Image courtesy of HomeDNA
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* A DNA test that looks at your skin’s health
* Get customized skincare suggestions based on your DNA
* Assessment looks at 7 areas of skin health from sensitivity to collagen quality
DNA testing kits have never more accessible than they are today, and whereas most at-home kits on the market only offer ancestral and health assessments, HomeDNA.com offers a kit that analyzes your skin health by looking at your unique DNA across seven distinct areas: Collagen Quality, Skin Elasticity, Fine Lines & Wrinkles, Sun Protection, Pigmentation, Skin Antioxidants, and Skin Sensitivity.
In addition to a comprehensive report of your overall skin health, the report also includes detailed suggestions for skincare, nutritional supplements, and professional treatments to help you “unlock your skin’s potential.”
It can be expensive and exhausting going through the cyclical trial-and-error process when it comes to testing out new skincare products and treatments. Home DNA’s personalized skin diagnosis eliminates at least some of the dread of this guessing game. A custom-fit beauty routine based on science? Count me in!
Like most at-home DNA kits, this one requires you to swipe the insides of your cheeks with a cotton swab to get a good sample of your saliva. The kit includes a pre-paid envelope to use to ship out your samples to their lab. It’ll take about 8-10 business days for the lab to receive them, and an additional 2-3 weeks to get your results online. You can track your results anytime via their website using your account login, but you can expect the whole process to take about six weeks.
When the results are ready, you’ll be able to open up your detailed PDF through your online account, which gives you a breakdown of your results in each of the 7 categories. Underneath, you’ll find detailed recommendations for what to use/take to treat any abnormalities in the form of topical ingredients, supplement ingredients, and professional treatments.
Image courtesy of Home DNA
Overall, the results were super easy to read and they seemed pretty accurate, based on what I’ve already gathered about my skin over the past 27 years of dealing with it (extremely sensitive, indeed). However, my weak collagen levels (specifically in the areas of collagen fiber production and collagen depreciation) came as a bit of surprise, despite my mom having mentioned she was told the same thing by her dermatologist a few years back. Interesting.
The fix? Home DNA lists several oral and topical treatments that are linked with promoting better collagen function, including using skincare products with Vitamin E and DMAE, ingesting whey protein to ensure proper amino acid consumption and Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA), a universal antioxidant that is touted for its anti-inflammatory and pore-reducing properties, and using an LED light therapy treatment (see my review of my favorite at-home light therapy device here). Not only does the report list each skin-enhancing suggestion, but they also explain in layman’s term what each ingredient actually does for your skin.
Overall, the report is super easy to read and the entire process was pretty user-friendly. The report isn’t full of scientific jargon, so you won’t have to google what every term means every two seconds, and there’s plenty of pictures to illustrate what your results mean—the jowls and premature sagging have me itching to go to the health food store stat.
Image courtesy of Home DNA
Buy: HomeDNA Skincare Kit $99.00 buy it
Of course, your unique genome isn’t the only factor to pay attention to when it comes to your skin’s health — lifestyle choices, environment, hormones, and other factors all contribute to our skin’s health and of course, your appearance. However, this helpful test certainly offers a solid point in the right direction. I appreciate the emphasis on the importance of treating the skin from the inside out, with the abundance of natural vitamin and supplemental prescriptions, as well.
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