_ambermac's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
rstegema's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Definitely makes me want to rethink how often I get "clean" and what kinds of products I use on my skin and body.
ardavis414's review
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Anyone who is my friend knows that, starting about six years ago, I transitioned from taking daily showers to showering twice a week. I mostly cut down on my number of showers because I hate being wet, but over time I noticed that my chronic eczema wasn't flaring up anymore and my skin was less flaky and itchy during the winter. Before reading Clean I had already done some independent research on the skin's microbiome, the concept of hygienic vs. sterile, and the impact of daily showers on our skin. I realized that it supported my current hygiene routine and my belief that less is more when it comes to my skin.
I'm high-key nerdy so, of course, I also enjoyed learning about the origin stories of today's international soap corporations (and soap operas!) and how capitalism and marketing shaped how society understood cleanliness and proper hygiene. As you read, you'll realize that a lot of what Hamblin discusses is just common sense: wash your hands often, spend time in nature, and maintain a simple skin care routine. Though this book was written before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hamblin's advice in the epilogue hasn't changed much: keep washing your hands, mask when appropriate, and isolate when necessary. Not only is he a former medical doctor, but he also includes the perspectives of people from both sides of the skin care/hygiene spectrum in the book. It's a worthwhile read.
I'm high-key nerdy so, of course, I also enjoyed learning about the origin stories of today's international soap corporations (and soap operas!) and how capitalism and marketing shaped how society understood cleanliness and proper hygiene. As you read, you'll realize that a lot of what Hamblin discusses is just common sense: wash your hands often, spend time in nature, and maintain a simple skin care routine. Though this book was written before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hamblin's advice in the epilogue hasn't changed much: keep washing your hands, mask when appropriate, and isolate when necessary. Not only is he a former medical doctor, but he also includes the perspectives of people from both sides of the skin care/hygiene spectrum in the book. It's a worthwhile read.
devinayo's review against another edition
3.0
The book starts with an interesting premise: What if we've been assaulting the microbiome on our skin by adopting a series of regimens that are meant to clean or beautify our appearance? The author, James Hamblin, is proud to have not showered for 5 years, arguing that it's more beneficial to the skin microbiome and that our skin does not necessarily need the high level of maintenance that we've been doing.
There are a lot of interesting ideas in the book, from how acne and eczema can disappear when people stop showering or slathering their skin with drugs or various other creams to how our skin can emit chemicals that create an odor when there's something wrong inside our body. The author also went on many visits to talk to researchers, artisan soap creators, and bio-tech startup alike to discuss the idea of doing less to maintain microbiome on our skin.
Perhaps, the most important part of the book is the chapter when the author traces back the idea of cleanliness and hygiene throughout human history, and how the two often interchangeable concepts are actually different. According to Hamblin, our idea of hygiene is "disease-avoidance behaviors", and we start taking up showers as one of the regiments precisely to avoid the plague. However, as capitalists exploit our personal life, hygiene becomes a status symbol that is represented by cleanliness.
So, how much of our skin regimens are oriented toward hygiene, and how much is just about maintaining status? What is the balance? The author does not answer this straightforwardly, but he urges us to keep on questioning these questions in our personal lives. All in all, Clean is an easy read, but does not offer many new answers or insights to help us forward.
There are a lot of interesting ideas in the book, from how acne and eczema can disappear when people stop showering or slathering their skin with drugs or various other creams to how our skin can emit chemicals that create an odor when there's something wrong inside our body. The author also went on many visits to talk to researchers, artisan soap creators, and bio-tech startup alike to discuss the idea of doing less to maintain microbiome on our skin.
Perhaps, the most important part of the book is the chapter when the author traces back the idea of cleanliness and hygiene throughout human history, and how the two often interchangeable concepts are actually different. According to Hamblin, our idea of hygiene is "disease-avoidance behaviors", and we start taking up showers as one of the regiments precisely to avoid the plague. However, as capitalists exploit our personal life, hygiene becomes a status symbol that is represented by cleanliness.
So, how much of our skin regimens are oriented toward hygiene, and how much is just about maintaining status? What is the balance? The author does not answer this straightforwardly, but he urges us to keep on questioning these questions in our personal lives. All in all, Clean is an easy read, but does not offer many new answers or insights to help us forward.