For a pretty low price, HomeDNA's Skin Care test gave me a greater degree of information about my skin's definitely/maybe problem areas than I ever thought I'd have. The low-stakes nature of the whole thing made getting my results fun and fascinating, even though they, uh, sucked.
(Obviously, it's not HomeDNA's fault my genes are shitty; it's mine. Wait -- no! It's my parents' fault! Oh, my god. I can't wait to throw this in their faces at Christmas dinner.)
Back to my previous point: You're unlikely to learn anything from your HomeDNA Skin Care results that would ruin your life, year, month or even just your day. That's a contrast to the emotional fallout some people have experienced after getting their DNA analysis from, for example, 23andMe.
Because HomeDNA's test isn't designed to deliver any earth-shattering revelations about how you'll age, your results probably won't shock you. If you're like me -- meaning, you've watched your parents age and have had to live with your own face for a few decades -- you've already seen some of the writing on the wall.
Plus, lots of skin-care products have a cocktail of ingredients to address multiple signs of aging; if you use anti-aging products, you might be doing a decent job of fighting your genetic predispositions already.
That said, my report made me rethink my current skin-care regimen and what I'll do in the future.
To stave off the apparently rapid depletion of collagen in my face, I'm thinking about taking HomeDNA's recommendations of micro-needling treatments and glycolic peels. I bought some fish oil supplements to counteract my skin's insane inflammatory response, and I restarted taking a B-complex vitamin in order to give my skin's collagen synthesis a boost.
To bastardize Pinterest's favorite inspirational quote, when you know better, you can do better. And all of us -- even beauty writers -- can afford to know a little better, and do a little better, about caring for their skin.
Image Courtesy Katie McCarthy
(Obviously, it's not HomeDNA's fault my genes are shitty; it's mine. Wait -- no! It's my parents' fault! Oh, my god. I can't wait to throw this in their faces at Christmas dinner.)
Back to my previous point: You're unlikely to learn anything from your HomeDNA Skin Care results that would ruin your life, year, month or even just your day. That's a contrast to the emotional fallout some people have experienced after getting their DNA analysis from, for example, 23andMe.
Because HomeDNA's test isn't designed to deliver any earth-shattering revelations about how you'll age, your results probably won't shock you. If you're like me -- meaning, you've watched your parents age and have had to live with your own face for a few decades -- you've already seen some of the writing on the wall.
Plus, lots of skin-care products have a cocktail of ingredients to address multiple signs of aging; if you use anti-aging products, you might be doing a decent job of fighting your genetic predispositions already.
That said, my report made me rethink my current skin-care regimen and what I'll do in the future.
To stave off the apparently rapid depletion of collagen in my face, I'm thinking about taking HomeDNA's recommendations of micro-needling treatments and glycolic peels. I bought some fish oil supplements to counteract my skin's insane inflammatory response, and I restarted taking a B-complex vitamin in order to give my skin's collagen synthesis a boost.
To bastardize Pinterest's favorite inspirational quote, when you know better, you can do better. And all of us -- even beauty writers -- can afford to know a little better, and do a little better, about caring for their skin.
Image Courtesy Katie McCarthy