Named a Best Book of 2020 by NPR and Vanity Fair , and one of Smithsonian ’s Ten Best Science Books of the year. Preventative medicine physician and Atlantic writer James Hamblin explores how we got here — examining the surprising science and culture of how we care for our skin today. A lucid, entertaining introduction to the science of skin microbes and probiotics Hamblin talks to dermatologists, microbiologists, aestheticians & more — and even gives up showering to see what happens Explores the skin microbiome: the trillions of microbes living on our skin and in our pores Reconsiders what “clean” really means — often doing less, and saving time, money, water & plastic Paperback