Clean

I expected a detailed explanation of why no one should shower. Instead i found a mix of history, research, anecdotes, and some dry humor that made for an amusing but educational read. Hamblin takes an evidence-based approach to skincare while also exploring historical and cultural context. I especially appreciate that he doesnt just say were all doing everything wrong and then prescribe a solution or try to sell something (as so many books by doctors do these days). Instead he gives a comprehensive history of how we got to where we are in terms of being too clean and what existing and emerging research has to say on the subject. And rather than being hypercritical or dismissive of those who do spend money on fancy untested products, he acknowledges that many individual decisions around skincare and wellness can be a rational response all things considered. Facials do feel great and many people have tried all traditional treatments before turning to expensive untested regimens. This book is an entertaining and informative read without any of the sensationalist garbage that is so often central to wellness books. Id recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning more about how to take care of their skin and body without having to sift through marketing spin or miracle cures.

James Hamblin is a good writer. He\’s witty, funny and observant, and can even make things as divergently glamorous as the skin\’s microbiome and anuses interesting — up to a point (if you can\’t bear anus talk, Hamblin implores you to reflect deeply on why). To wit, Hamblin\’s writing saves this book, which too often feels rambling and in search of coherent point (and is too obsessed with dogmatically adhering to the theme of \”clean,\” rather than branching out into the theme of skin/skincare more broadly). After finishing this book, I think it would have made a better New Yorker –the magazine that propelled rambling to an art form — article. I am interested in skin and the skincare industry, mainly because I developed a serious and incurable skin disorder in my early 20\’s — which modern science and the skincare industry does not offer much for in terms of treatment. Thus, like many, I have had to use myself as a human guinea pig. Along the way, I have developed quite a curiosity about our collective obsession with skin. I have adopted many of Hamblin\’s minimal skincare habits, although out of pure vanity I put retin-a and sunscreen on my face every single day. But that is my entire skincare regimen…but I digress. Indeed, this book makes a compelling case that we are overdoing it when it comes to skin. My own dermatologist once told me her entire practice exists mainly because of the things people put on their skin…which mess it up. What this book lacks, in my opinion, is talking about the elephant in the room: much of our modern obsession with skincare is nothing more than extreme vanity and fear of aging — believing that all these chemicals in bottles will stop normal human aging (Hamblin\’s book frames our obsession in terms of hygiene, which is only half the story). Talking about skin care products without talking about our internalized ageism — which almost all of us succumb to, in some way or another — limits the scope and appeal of this book. Take my opinion of this book with a big grain of salt, because nothing much was new to me here — but I might be an outlier. I think the modern idea of skincare — spending thousands of dollars and having multi step skin care routines is completely insane, wasteful, an environmental nightmare, misguided and self-absorbed, and I thought that before reading this book and even more justified after having finished it. I think James Hamblin would agree-ish. He says these things in a much gentler, more subversive way. Like I said, Hamblin is an entertaining writer, so even if you grow bored of Clean, like I did, you can stay for the funny.

I did enjoy reading this book especially after seeing the titillating headline that the author has not bathed for years and still manages to function in our society. The prose is very readable, accessible and covers some interesting areas of your skin and the microbiome. The author takes us on some visits to cosmetic and soap companies and waxes poetic or pooh poohs tastefully for reasons that are not always clear to me. However as I got closer to the end, I became anxious…when was he going to cover his experience with not bathing? What about interviewing others who have given up soaping their entire bodies? What have been their experiences? Have there been any controlled trials to prove that we need all the microorganisms colonizing our skin? Or that soap washes them off and the lack thereof can cause disease or skin issues? After washing, do these organisms recolonize quickly, slowly or not at all? None of these questions are answered and he only lightly brushes over his experience. The book smelled OK when I got it so I guess that James does as well.

So, so good. This book takes you on a spirited, often hilarious, sometimes alarming journey through the world of skin care: into the exploding marketplace of cleansers and serums and and probiotic skin sprays, onto the floor of a soap factory, inside the labs of leading microbiome researchers, through the alarmingly loose regulatory system for personal care products and what we\’re starting to learn about how our daily hygiene rituals could affect the trillions of organisms living on our skin. And turns all that into a larger story about cultural beliefs and power structures and the interconnectedness of all our bodies. I learned and laughed so much while reading it. If you\’re interested in science or capitalism or public health, or trying to navigate the vast universe of skin care products, or you\’re just pushing the limits of personal hygiene during the pandemic and wondering if you should go take a shower … do yourself a favor and read Clean.

Once we were ignorant of microbes, then we discovered them and then we spent a century trying to eliminate them and now we have just discovered that we rely on them for our very existence! We are hosts to trillions of invisible guests and fellow travelers that are essential to our life and health. There are more of them than cells in our bodies and we need to take better care of them.

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