Clean: The New Science of Skin had been on my TBR for a while, and it recently caught my eye again. This time, I immediately checked it out of the library, and I'm glad I did. It was an interesting before-bedtime read that started out in familiar (to me) territory about our society's recent obsession with skincare, then wended its way through the fascinating recent history of skincare products and soap, a bit about the ineffable nature of the human longing for (spiritual) "cleanliness" and how being "germ-free" has recently subbed in for that role for many people, and finally and most interestingly, the upcoming probiotic and prebiotic skincare market as well as the ways in which our microbiomes really do affect our skin and overall health. The microorganism stuff was the most interesting to me, as well as the validation that pretty much no skincare products or daily cleaning routines aside from handwashing are needed from a healthcare point-of-view (although they may have personal and social value). I like that Hamblin, a doctor as well as a journalist, makes nuanced arguments, and cites his sources in the back of the book (I've been surprised a few times lately by nonfiction authors who haven't). Hygiene is important--but can cause problems if overdone. A lot of skincare products (besides sunscreen and a few others) are ineffective--but can feel good and bring joy. He points out that people pursue alternative treatments through relatively inexpensive skincare products because they're let down by the systemic inequities and failures of the American healthcare system. He also makes excellent arguments for more regulation of these products that people put on their skin, their body's largest organ. Even I did not realize that there's no regulation for skincare at all unless it gets classified as a drug; the FDA can only make recommendations.
The book is full of compelling and relevant factoids, so if this all sounds interesting to you, you should definitely read it, but here are my five favorite facts that I learned from this book, which I'm sure I'll be bringing up for years to come:
- Did you know that the microbes on your feet could be protecting you from foot fungus?!? Bacillus subtilis, just one example commonly found on feet, produces antifungal compounds. Not surprising if you really think about it, but so cool! I love evolution (178).
- The famous Boy Brow eyebrow wax? It recreates the effects of oils from unwashed hair follicles (89).
- Creams and moisturizers, commonly thought to work by restoring the skin barrier, may actually or additionally work by feeding microbes like Roseomonas or Corynebacterium, which alter the skin microbiome and protect against bacteria causing eczema or other flare-ups (212). So cool! We're putting "good" bacteria food on our skin!
- A biotech company is working on genetically modifying a common skin bacteria, Staph. epidermidis, to treat skin diseases. Very cool approach using CRISPR, although of course, it has to be treated with caution, as should any new treatment (218).
- If you, like me, are lowkey obsessed with Frederick Law Olmstead, who had a huge hand in designing many of the public parks in the U.S. today, you will also be interested to learn that he reconfigured the Union Army camps during the Civil War, allowing for more sanitation and ventilation, causing a "surge in morale and performance," (and I'd guess saving some lives!) (242).
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