This book was so informative. I feel like I learned so much! Normally, I can’t get through an informative book, I always wind up losing interest. This book not only kept me locked in, but I retained so much of the information. I love recommending this book to people because the information is useful and I know whoever picks up this book will be happy they read it!

"The Beauty Molecule" by Dr. Nicholas Perricone

If you’re walked into a Sephora, or you’ve Googled in the last two decades for ways to become healthier, it’s probably safe to say that you have heard of Nicholas Perricone, also known as Dr. Perricone M.D.

Yes, it’s the same scientist who has devoted his life to studying optimal health and longevity, and the one-and-the-same with the skincare line (Perricone M.D. Skincare, for those of you wondering). Nicholas Perricone, M.D., has already penned several books back in the early 2000s which include (but are not limited to) "The Perricone Prescription" and "The Wrinkle Cure." With his new book slated for release in 2025, Perricone reveals in "The Beauty Molecule" the extensive length and research he has personally taken to discover new ways to become healthier.
Perricone shares with us his findings in “The Beauty Molecule” and the significance and impact of a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine (ACh) or fondly dubbed the beauty molecule. In a nutshell, the more you have of this beauty molecule in your body, the better your body is able to repair your central nervous system (all things memory and cognition), as well as your parasympathetic nervous system. Both are key in your overall physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.

All of the major points of the book ultimately boil down to one key idea: to achieve optimal health (whether that’s fantastic skin, lean muscle, improved strength, better immune system, etc.), you must ensure that inflammation in the body is treated from the inside out.
According to Perricone, inflammation is what ultimately causes signs of aging, the breakdown of muscle and overall flexibility, as well as your mental and cognitive health. For the science-illiterate readers like me out there, Perricone explains very clearly and easily in “The Beauty Molecule” what steps you can take to achieve certain changes in your body and health. Perricone not only makes specific recommendations for particular supplements and exercise movements, but explains what each of them do and what benefit they bring to you.

I am not an annotator, but my copy of this book has been digitally earmarked all over the place, and there are notably three different sections in the book that they’re particularly clustered. One is on the the importance of circadian rhythms and the everyday choices we make that hinder our circadian rhythm. The second is the detailed list of supplements he recommends, where I noted particular ones that I can incorporate as a ‘beginner’ without breaking the bank. The third are dietary recommendations and specific recommended sources of nutrition. As a reader who has tested out some (not all!) of Perricone’s suggested lifestyle and dietary changes- purely in the name of better sleep (i.e. no screens at least one hour before bed, decreased caffeine intake, more conscious movement)- I have seen a marked improvement in my sleep, particularly in the amounts of REM and deep/core sleep as recorded on my Apple Watch. This is an improvement I observed only with a few minor changes made that were very easy to do without thinking too much about it.

Above all, I appreciate Dr. Perricone’s “The Beauty Molecule” for its frank and information-benefits-all approach. Health is wealth, and should be shared as such!! I would recommend this for any health and skincare/beauty aficionados. It's also a great place to start if you're looking for a simple list of changes you can make in your life, or even a shopping list.

★★★★
J

I understand acetylcholine and love that it is something that an MD homes in on as the fountain of youth. I don’t know if everything is fact based in this book but I enjoyed it!

This was a good book! I do think it was pretty chock full of information, a bit overloaded with info at times so it made it very dense and hard to read. It was a bit strongly opinionated as everyone's skin is different and not 1 product works the same way for everyone. So i felt like it was being pushy.

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

I've used Dr. Perricone's products before, so this was an interesting read. A lot of the advice is common sense, but I learned a great deal, and I like the approach he took to explaining everything. I think you should take his own product recommendations with a grain of salt (as we all should with any recommendations that benefit the writer of the book.) That said, one can't argue that he does tons of research, and we should all start started younger paying attention to, and caring for our skin.

I really enjoyed this book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #StMartinsPress #DrPerricone #NicholasPerricone #TheBeautyMolecule

Overall, I think this book is a really good resource for finding new diets that include certain molecules that are said to help. Dr. Perricone also goes in detail on different antioxidants and compounds that help keep you looking good and feeling good. I am pleased to say I take DMAE, NAC, and phenylalanine. I don’t want to make a recommendation on supplements, but the Acetylcysteine in NAC was the most life-changing results. It boosts glutathione which in turn completely stopped my nail-biting (after 30+ years!) and stopped obsessive and compulsive behaviors.
I like how for each compound Dr. Perricone also includes how we can get those nutrients in our diets. He also explains how each antioxidant/ compound helps your health in a way that is easy to read and understand.
What I don’t like is the way he pushes two things - the axulin (the website doesn’t even work) & his hydrogen water. The reports on hydrogen water seem to be inconclusive and/or have small sample sizes.
I would recommend this book to people looking to better their health by learning about molecules and how they can help us. There are also other healthy lifestyle tips.

I definitely found some interesting information in The Beauty Molecule but I found myself skimming the science explanations. While it was valuable to understand the why, it was a bit of a slog. I also don't agree with the fasting instructions as I don't believe (from what other experts have said previously) that it is safe for me. I will be looking for some of these supplements in the future. Missing from the advanced copy is the coveted resource list however. Thank you to St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was fine as far as intros to healthy lifestyle go, but if you've watched a lot of YouTube videos you'll know a lot of the info in this book already. Waking up early, getting sun on your face and exercising first thing, intermittent fasting, meditation and yoga, etc. A lot of the advice assumes you are living a dependent-free lifestyle or someone else is taking care of your children, which makes me skeptical about whether results are actually tied to the changes or whether you just don't age as fast when you don't have the added stress of children! The actual beauty molecule seems to be in a product the author sells through a skincare line so I would need to do more personal research before I believed the claims. I'm just always skeptical about topicals that claim to change your skin because if they actually changed your body they would need to be regulated by the FDA. Overall it was a well-written book and I actually think that it could be useful for older generations (ie. Get X or Boomer) who maybe aren't as aware of the health trends that are going around. I do actually think the advice in the book in relation to lifestyle is good, and I though adding actual exercise and meditation techniques was a nice touch.

The Beauty Molecule provides a comprehensive approach that highlights the connection between internal health and external appearance, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to rejuvenate their skin and overall well-being. An insightful read, for sure.