CircleDNA Review – Say Hello to Me

When you are in your 40s, you’d think you already know all about yourself. But well, my assumption that that’s true is only well, partially right. The first time I came across CircleDNA was online during the covid time. At that time, I remember thinking to myself, wow, that’s cool and that would be a great way to find out more about myself. But then more pressing matters always came up so this year during my birthday month, when CircleDNA asked if I would be alright to do a review of their Premium CircleDNA test, I jumped at the opportunity to finally get tested.

How it’s done

It’s actually really simple. When you have decided on the test you want to do (there are four to choose from), a package will be sent to you. All you need to do is to follow the instructions in the test kit, download the CircleDNA app to register the kit, swab and arrange for FedEx to pick it up then wait very patiently for the results. It takes awhile from the time you order it to the time you actually get the report, probably about 20+ days.

The results

When your results are ready, you’ll be able to see it on your CircleDNA app. You can view the detailed report or click on the Summary first for an overview.

The Premium DNA test offers 500+ reports over 20 categories.

After clicking on a section for instance, Diet, you’d be able to see your optimal diet type as well as other dietary sensitivity details:

If I click on each item, there would be further details. Besides the result, you can click on the Recommendations tab to find out what you can do about your sensitivity etc.

What I particularly like is the Diet, Nutrition and Sports and Fitness sections. For someone like me who’s always trying to go on diet and exercise to combat my yoyo-ing weight, I finally have some idea what I should work on.

And well, it seems that my yoyo-ing weight is written in my DNA because under the test “Weight Regain”, it is clearly stated that I’m at Elevated Risk. Sigh. I guess I have it tough then. But it also explains why over the course of the past decade, my weight has been fluctuating madly between 46 – 53kg. I’ve also noticed that as I age, the time I take to lose the weight increases. The effort level required also increases with age. But now, I have a better understanding of my DNA so I can take better steps to achieve my weight goals.

Under the Sports and Fitness section, you can find out more about what sort of exercises suit you better and will therefore take out some guesswork on your part. The Nutrition section also tells you what you’re lacking so you can work on giving your body the nutrition it needs for greater health in the long run.

The Common Health Risks section is also good for you to take proactive steps to ensure that you take better care of your health. For instance, I have an elevated risk of high cholesterol and Type 2 diabetes. With this knowledge, I can take steps to ensure that it just remains an elevated risk rather than reality.

Some people don’t want to do a DNA test because they think that it is best not to know too much about ourselves. What do we do with all that information? What if it’s information we cannot handle? Personally, I feel that the information obtained from our DNA tells us what’s written in our genetic code but it doesn’t mean that your destiny is set in stone. Instead of viewing it negatively, you can take steps to attain better health and nutrition and get the most out of your time, effort and exercise.

What sets CircleDNA apart

  1. All kits include a non-invasive, FDA-approved saliva collection swab and test tube, with free delivery both ways.
  2. The CircleDNA test uses a unique Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) technology which conducts a full scan on all your protein-coding genes, providing you with comprehensive and accurate results (99.9% analytical accuracy).
  3. Encrypted Secured Data: Data collected is not sold, leased or rented to any third party. CircleDNA adheres to leading international security standard ISO-27001.

There is supposed to be complimentary 1-1 phone consultation regarding the results but I have not managed to book a slot, so I cannot comment on that at the moment of writing this review. It would definitely be useful I guess if you have doubts to clarify.

So is it accurate?

Well, based on my own results, I would say it is largely accurate. For instance, it did very accurately show that I have a dust allergy, a higher pain sensitivity and it even showed that not enjoying thrill is in my genes:

In a nutshell, I’d say there are some things I would definitely trust the DNA test for: ancestry origins, details about my health based on my genetic makeup; I wouldn’t argue with what science says about my physical traits.

Overall, I really love the comprehensive DNA test because I have finally found out more about my ancestry as well as how I can take steps to be in control of my health. Now that I know more about myself, I wouldn’t have to beat myself up every time I see my weight fluctuate like the stock market. Well, some things are in my genes and I just have to make greater effort to make things work the way I want. I think it will improve my quality of life since I have the knowledge of my body to improve my health and achieve my fitness goals!

Disclosure: A CircleDNA Premium Test kit was provided for purposes of review. All opinions are mine. No monetary compensation was received.

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Vegamour | Plant-based Holistic Hair Wellness

Hair wellness is especially important as we grow older. Our hair is our crowning glory and how it looks really affects our self-confidence. But of course, when we talk about hair, it isn’t just on our scalp; it also includes our brows and lashes. After all, brows and lashes are a big part of how we look. If not, there won’t be so many people going for brow and lash services.

Vegamour offered to send me some hair serum as it is their best seller, but I opted to try out their brow and lash serum instead. I have been using lash serum for a few years since I grew out my lashes some time back in 2018. As I have stopped buying the lash serum due to the increasing price and my last bottle was almost finished, it was really another case of great timing when Vegamour approached me.

Not only could I maintain healthy long lashes with Vegamour’s lash serum, I wanted to try to grow out my brows. At some point in time, I really can’t remember when, but my brows just suddenly became very sparse so I was really excited to try the brow serum!

Vegamour takes a holistic approach to hair wellness that incorporates clinically tested plant-based ingredients that work in tandem to promote healthy, beautiful hair naturally, without the use of harmful chemicals. It works in harmony with nature to achieve beauty without compromising health and sustainability. Vegamour creates direct, fair-trade partnerships to ethically harvest high-quality natural actives. 

Since hair wellness is for everyone, you don’t need to be experiencing any sort of hair loss to start trying out Vegamour’s products. The GRO and GRO+ Advanced collections are specifically designed for a woman’s physiology, taking into consideration that many products out there focus on men’s hair loss.

These are the applicator tips in the serum bottles:

The two main plant active ingredients are red clover and mung bean. Rich in isoflavones, red clover helps to minimise hair thinning and hair loss by acting as a natural DHT blocker. Mung bean contains copper, an essential element for scalp and hair health, and may strengthen the ability of the hair follicle to resist premature shedding.

I like that Vegamour products are clinically tested but still cruelty free. They are 100% vegan and hormone free so you can use the products with peace of mind. If you’d like to try out the brow and lash serums, you can get them as a set.

Results of course vary by individual. Visible results should be seen in 4-8 weeks, following the instructions provided. For the first two months, use the serums twice daily. In the morning, apply to clean, dry skin, prior to your makeup routine; in the evening, apply after you’ve washed your face and completed your skincare routine. Apply lash serum gently to the upper and lower lash lines, at the root. To apply brow serum, hold wand horizontally and apply gently along your brow line. Repeat daily, decreasing to once daily after two months and avoid oil-based remover or products.

I took a couple of before and after photos in the time I have used it. I can actually see very fine hair growing but they are not well-captured by the camera so you might not be able to see much difference. Anyway, I have not used it for 2 months yet, so I hope to see fuller brows then!

The growth in the brows is not very obvious in the photo but the lashes do look longer. Again, the photos do not show it, but my lashes look darker, thicker and healthier.

Overall, I would say that I’m happy with the products. I love that they are not formulated with harmful chemicals and cruelty free. And if you have lash extensions, you can still use the lash serum as it is oil-free and will not damage the extensions.

You can check out the full range of Vegamour’s products at their website. Summer sale is on now so you can get some discounts!

Disclosure: A lash and brow serum kit was provided for purposes of review. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are mine.

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