Clean: The New Science of Skin and the Beauty of Doing Less

Description

A witty scientific investigation that reveals how excessive soap and washing harm our health, now with a new afterword. SOAP SAVES LIVES. But did you know that excessive use of soap and skin-care products is harming our health and the environment? Apart from in hand-washing there is no need to use soap on our bodies at all? Doctor and preventative medicine expert James Hamblin gave up showering five years ago and only ever uses soap on his hands. In Clean, he takes us on an irreverent and entertaining journey through our complex relationship with our bodies and cleanliness. Drawing on the latest science, he introduces a new way to think about cleanliness - one that is cheaper, simpler and better for our skin, our immunity and the world in which we live. * With a new afterword by the author * 'Fun, interesting and credible' New York Times 'Persuasive... Clean made me chuckle and then left me thoughtful' Daily Telegraph

James Hamblin is a doctor and holds a masters in Preventive Medicine from Yale University. He is a staff writer at The Atlantic, a lecturer at the Yale School of Public Health and a specialist in preventive medicine. He is the author of If Our Bodies Could Talk and hosted a video series of the same name. His Twitter account is @jameshamblin. He only uses soap on his hands.

Good-humoured and persuasive ... sets out to dispel the comfortable notion that our skin is a smooth protective barrier between us and the outside world... Clean made me chuckle and then left me thoughtful * Daily Telegraph * Accessible and articulate - graceful even - and there are some wonderful surprises * Wall Street Journal * Fun, interesting and credible * New York Times * A must read * Vogue * James Hamblin's characteristic mix of clarity and levity shine through every single page. You'll never think about your largest organ the same way again -- DAVID EPSTEIN, author of Range and The Sports Gene