Our hygiene practices can have surprising and unintended effects as this informative and
entertaining introduction to the new science of skin microbes and probiotics reveals 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 ine¬ffective 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 examines how the health of our skin is influenced by
the world around us in unexpected ways. He argues that 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 our bodies smell. To determine how this new understanding of skin will change our
hygiene and skin-care habits Hamblin talks to dermatologists probiotic researchers
allergists immunologists estheticians bar-soap enthusiasts venture capitalists Amish
people theologians and straight-up scam artists. 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. Embracing a new
definition of clean could 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 the emerging science that will
be at the forefront of health conversations in coming years.
