Skin Care

I Had My DNA Tested for Skin Aging. Here's What I Learned

Bespoke beauty advice with the swab of a cheek

by Katie McCarthy | COMMENT

PHOTO 4/6

My Skin DNA Test: The Prescription Now, I'm pretty nuts about skin care. When I was in elementary school, my mom got so tired of me stealing her Olay moisturizer that she started buying it for me. I was using anti-aging serum before I could legally vote. I've done countless interviews with top dermatologists and I routinely get into the weeds of dermatological research writing skin-care guides like these.

That's why I was surprised when I actually learned something from HomeDNA's personalized recommendations. Not just something -- quite a lot.

I own an array of anti-aging products containing a good deal of the ingredients recommended for my skin, like niacinamide and glycolic acid. However, HomeDNA also recommended treatments I'd never even considered: topical kombucha and pine bark extract; a reduced-sugar diet (still not considering that one); silica supplements; and dermal needling.

All in all, HomeDNA recommended almost 50 different topicals, supplements and in-office treatments for me. The sheer volume of suggestions left me feeling super edu-ma-cated about my options but also a tad overwhelmed -- which says a lot, coming from a dermatology nerd like me.

Image via Getty

SEE NEXT PAGE: Skin DNA Testing: Final Conclusions

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