Welcome to our series “Buzzy Beauty Ingredient of the Moment,” the premise of which is pretty self-explanatory: In each installment, we’ll explore an ingredient that’s springing up in a variety of different products and consult experts on the science behind it — and why it’s trending now.Unconventional ingredients regularly enter the beauty zeitgeist as the industry continues its quest to bottle the fountain of youth: Snail mucin boosts hydration in all its goopy glory, volcanic ash doubles as a mineral-rich exfoliator and so-called “vampire facials” re-inject your own blood into your face to stimulate collagen production. By way of South Korea, PDRN has emerged as beauty’s latest fascination due to its regenerative properties and its eyebrow-raising origins.What is PDRN and what does it do?PDRN (or polydeoxyribonucleotide) is a DNA fragment typically derived from salmon sperm. Yes, you read that right. Though that might cause the “clean” beauty crowd to clutch their pearls, the collagen-boosting ingredient goes through extensive purification prior to formulation. During the manufacturing process, PDRN is “highly refined to remove proteins, lipids and cellular material,” thus isolating purified DNA fragments, New York-based board-certified dermatologist Dr. Anetta Reszko tells Fashionista. “The final ingredient is safe, stable and functionally distinct from its original biological source,” she notes.The post-purification result? A powerful skin-care ingredient known to encourage skin healing and recovery. Often labeled as “regenerative,” PDRN is especially useful for stressed skin, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Julie Russak points out, which includes those dealing with redness, a weakened barrier, uneven texture or early collagen loss. “[PDRN] works by supplying small DNA fragments that skin cells can use as signals for repair,” Dr. Russak says. “These signals encourage fibroblasts to function more efficiently and improve blood flow in the tissue.”PDRN is also inherently anti-inflammatory, adds double board-certified dermatologist and surgeon Dr. Nazanin Saedi, meaning it helps reduce inflammation and redness. This means it can aid in post-procedure healing after in-office treatments like lasers and microneedling. Dr. Saedi adds that PDRN is a large molecule, so “it will not penetrate the skin effectively without nano-encapsulation or other delivery-enhancing mechanisms.”Salmon sperm and snail mucin may seem like odd starting points for regenerative skin-care innovations, but formulators tap into biological materials for a reason: Biologically-derived ingredients work well with human tissue, Dr. Russak explains. Specifically, salmon DNA shares 95% similarity to human DNA in both molecular weight and structure, making it compatible with the human body. This molecular similarity allows PDRN to “communicate” with our skin cells. Essentially, like calls to like.Why is PDRN trending now?
Laneige Water Bank Aqua Facial Serum, $36, available herePhoto: Courtesy of Laneige
Against the backdrop of K-beauty’s domination in the global skin-care space, many beauty brands are jumping on board the PDRN train. To name a few: Laneige recently introduced its PDRN-infused Water Bank Aqua Facial Serum; Mixsoon welcomed its first PDRN line in January’ Abib expanded its PDRN collection to include a salmon-derived serum and cream; Marini SkinSolutions is debuting a high-concentration $160 PDRN serum in February; and KimChiChic Beauty launched the first salmon PDRN grip primer in the U.S. beauty market. The consumer demand is there: According to trend forecasting agency Spate’s Popularity Index, interest in PDRN has grown by 998.4% since last year across platforms like Google and TikTok.Though PDRN might feel like an overnight sensation, it’s actually been around for quite some time. Early research on PDRN stretches back to Italy in the 1980s, and the DNA-derived polymers were approved by the Italian Medicines Agency in 1994. The ingredient quickly found a home in Korean skin care, transitioning from professional clinics to over-the-counter solutions.So why is it trending now more than ever? “Recently, the beauty industry has seen a clear shift toward bringing high-performance ingredients — previously recognized through dermatological treatments — into everyday skin care,” says Yunji Lee, Korean skin-care brand Anua’s product team manager. “Within this trend, PDRN has gained attention as an ingredient that conveys both credibility and a compelling story, and is increasingly recognized as a high-performance at-home care ingredient that helps support skin condition and barrier health through daily use alone.” With the goal of turning PDRN into an accessible, everyday skin-care solution, Anua currently offers a stacked PDRN collection including a salmon-derived mask, serum, cream, spray, lip balm and more.Is PDRN safe to use?Some hesitation around PDRN’s salmon-derived origins may remain for those with seafood allergies, but PDRN’s final form of highly-refined DNA doesn’t contain proteins or biological material that would cause allergic reactions. Although, as with any new skin-care ingredient, board-certified dermatologist and MMSkincare founder Dr. Ellen Marmur advises those with seafood allergies to patch test salmon-derived versions first to be safe. “I’m also wary of people pairing PDRN with at-home microneedling or aggressive devices, assuming it will mimic in-office treatments,” Dr. Marmur adds. “That’s where you can run into irritation or even infection. We’ve seen many new patients with devastating rashes on their faces after injections of PDRN. It is not FDA cleared for injection due to concerns of red hypersensitivity reactions and scarring.”
Tonymoly Vegan PDRN Hydrating Melt Mask, $5, available herePhoto: Courtesy of Tonymoly
What is vegan PDRN?And for those looking for vegan substitutions, plant-derived PDRN innovations are advancing every day. Tonymoly utilizes banana PDRN in its Vegan PDRN Hydrating Melt Mask, which is extracted from the brown, freckled “sugar spots” that appear on ripe bananas. Tonymoly U.S.A. Product Development Manager Aubrey Lowe explains that these spots are biologically very active and rich in nucleic acids, which serve as the raw material for creating PDRN. Then, it goes through an extraction and purification process to isolate low-molecular-weight DNA fragments to produce banana PDRN.”The result is a vegan PDRN that mimics the cellular signaling behavior of traditional, salmon-derived PDRN,” Lowe notes. “Unlike salmon PDRN, banana PDRN is 100% plant-based and cruelty-free, offering a more sustainable alternative while supporting similar skin-repair pathways.”Korean skin-care brand Haruharu Wonder also employs vegan PDRN by extracting it from the stem cells of the Damascus rose. In January, the vegan brand introduced two rose-derived PDRN serums, with one aimed at soothing aggravated skin and the other targeting collagen production to firm the skin.”We saw vegan PDRN as an opportunity to bridge advanced skin science with emotional and ethical comfort,” Haruharu Wonder Founder and CEO Jae Jeong says. “It reflects how modern skin care is evolving — people want innovation, but they also want transparency, sustainability and products they can trust long term.”
KimChiChic Beauty Give Me Grip Primer, $15, available herePhoto: Courtesy of KimChiChic Beauty
What’s next for PDRN?A true jack of all trades, PDRN isn’t confined to skin care — it’s beginning to enter the wider beauty space. KimChiChic Beauty’s Give Me Grip Primer is infused with salmon PDRN, which helps deliver a smooth, adhesive base for an all-day makeup look. “When we started seeing PDRN everywhere in K-beauty skin care, it felt like the perfect ingredient to explore,” shares Toni Ko, founder of KimChiChic Beauty’s parent company Bespoke Beauty Brands. “It is known for supporting smooth, healthy-looking skin, and we loved the idea of bringing that skin-care energy into a makeup primer where you can feel the difference instantly.”K-beauty brands are also embracing PDRN lip care (see: Knemo’s LipLock Jelly Serum and Medicube’s PDRN Lip Sleeping Mask), though the U.S. market is trailing behind Korea when it comes to PDRN-infused makeup. Available at Korean beauty retailer Olive Young, Dear Dahlia offers a PDRN BB cream and Skinfood uses salmon PDRN in its dark circle concealer.Sure, PDRN may not exactly be the fountain of youth, but the regenerative skin-care innovation is on track to dominate the industry in 2026. As Dr. Marmur advises: “If your skin is irritated, over-exfoliated or recovering from a treatment, PDRN can be a helpful support, but healthy skin still comes down to consistency and patience.”Shop the best PDRN productsFor those addressing a stressed-out skin barrier or simply chasing a glowing complexion, we’ve rounded up salmon- and plant-derived PDRN skin-care products for peak hydration, below.
Abib PDRN Intensive Creme 1.5 Tube, $35 $25, available here
Anua PDRN Collagen Glow Facial Serum Spray, $21, available here
Bano PDRN 1000 Cream, $35, available here
Biodance Rejuvenating Caviar PDRN Real Deep Mask, $19, available here
Haruharu Wonder Rose PDRN Soothing Serum, $22, available here
Innisfree Retinol Green Tea PDRN Firming & Smoothing Serum, $37, available here
KimChiChic Beauty Give Me Grip Primer, $15, available here
Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum, $21, available here
Mediheal Rose PDRN Essential Mask, $8, available here
Mixsoon PDRN Collagen Hydrating Gel Cleanser, $12, available here
Some By Mi PDRN Spirulina Poreless Primer, $18, available here
Sungboon Editor Alaska Salmon PDRN Ultra Moisturizing Barrier Cream, $28, available here
Tonymoly Vegan PDRN Hydrating Melt Mask, $5, available here
Valmont Prime Renewing Pack, $330, available here
VT PDRN Essence 100, $28, available here
Laneige Water Bank Aqua Facial Serum, $36, available here
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