Skin Care by DNA
Skin Care by DNA
by Michele Bender
Can your genes create the perfect skin cream for you? We check it out.
You
know DNA can solve crimes, but now it’s also being touted as a way to
solve skin-care problems. The first cream that uses your own DNA to
target your complexion’s unique needs—DNA UltraCustom Moisturizing and
Wrinkle-Reducing Night Cream from Margate, New Jersey–based
Dermagenetics—is now available at dermatologists’ offices and medical
spas nationwide.
Here’s how it works: A dermatologist or
aesthetician swabs your inner cheek for DNA, then sends it off to
Dermagenetics. (The company says DNA samples are destroyed after
testing.) Your genes are analyzed for information like the skin’s
propensity for collagen breakdown, sun damage, and wrinkling. The
findings determine which ingredients to put in your cream. Four weeks
after your swabbing ($375 for the initial order and $159 for refills),
your genetically tailored product arrives. Only a nighttime face cream
is now available, but a cleanser, eye gel, and body-firming lotion are
due out early this year.
So is this high-tech, high-cost skin-care product worth it? I put it to the test for Health
and found that it took about 3 weeks to notice any difference. After
that, my skin felt softer and the tone was more even—plus it looked
like some of my sun spots had faded. After 2 months, the line between
my brows was a tiny bit less noticeable, though all of my usual
wrinkles were still there.
So far, experts are leery of this
kind of customization. “With our current level of knowledge, it would
be difficult to analyze DNA from most individuals, predict if they’re
prone to wrinkles or accelerated aging, and determine what skin-care
products they need,” says Paul Doetsch, PhD, biochemistry professor at
Emory University School of Medicine who studies DNA damage, repair, and
genetic instability. “That said, with more research, this kind of thing
should be possible one day.”
— Michele Bender is a Contributing Editor for Health.
