Viewpoint: I know my skin better than a ‘DNA-optimized’ skincare routine does

skincare
Image credit: Life DNA

LifeDNA purports to take your DNA data from companies like 23andMe, and, relying on findings from “over 1,100 peer-reviewed studies,” determine the best ingredients for you skin. Based on your DNA and answers to an online lifestyle questionnaire, the company ships you a box of its own branded skincare products. They aren’t cheap. The Deluxe Beauty Box will set you back $289.

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My Deluxe Beauty Box contained a cleanser, a toner, a moisturizer, and a serum that I was supposed to use twice a day, plus a weekly mask. The Dynamic Wellness Box included five daily supplements.

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Immediately after my first morning of cleansing and toning and moisturizing and seruming, my skin felt greasy, as if there was a thin layer of oil on top of it. It was also somewhat itchy.

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After the third week, my skin was no longer itchy and red. But it was dryer and seemed slightly more prone to pimples. The supplements seemed to have no discernable effect.

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My dermatologist told me that it would be virtually impossible to isolate what I was having an allergic reaction to, since the way different ingredients interact with each other is complex.

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As it turns out, I might know my own skin better than an algorithm trying to decipher the many mysteries of my DNA.

Read full, original post: I Tried a DNA-Optimized Skincare Routine—and I Was Allergic to It

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