The Beauty of Dirty Skin    by Whitney Bowe Order:  USA  Can Little, Brown & Co., 2018 (2018) Hardcover, CD, e-Book      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Most of us have always known that what you ingest can affect your skin, but not the extent to which our internal ecosystems influence not only our appearance but our general health. Dermatologist and research scientist Dr. Whitney Bowe explains how this works - and what to do about it - in The Beauty of Dirty Skin: The Surprising Science of Looking and Feeling Radiant from the Inside Out. The book is divided into three parts - A Gut Reaction to Radiant Skin (that offers 'a panoramic view of the gut-brain-skin connection'); Glow with Your Gut (ways to 'support the ideal health and function of your skin'); and finally Part 3 suggests a three week program of lifestyle changes for optimal gut-brain-skin health. Interspersed throughout are examples of patients who have consulted Dr. Bowe for different skin problems, but whose 'core troubles reside primarily in the gut ... where colonies of microbes thrive and influence our physiology.' One fascinating topic is psychodermatology, 'a new subspecialty in medicine that's emerging from the combination of psychiatry and dermatology.' Bowe also goes into some technical detail on the effects of stress on the body. Another very interesting chapter explains 'Why Probiotics Are the New Antibiotics', taken both orally and topically. Part 2 of this volume covers dietary recommendations - fresh, whole foods, low-glycemic ingredients, fermented dairy, significantly reduced sugar intake - along with a Skin-Friendly Grocery List, and supplement recommendations. The author also addresses The Power of Exercise, Meditation, and Sleep. I recommend reading The Beauty of Dirty Skin to anyone who's been wondering about recent research on the gut-brain-skin connection, and how it can be applied to improve our health and/or appearance. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews