Clean: The New Science of Skin by James Hamblin

Reviewed by Max

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What is the real difference between soap and body wash? How, if at all, are the products we put on our skin tested and regulated? And just what does it actually mean to be "clean"? Preventive Medicine Physician James Hamblin tackles these and other questions in his latest book on public health, Clean: The New Science of Skin, which takes readers on a journey through the past, present, and potential future of personal skincare.

This eye-opening text features the kind of persuasive writing that may not convince you to change your bathing habits, but will definitely get you thinking more critically about what you put on your skin and why. It is the type of title that not only welcomes skepticism, but also actively addresses and offers tip to alleviate the anxiety that accompanies it. Well researched, grounded in realism, and impeccably timely, Clean makes a compelling case for re-imagining our relationship with our body's biggest organ: skin itself. As Hamblin himself puts it, "This book, in the end, is an invitation to embrace the complexity of the world around us and on our skin. Even if you don't stop showering."

Rating: 4/5 stars

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