly investigating the history and current trends in skincare in a pretty non-judgemental way. He saves his judgement for the regulators and industry instead of making it about people and their choices, as it should be. And, as someone who works in public health, I really appreciate his emphasis on taking care of your insides in order to have nicer outsides.
His writing was engaging, quick-witted and made what could have felt like a lecture into a fascinating micro history.
His writing was engaging, quick-witted and made what could have felt like a lecture into a fascinating micro history.
September 7, 2020
I am a long time skeptic of Big Soap™ and this audiobook reinforced everything I believe. Wash bacteria off your hands, for sure (especially now), but also respect the microbiome on your biggest organ. I love my face mites.
December 30, 2020
A good read for anyone who participated in the ‘do you wash your legs’ Twitter discourse
February 18, 2021
This book is a MUST READ for everyone. REVOLUTIONIZED MY SKIN. I have been struggling with severe eczema on my face for 2+ years (only doesn't seem like it because I was on steroid creams). Without my steroid creams on my face, my cheeks would have so bad of a flare that my skin would crack and ooze yellow pus and that pus would crack and ooze pus of pus. The only treatment doctors or dermatologists would provide were steroid creams. Once one type of steroid cream would stop working, I was prescribed a stronger one, and then a stronger one again.
In a nutshell, from my learnings of this book, I stopped using steroid creams for 1 month and at first, there was a backlash on my cheeks and the flare was there, but a few days later my skin started to clear up, and now my skin is nearly back to normal. It is very dry and feels a little bumpy, but I would rather have that than have volcano-erupting skin like before with being on-off steroid creams. If this is what it's like 1 month off steroid creams, I'm excited about the future!
Reading Clean: The New Science to Skin, has revolutionized how I view skincare and the skincare industry. I love love love how the author critiques the skincare industry and calls out all the BS in their products and calls out the dermatologists/doctors who prescribe steroid creams and antibiotics that are so harmful to our skin and bodies. This book is for everyone, whether you're like me and have been really struggling with skin, or if you're just into skincare (you will save sooo much $$$ reading this book!).
In a nutshell, from my learnings of this book, I stopped using steroid creams for 1 month and at first, there was a backlash on my cheeks and the flare was there, but a few days later my skin started to clear up, and now my skin is nearly back to normal. It is very dry and feels a little bumpy, but I would rather have that than have volcano-erupting skin like before with being on-off steroid creams. If this is what it's like 1 month off steroid creams, I'm excited about the future!
Reading Clean: The New Science to Skin, has revolutionized how I view skincare and the skincare industry. I love love love how the author critiques the skincare industry and calls out all the BS in their products and calls out the dermatologists/doctors who prescribe steroid creams and antibiotics that are so harmful to our skin and bodies. This book is for everyone, whether you're like me and have been really struggling with skin, or if you're just into skincare (you will save sooo much $$$ reading this book!).
November 1, 2021
sorry Beau (my brother) for being disgusted at your infrequent showering and hair washing. turns out you were right. and maybe your feet would have stopped rotting if you would have left those alone too.
for about 5 years, i have showered very minimally, never wash my hair, and use close to nothing on my face. my pscoriasis has cleared up. i don't get huge pimples like i used to. and i finally love my hair. people say i smell like a human. i'll take it.
i am totally on board with this new science. and can't wait to see the result of people letting the bugs on their skin do their thing.
i reeeealllly wish that he would have had more practical tips on this new hygiene.
for about 5 years, i have showered very minimally, never wash my hair, and use close to nothing on my face. my pscoriasis has cleared up. i don't get huge pimples like i used to. and i finally love my hair. people say i smell like a human. i'll take it.
i am totally on board with this new science. and can't wait to see the result of people letting the bugs on their skin do their thing.
i reeeealllly wish that he would have had more practical tips on this new hygiene.
January 13, 2023
hamblin mentions he's written for the atlantic a few times which makes a lot of sense to me -- this had the accessible light touch i associate with magazine writing. i enjoyed it! i didn't really learn an awful lot since he goes for more of an overview and anecdote centered approach then anything like a comprehensive deep dive on skin but tbh i think that's what made it ideal bedtime reading for me so i don't mind. if you want the tl;dr of the book it's basically less is more when it comes to skincare and the best thing you can do is generally just leave your skin alone
(i would read something else if you have actual chronic skin issues, there's just not enough detail or depth here for you to get solutions if that's what you're looking for)
3 stars
(i would read something else if you have actual chronic skin issues, there's just not enough detail or depth here for you to get solutions if that's what you're looking for)
3 stars
April 20, 2021
Many topics are introduced but few are delved in to with much thoroughness: this is an okay introduction into the health policies of cleanliness and health access; there is some information as to the ethical concerns of claims by companies about their skin care products included; and the history of soap and marketing is interesting. The microbiome is a topic on which there seemed to be an imbalance of information - it took me forever to get through it since parts of it were boring.....
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