I Took 3 Beauty DNA Tests — and the Results Were Scary Accurate

The first kit of the bunch that I tried, Orig3n Beauty DNA Test ($99), uses your genetic makeup to break down how your DNA can impact multiple different aspects of your appearance — like whether your body's ability to metabolize sugar will influence how well your skin ages, or if you're prone to stretch marks. The Orig3n box came within days, and the entire swab test took even less time to do — two minutes in total.

After about two weeks — the quickest turnaround time of all the kits — I got an email notification that my results were ready. The report was broken up into four categories: skin aging, skin elasticity, appearance and skin health, and UV sensitivity. Most of my results were pretty obvious (like my higher likelihood of getting acne), but there were also a few wild cards I didn't see coming, including that my skin has a genetic advantage to looking younger "due to the natural ability of your cells to counter damaging environmental factors" and that I may get gray hair earlier than a whopping 92 percent of the population.

I did appreciate that this test offered a little insight into what these results might mean and the ingredients you can use to help treat these genetic predispositions. In the case of acne, for example, Orig3n offered up a few ingredients (benzoyl peroxide, retinoids, salicylic acid) that might be worth trying.

Vitagene recently added a dedicated Skin Report ($79) to its Health + Ancestry Report, so you can find out your genetic risk for common skin conditions like eczema, contact dermatitis, dry skin, photoaging, and rosacea in the same breathe as your family history and nutritional and exercise predispositions. Just send in a saliva sample and answer a short lifestyle questionnaire, and you'll get back a full genetic analysis with the option of buying monthly supplements personalized to your DNA.

Plus, if you already have data from another DNA test like 23andMe, you can upload that existing information to the database and learn how it affects your skin, hair, diet, or exercise.

Because Vitagene's skin analysis is a newer offering for the brand, the lab results took a little longer than expected — about four to five weeks. Still, the information that came with it was fascinating: a few clicks revealed that I'm more likely to tan than burn (which, try telling my shoulders that two weeks ago when I was on vacation in St. Kitts), my skin has a hard time retaining moisture, and I'm prone to eczema. (That much is true.)

And while there weren't nearly as many details listed under each skin category as the other tests, the info it did provide was certainly the easiest to ingest. There were colorful, aesthetically pleasing charts and bullet points that made it a quick and simple read.

The HomeDNA Skin Care kit ($99) originally rolled out exclusively at CVS, which made it easily accessible for anyone to test the 28 genetic markers that can affect your skin health at home. The premise behind the test is similar to the others and just as simple: create an account on the website, swab your cheeks, and send it off to the lab. Quick and easy.

Within two and a half weeks, I had my results back — and, holy sh*t, were they extensive. In the 11-page (!) report were "genetic scores" for my skin across seven categories: collagen quality, fine lines and wrinkles, pigmentation, skin elasticity, skin antioxidants, sun protection, and skin sensitivity. There was a lot of information to ingest, but if you want every single detail of your genetic traits explained — with pictures, flow charts, and the whole kaboodle — this is the test for you.

Oh, and you'll also get personalized recommendations on topical ingredients, supplements, and pro treatments that might work for you under each category. So while I may have been bummed (or perhaps "annoyed" might be more fitting) to learn that my collagen fiber formation was graded as less than ideal, I could rest assured knowing that I had approximately 13 treatment options — from using products with more vitamin C to microneedling — to choose from.