The Ingredient Edit

PDRN, explained

Polydeoxyribonucleotide, nicknamed “salmon DNA”, is the buzziest K-beauty ingredient right now. Here’s what’s known.

What it is

PDRN is made from DNA fragments, usually taken from salmon or trout. In Korean clinics it’s injected into the skin as a “skin booster”, and it’s now turning up in serums, creams and pads.

What the research shows

A review found PDRN supports tissue repair and wound healing by acting on adenosine receptors, but the evidence comes mostly from injections and medical wound care, not creams.

Squadrito and colleagues, Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2017 [1]

There’s very little independent research on PDRN applied to the skin in skincare products, and it isn’t clear how much reaches the deeper layers of skin where it would need to work.

Our take: promising, but not proven in skincare. If you’re over 40 and choosing where to spend, retinal or retinol and daily sunscreen have far stronger evidence. Try PDRN if you’re curious, but don’t pay a premium for it.

None of the 30 products on our price list contain PDRN yet. We’ll add some as the evidence and prices settle.

Sources

  1. Squadrito F et al. Pharmacological activity and clinical use of PDRN. Front Pharmacol. 2017.

This page is general information, not medical advice.